New Mexican Posole

From EatingWell: January/February 1995, EatingWell Serves Two — Subscribe Now!

Posole, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, is traditionally served around Christmastime. It's so tasty and—with a few convenience items like canned hominy and chili powder—easy to make that we like it any time of year. Shredded cheese, cilantro or thinly sliced radishes are traditional toppings for this stew.

2 servings, 2 cups each

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped red onion, divided
2 teaspoons canola oil
Pinch of salt
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder, to taste
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can hominy, (see Note), rinsed
1 cup canned black beans, or pinto beans, rinsed
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup finely shredded green cabbage
2 lime wedges

Preparation

Toast oregano in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate to cool. Combine 1/2 teaspoon toasted oregano and 2 tablespoons onion in a small bowl.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons onion and salt; cover and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon toasted oregano and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and hominy, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add beans and chicken; return to a simmer and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, about 5 minutes. Top with cabbage and the reserved onion-oregano mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Add all ingredients except the reserved oregano-onion mixture, cabbage and lime wedges. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat and garnish before serving.

Note: Hominy is white or yellow corn that has been treated with lime to remove the tough hull and germ. Dried, ground hominy is the main ingredient in grits. Canned, cooked hominy can be found in the Latin section of large supermarkets—near the beans—or at Latin markets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 358 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 50 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 9 g fiber; 541 mg sodium; 298 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (27% daily value), Iron & Vitamin C (20% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat