When the temperature drops below freezing outside, my mind immediately starts taking vacations to warmer locales. One of my favorite imaginary destinations is south of the border—down Mexico way— where the the climate is as hot and spicy as the food.
If I can’t get there physically, at least I can travel vicariously through one of my favorite Mexican dishes- Chicken Pozole Soup. Pozole is a traditional stew that dates back all the way to the Aztecs. As the name implies, the dish contains pozole—also known as hominy. Hominy is dried corn kernels that have been rehydrated-usually in some sort of alkali solution like lye or lime (the mineral).
While tasty in it’s own right, hominy is neither Paleo nor Whole30 compliant. In a stroke of delusional genius I thought that perhaps I could capture the essence of pozole in this Chicken Pozole-less Soup without actually using pozole.
Yes, I know…I’m a madman.
I settled on diced yellow potatoes to take the place of the pozole. I think they add some body to the soup without compromising the flavor.
Fresh tomatillos are as tasty as they are beautiful. You’ll need about 3/4 of a pound for this recipe.
Along with the potatoes and tomatillos you’ll just need some chicken breasts, white onion, garlic, plobanos, jalapeño, cilantro, and dried oregano.
Simply add all the ingredients to a pressure cooker then pour in 6 cups of chicken stock. Lock the lid, and set on high pressure for 20 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, release the pressure. Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot.
Season the soup with salt to taste, then ladle it into bowls. Top with shredded lettuce, sliced radishes, and avocado. Enjoy!
Pressure Cooker Chicken Pozole-less Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 large white onion minced
- 2 poblano peppers seeded diced
- 1 pound potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 3/4 pound tomatillos husked and quartered
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
For Serving
- shredded lettuce
- sliced radishes
- sliced avocado
Instructions
- Add all the soup ingredients to a pressure cooker and pour in the chicken stock.
- Lock the lid and set on high pressure for 20 minutes. Once the timer goes off, release the pressure.
- Remove the chicken breasts, shred with a fork, and return to the pot.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a handful of shredded lettuce, sliced radish and avocado.
Notes
Add all the soup ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, then proceed as directed.
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