Leftovers Reinvented: Turkey Posole

My mother packed us a care package with a whole, roasted turkey Sunday night when we left Copake to return to the city. We ate it with some stuffing and gravy on Monday night. By Tuesday we still had quite a bit left, but I couldn't bring myself to eat another standard turkey dinner. I was craving something like a chili or soup. So I came up with the idea of combining the two into my version of turkey posole.

Posole, the Mexican pork and hominy soup, is traditionally eaten at Christmastime. Yet, variations of it made with chicken seem to lend it a year round quality. I thought that dark meat turkey would be a nice change and make the soup a little richer than chicken. The hominy adds a distinct corn flavor that is so delicious. And since corn is on Vivi's short list of acceptable vegetables, why not try hominy. (Not so fast Germann. Although not a complete disaster, it wasn't exactly a huge hit with the kindergarten set.)

I've only cooked with hominy once before, in a pot roast recipe that had the corn added for the last 20 minutes of cooking time. It added such a unique and hearty taste to the dish that I really wanted to try using it again. I followed a similar approach and simmered the soup for over an hour before adding the hominy, and then I cooked it for another half hour.

The soup itself is flavorful but it's the toppings that get really exciting: cilantro, queso fresco, chopped jalapenos (for the grownups), radishes, and limes for squeezing. You could also use chopped avocado or tomato. The cheese gets soft and melts slightly in the bowl and the cilantro adds that "fresh-air" quality that I love. (A friend once described eating cilantro as just like eating fresh air. I love that description.) The toppings can be adapted to what your family likes and what you have on hand.



Here's the recipe:

Turkey Posole (serves 4)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded turkey meat (I used white and dark meat)
1 14 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes plus juices
6 cups chicken stock
1 14 oz can hominy, drained

Suggested toppings:
sliced radishes
chopped cilantro
queso fresco (or feta)
chopped jalapenos
chopped tomato
chopped avocado
tortilla chips

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Crush the tomatoes by hand over the pot and stir in their liquid. Add the chicken stock, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.

Add the turkey, lower the heat, and simmer for an hour. Stir in the hominy and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes until the soup has cooked down a bit and the hominy is heated through.

Ladle into bowls and pass the toppings.