Green Chile Soup with Pork & Snowballs

  

This tasty soup is guaranteed to keep you warm...even when you have this much snow!

(Photo courtesy of my Dad, 2/2/2011) 

I found the recipe a couple of years ago at epicurious.com but have made some changes to it since then.  It's quick and delicious; and a great use for hominy!  (Of which I have an abundant supply, as explained here!)  

On a wintry day like today doesn't the hominy just remind you of...SNOWBALLS?!

I love that you don't have to chop the onions in this recipe.  Just cut them into quarters...

 ...and toss them in the blender.

 

 

 

 

Green Chile Soup with Pork & Snowballs

2 onions, quartered

2 (3 to 4 inch) fresh jalapeno chiles, stemmed and quartered, including seeds*

5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup vegetable oil

8 cups (or 2 boxes) reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 lbs ground pork

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 cans or 4 cups white hominy ("snowballs"), rinsed & drained

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt, to taste 

Purée onion, chiles, and garlic with 1/2 cup chicken broth in a blender. 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, stirring and breaking up clumps with a fork, just until no longer pink. Thoroughly drain fat from meat. 

Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pot and heat over moderately high heat until hot, then carefully add purée (it will spatter), cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and most of liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. 

Add pork, hominy, cilantro, and remaining 1 1/4 cups broth and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with cheese and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

*This makes the soup quite spicy.  If you prefer a milder soup you can scrape out the seeds or just use one jalapeno.  This time I tried mild canned green chiles instead but we thought the soup wasn't as tasty without the fresh jalapenos; they give flavor as well as kick!