The taste of kabocha and the white hominy used in posole are the perfect match. This Pumpkin Posole soup is really simple but not a good choice if you are in a hurry. You... need time for the hominy to cook. It can take a couple of hours or more of simmering for the grains of hominy to burst into “flowers”, but after that, the soup comes together quickly.
Drain and rinse the hominy. Put it into a large pan and cover with water by 1-inch. Add the bay leaf and garlic and bring to a boil over a high heat. Cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until the hominy has burst into "flowers”. Check the pot from time to time and add more water if it looks dry.
While the hominy is cooking, with a peeler, take off little patches of skin all over the pumpkin halves until they look polka-dotted. This is purely decorative and can be left out if you don't have a lot of time. (If using butternut squash, peel the squash completely.) Cut the halves into ½-inch dice. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. When it ripples, add the onion, and saute, stirring until it starts to soften and turn transparent. Add the pumpkin cubes, sprinkle with a little sea salt, mix well, and cover. Turn the heat down to medium low and sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin has started to soften and the onion is really soft. The onion should not brown, so stir the pot occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick. Add 6 cups of water or stock and the cooked hominy along with any liquid left in the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the pumpkin is tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the garnish. Mix the cilantro, shallot, and jalapeno together in a little bowl. Put the other garnishes into separate bowls. Eat the soup with a squeeze of lime juice and a little of the other garnishes, to taste.
Chef Tips
If you are in a rush or want to cut down the cooking time, use 2 (28 ounce) cans of hominy. Drain and rinse them, and add an extra 2 cups of water or stock.
If you are having oral problems such as cankers or post-radiation dryness, this delicious soup can be pureed by whizzing a couple of cupfuls in a blender. Let the soup cool somewhat before eating.
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