Posole Soup

Ingredients

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• 2 chiles, soaked in water to soften
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in water until soft, drained, and chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can hominy
• 2 roasted chicken breasts, skin removed and meat shredded
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded white Cheddar
• crumbled tortilla chips for garnish
• 4 pounds chicken bones, chopped
• 3 large Spanish onions, quartered (skin left on)
• ¹/₂ head celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• ¹/₄ cup whole peppercorns
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems only
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Cooking Instructions

1. First, make the chicken stock. Combine chicken bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 40 minutes. The bones and vegetables should be golden brown.
3. Put the bones and vegetables in a pot together with 12 cups of water and add the rest of the chicken stock ingredients. Bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours.
5. Strain stock into a new pot.
6. Cook the stock in high heat until it is reduced by half.
7. Now you can use the stock to make the rest of the soup. Take a quarter cup of stock and the chiles, hominy, and porcini mushrooms and create a puree.
8. Add the puree to the stock and cook for 10 minutes.
9. Add the chicken breasts and the cilantro and cook for a further 5 minutes.
10. Serve in bowls topped with cheese and crushed tortillas.