There are several ways to spell this traditional Mexican stew, and even more ways to cook it. My Mom makes it often but without any specific recipe, and I don’t cook it regularly enough to ever remember what I put in it the last time — so this post is for the specific purpose of being able to recreate my posole without searching the internet every time. Posole is traditionally made with a base of onion, peppers (poblano, chipotle, and bell peppers), garlic, tomatillos, tomatoes, and hominy. The hominy is what makes it special, in my opinion. I like to add shrimp at the end, but chicken and beef work too. Make a huge batch, bake some corn muffins, and you are ready to feed a crowd.
Shrimp Posole (serves 6)
1 tbsp oil (I like avocado oil)
1 large onion, diced
1-2 poblano peppers, diced
2 large bell peppers, diced
2 tomatillos, diced
6 cloves (or more) garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder (or to taste – optional)
1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy)
1 28 oz can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
2-3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 large can hominy, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb raw shrimp, tails off and deveined
1 or 2 ripe avocados, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Heat the oil over medium in a large dutch oven. Add the onion, peppers, and tomatillos and cook 5-10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, seasonings, and chipotles in adobo sauce and cook another minute, then add canned tomatoes, broth, and hominy. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer, allowing to cook for at least 20 minutes, but up to a couple of hours if you have the time. Add the black beans and cook another 5 minutes. Right before serving, add the shrimp, cooking just 1-2 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Garnish with avocado and cilantro (sour cream is good too).