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Here is
a warming, savory soup for corn tortilla and roasted pepper lovers. I've been
making this for years, just never got around to blogging about it.
This was inspired by a restaurant recipe that appeared in the
newspaper years ago. Their version had a base of chicken broth and ground corn
tortillas. Corn tortillas (and tamales) are made from corn that has undergone the nixtamalization process, which uses an alkaline solution, usually
water and calcium hydroxide (i.e. lime) or wood ash, to remove the husk.
Nixtamalization makes nutrients more available, important for cultures that
depend on corn as a staple grain. It also gives a distinctive, earthy flavor to
the corn.
The corn that
tortillas and tamales are made from is hominy, or posole in Spanish. When I
made this soup, I was wanting to make it more filling, since I was leaving out
the chicken. I thought, instead of tortillas, why not go straight to the
source? So, I pureed a can of hominy for the soup instead. The funny thing is
that I love corn tortillas and think that the hominy here tastes just like
them, while Jim hates corn tortillas, but loves this soup just as much as me.
So, I'd say my substitution was a success!
Roasted peppers are
a must for this soup, and an avocado and coconut milk help make this rich and
creamy. I serve this with a black bean salad
or jicama salad sometimes, or quesadillas if I'm really hungry (or just feeling
lazy.)
Creamy Poblano-Hominy Soup
2
poblano peppers, about 8 ounces
1
tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup
minced red onion
2 garlic
cloves, minced
1/2
teaspoon cumin
1/2
teaspoon mild chili powder
1 can
hominy, white or yellow, drained
1 can
coconut milk
1 small
ripe avocado
4 cups
vegetable broth
Salt to
taste (I didn't add any, as my broth was salty)
Tortilla
chips (optional)
Roast
poblanos under a broiler, turning over once or twice, until the skin starts to
turn black and loosens. Transfer peppers to a paper bag or wrap in wax paper
and let cool. Peel off as much of the skin as you can and discard. Remove stem
and seeds. Set aside half of one of the peppers for garnish and transfer the
rest to a blender or food processor.
Heat the
olive oil in a large pot. Saute onion until tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in
garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the blender.
Add the hominy and coconut milk. Cut open the avocado, remove the seed, and
scoop the flesh into the blender. Puree until creamy. (If you need to, you can
add some of the vegetable broth to help it blend.)
Transfer
mixture back to the soup pot and heat through. Cut the reserved pepper into
short, thin strips. Divide the soup among 5 or 6 bowls and top with the
reserved pepper strips and some crushed tortilla chips, if desired.
Serves 5
to 6.
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