Chicken Pasole Soup

This is a version of the Mexican dish Pasole that I have lightened up a bit by using chicken instead of the traditional pork roast. It has a flavor similar to chicken enchiladas, but as a soup. As with any of my recipes, please remember amounts of seasonings and spices are to my own family's tastes, so adjust any spices to your own tastes if needed.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 4  large chicken breasts
• 2  large onions
• 8  large garlic cloves
• 2 (16 ounce) cans yellow hominy
• 1 (16 ounce) can white hominy
• 9  large  dried red chile pods (mild)
• 1  large  lemon, juice of
• 1  tablespoon garlic powder
• 1  tablespoon onion powder
• 1  tablespoon chili powder
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
•  salt
•  black pepper
• 1  small head iceberg lettuce
• 1 (13 3/4ounce) bag tortilla chips

Directions

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and black pepper, garlic and onion powders, and chili powder.
2. Chop onion and mince garlic cloves.
3. Place chicken, onions, and garlic in a large stock pot. Cover all with water.
4. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer.
5. Meanwhile, remove the stems from the dried peppers, and slit each down one side. Remove ALL seeds and the membranes they are attached by from each pepper.
6. Immerse the dried peppers into the cooking chicken stock.
7. After 20 minutes, remove the peppers to cool.
8. Continue cooking chicken for another 20 minutes or so, until chicken is completely done.
9. Place peppers, one at a time, on a cutting board, and using a knife, “scrape” the softened inner pulp from the "papery" outer skins.
10. Place all of the pepper pulp into a bowl and sprinkle with a bit of salt, the cumin, and add 1/2 of the lemon juice to pulp.
11. Mash pulp well.
12. When chicken is done, remove to cool. Add more water to broth, if needed.
13. Skim any fat off top of broth.
14. Add pulp mixture into broth.
15. Add all 3 cans of "1/2 drained" hominy, and continue to slow-simmer.
16. Debone the chicken meat into "shreds" and add back into the broth.
17. Taste broth at this point and adjust seasonings to your tastes. (The pepper may taste a bit hotter than the final product will turn out to be).
18. Simmer 10-15 more minutes.
19. Meanwhile, finely shred the lettuce.
20. Turn off heat and add the remaining 1/2 of the lemon juice to the soup.
21. To serve, using a slotted serving spoon, put the desired amount of chicken/hominy mixture into a soup bowl, and then put 2 ladlefuls of broth over the top.
22. Top with a large handful of the shredded lettuce, and then top that with "crunched" up tortilla chips, to taste.
23. Enjoy!
24. -You can also top with any other of your favorite Taco toppings. For example, one of my sons adds diced fresh tomatoes to his bowl and the other son likes to add a spoonful of sour cream, and some graded cheddar cheese.