Pasole

In photo, bowl of Pasole, some sopapillas, and jalepeño poppers.

This is a delicious Mexican soup that we love! Naturally, it has a little bit of spice to it. If you want a mild soup, which I personally don't encourage, use only 2-3 chilis, or substitute the chilies with a can of chopped green chilies, which are a lot milder. Check the Mexican isle of your grocery store for the Mexican items.

2 lbs. chicken, chopped

2 lbs. pork, chopped

1 tsp. oil

1 head of garlic- I used about 8 cloves- minced

6 cans chicken broth, or use 6 cups water and 6 chicken bouillon cubes.

10-15 dried Guajillo or New Mexico chilies (It's the skinny little red, dried chilies shown in the picture.)

1 medium onion

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1 30 oz can white hominy, drained, rinsed- don't worry- it's good, trust me!

1 tsp. lime juice

Optional Toppings:

Sliced cabbage

Sliced onions

Cilantro

Sliced radishes

Chopped avocado

In a large pot, saute the chopped chicken and pork, till browned. Add the onion and stir for a few minutes, till soft, then add the broth and garlic and bring to a boil. Place the Mexican oregano in your palm, over the pot, and rub your hands together, and let it fall into the soup. Let the soup boil for about 30 minutes. Remove the stem and shake out the seeds from the dried chilies. Spoon out some of the hot broth into a bowl, and add the dried chilies, and let rehydrate for 10 minutes. Blend or mash the chilies into the broth, then, strain the juice from the chili skins. Try adding a tablespoon at a time to the soup, stir and taste, until you reach your desired temperature. I think I only added 2 - 3 tablespoons to my soup, and it had some heat! Add the hominy to the pot, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Add the lemon juice before serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and add any of the desired toppings, although I don't usually top mine with much. I prefer just some avocado.