12 chicken breast halves, trimmed
3 limes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeno pepper
3 poblano pepper
3 large yellow onions
6 ripe fresh tomatoes
4 15-oz cans hominy (2 yellow, 2 white)
2 large nopales (prickly pear cactus leaves)
Ground coriander
Ground sage
Ground cumin
Chili powder
3 qts chicken broth
Cilantro (garnish)
Ripe avocado (garnish)
White corn tortillas (garnish)
Heat the grill.
Wash chicken breasts and trim. Marinate in olive oil, finely chopped zest of 1 lime, salt and pepper. Trim spikes and ragged edges off cactus leaves and brush with olive oil. Grill chicken and cactus. Cut into medium dice and set aside. On the grill, blacken the jalapeno and poblanos.
Peel, and remove seeds. Medium dice the poblano, and mince the jalapeno (wear gloves!) Slice onions very thin. Saute slowly olive oil in a frying pan over low heat, until the onions caramelize (about 10-15 minutes). Core and seed the tomatoes; cut into medium dice. Drain and rinse hominy, and set aside.
PREPARE GARNISHES:
• Wash and pick off the leaves of cilantro.
• Thinly slice the tortilla, and fry in small amount of vegetable oil. Drain on paper towels, and salt.
• Medium dice avocado and squeeze juice of one lime (use the zested one) over to keep avocado from discoloring.
TO MAKE THE SOUP:
In
a large stock pot, place (in this order): hominy, caramelized onions,
poblano and jalapeno; chicken, cactus, chicken broth to cover (plus a
little more); coriander, sage, cumin and chili powder to taste; and the
juice of two limes. Cook over medium heat until just before the boil.
Add tomatoes. Bring just to a boil, and turn off heat. Serve with
garnish of cilantro, tortilla strips, and avocado.