“Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!” Lewis Carol
I wait all year long for this month to have unbridled license to create soup pot after soup pot full of nutritious and soul warming soup. January is also “get healthy” month and I will take a wild bet that no less than 60% of you are thinking about chocolate but are eating carrots right now. I know I am. But with a warm cup of soup in my hands, the fragrance swirling up to fill my senses, I’m okay without the chocolate. Really I am.
It seems the love for soup and its prowess as a healthy food has been around forever. Well, maybe not forever, but when humanity finally figured out how to make pottery, about 5000BC, soup was born. Our ancestors had only dried meats, tough roots and grains in the winter that were much tastier boiled up into a broth. It also warms you up from the inside out, pretty important stuff when it is dark by 4:40pm and Jack Frost is running amuck.
Pozole is one of my very favorite soups since I first tasted it about 20 years ago. The taste exploded in my mouth and I think I said something like “WOW!” That’s it. I was too busy eating it to say more. Pozole is an ancient stew that dates back to the pre-contact Mexico. It is usually made with pork and hominy but I like to make it with turkey or chicken sans the hominy.
Here’s a paleo tidbit for you, pozole was originally made with human meat. Yup, no joke. Here it is straight out of Wikipedia, “After the prisoners were killed by having their hearts torn out in a ritual sacrifice, the rest of the body was chopped and cooked with the corn. The meal was shared among the whole community as an act of religious communion. After the Conquest, when cannibalism was banned, pork became the staple meat as it “tasted very similar”, according to a Spanish priest.” So now you know we don’t taste like chicken.
Pozole is a very social dish in Mexico where it is served with many condiments at festive gatherings. It is usually made with pork, but I like to make it with turkey or chicken. After the holidays I usually have a freezer full of delicious homemade turkey broth that is just begging to be used and this is a great way of doing it. If you do not have homemade broth, try to use organic low sodium broth in its place. Here’s to a new year filled with warmth and health. (Instead of chocolate)
Turkey or Chicken Pozole Rojo with an Avocado Relish
Chipotle chili powder and smoked paprika are available at health food stores in the bulk spice section. If you don’t have them, substitute regular chili powder and bump it up to 3 teaspoons. This soups serves 4-6 people as a main dish, more if a starter dish. You can make this soup by simmering a turkey carcass in just enough water to cover it, for a few hours. when it cools, pick out the bones very carefully and use as you soup stock. Skip the steps with the meat.
Perfect Spice mix;
1.5 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoons of cracked black pepper
.5 teaspoon of sea salt
Prepare the spice blend by mixing all the spices together in a small bowl. (Double it for a great spice mix to use on anything you please.)
Soup;
1-2 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
1.5 pounds of chopped raw chicken or turkey thighs
OR 2-3 cups of cooked and shredded turkey or chicken meat
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 bell peppers, coarsely chopped
4-5 fat carrots, sliced into 1/4 rounds
2-3 stocks of celery, chopped
1 32 oz container of low sodium organic chicken broth
OR 1 quart of homemade chicken or turkey broth
1 28 oz can of organic low sodium crushed tomatoes, un-drained
1 4.5 can of mild diced green chilies
1 small can of organic tomato paste
The juice of 1 to 2 limes
1 to 2 teaspoons of honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Get out your favorite soup pot, everyone has one, and sauté the chicken or turkey meat in the oil over medium high heat. While it is cooking sprinkle half the spice mix over it and mix in. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes stirring continuously. (If using pre-cooked meat just barely heat it up then proceed) Add the onions and garlic, and sauté a bit more till fragrant, about 5 minutes. Toss in the chopped carrots, celery and bell peppers and sprinkle the rest of the spice mix over the mix while doing the cha cha. Sauté a bit longer then, pour in the broth, tomatoes, green chilies and paste and mix them in well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-35 minutes till the carrot are just starting to get tender and the house smells like goodness. Taste and add the honey and the lime juice, a little bit at a time till you have the right flavor. Add any salt and pepper it might need and serve with the avocado relish and radishes. Ole!
Relish;
½ cup of chopped cilantro
1/3 cup of chopped green onions
1 diced and peeled avocado
Grated lime zest of one lime and juice
3 ounces of cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)
A pinch of salt
When the soup is almost ready to serve, dice the avocado up and squeeze a little lime juice over it and sprinkle with the lime zest. Add the cilantro, green onions and cheese then mix gently till barely mixed. Serve on the soup.
chowstalker says
I’m not really sure how I feel about the fact that we taste more like pork than chicken! 😀 But the recipe sounds delicious and since I just finished cooking a whole chicken and have all those ingredients, except for the cheese 🙁 , I’m going to make this tonight!
ziabaki says
How did you like it?
chowstalker says
It was delicious! Karen Joy set me straight on FB about the cotija cheese 🙂 so I’ll make sure to have some on hand for next time, but the soup was wonderful without it. Also, I didn’t realize that I was a bit short on the tomato paste so mine was a little on the thin side…will definitely make it again!
ziabaki says
I’m glad you liked it! You rock!
Karen Joy says
This recipe looks great.
The only thing I would mention: I don’t think cotija should be optional. That is one of my all-time favorite cheeses. However, in a pinch, I have subbed real sheep milk feta for cotija in similar recipes and it tasted great.
ziabaki says
LOL! I love cotija too…so much!
Terri says
Wow, I live to eat pozole every New Years Day!! I have made a vegetarian version of it but it never occurred to me in the last few months that I have lived grain free to make a grain free Pozole. A revelation!! Thank you. I think with this inspiration I will be able to make it through the next 24 days. Thank you again, Terri
ziabaki says
I’m a pozole freak too! Enjoy!
Sophie33 says
Waw! What a spice mix & what a fabulously looking soup: so nourishing & tasty too! 🙂
MMMMMMMM! I wish you a happy 2013 filled with great health, joy, tons of laughter & good foods too! 🙂 xxx
Karen Joy says
Yes, I actually bought coriander yesterday to make the spice mix! I OD’ed on coriander a while back but after seeing rhis recipe I thought it was time to give it another try!
Dawn Shears says
whoah…gotta turn you onto the Mexican recipes I got from my homies in So. Cal… Where is the posole, btw?
this looks scrumptious otherwise…
ziabaki says
I do love anything Mexican! Always open for new recipes!