Pasole

PASOLE. Mmmmm! This soup is one of my favorites. Since moving to Arizona, we have come to love the Mexican flavors that enhance our food! For those not familiar with Pasole, (pronounced Pah sole Ay) it's a soup traditionally made with either pork or chicken, hominy, cilantro & spicy tomatoes. A little tickle for the taste buds! YUMMY! Served with tortilla chips makes for a wonderful supper or lunch and just happens to be gluten free without alterations. I like quick & easy soup recipes like this that can be thrown together in minutes & the recipe can easily be doubled for large crowds & kept warm in the crock pot for parties. People hold back on trying it because they have never tried hominy. Alone it doesn't have much flavor but it really gives this recipe a nice finish and it is inexpensive. You can improvise a little with the ingredients and I will give you some substitutions & suggestions below. Leftovers can be frozen or canned & the hominy seems to hold its shape no matter how many times it gets reheated. It is a great swap out for chili on a cold night or for entertaining the guys for game day.

For convenience, you can purchase rotisserie chicken or use left over pork roast to make it super quick! This is one of my favorite soup recipes thanks to Julie (one of my co-workers) that was kind enough to share the recipe she uses with me. Most of the recipes I have had for Pasole were just too much work for a quick supper. This recipe is a keeper! We need to get meals to the table FAST with our busy schedules! Oh and did I mention that the soup tastes even better the next day? Yep, that is my kind of supper! It is a soup that comes together quickly but tastes like you spent a lot of time on it.

Pasole Recipe:

• one pound of shredded or diced chicken or pork (pre-cooked)
• 1 can (approx 28 oz) Hominy, not drained
• 1 small can (approx 15 oz) Mexican style tomatoes (like Rotel)
• 1 small handful of fresh cilantro leaves or 2 heaping tbs dried Cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 tsp. Better than Bouillon Ham base, optional
• sprinkle of sea salt (optional, taste your soup first...it may not need any)

I combine the ham base bouillon with hot water and stir to dissolve. This is an optional step. You don't need the ham base bouillon. (I used to not add it to the soup and it was still delicious). I think it just adds a nice slightly smokey flavor if you have some on hand but I wouldn't go out and buy some just for this recipe. To a large pot add the chicken or pork (I like mine shredded so I get a taste of meat in each bite but you can cube it if you prefer), hominy with the juice, Mexican tomatoes, water (with bouillon if you are using it) or broth and cilantro. Cook until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips. (The tortilla chips bring a crunch and slight corn flavor that I think adds a more satisfying crunch than crackers! - plus the tortilla chips are gluten free!) 

If you don't have Mexican style tomatoes you can use a can substitute any of the following:

• 1 can of regular tomatoes + 1 small can of green chiles
• 1 can of regular tomatoes + 1 tsp. pepper flakes (you won't get quite the same flavor but it will work in a pinch)
• 1 can of regular tomatoes + 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobe sauce (chopped fine or pureed), this will give you a slightly smokey flavor which I like!
• 2 cups of chunky salsa (this will let you control how spicy you make the soup. If you like it with minimal spice then use mild salsa, if you like it just a little heat then use medium salsa and if you like it spicy then use a hot salsa. I would stay away from fruity salsas with peaches, mango, pineapple, etc. But the salsa with chipotle tastes really good in this recipe!)

You can also substitute the vegetarian "chicken strips" diced in this recipe for those that are vegetarian.

You can substitute quick cooking rice in place of the hominy but I really wouldn't unless that is the only option you have. (You will need to cook the rice in the broth until the rice is tender & you may need to add additional broth/water because the rice will soak it up while it cooks) The hominy just gives the soup something that rice can't. However, sometimes you have to cook with what you have on hand and rice...most everyone have that in their pantry. 

Pasole with Shredded Pork

The next rainy or chilly day you have, stop on your way home from work and pick up some pre-cooked shredded pork or a rotisserie chicken and make yourself a pot of Pasole...you won't be sorry you tried it! 

Enjoy!

Tanja 

Gluten Free Casually