Serves 8 to 10
For no apparent reason every year I think of posole as I face down the Thanksgiving leftovers, in particular the turkey carcass and the pile of leftover turkey meat. A warm, comforting soupey stew is always in order, and the chewy-soft texture and gentle flavor of posole, which sometimes refers to the dried and soaked hominy itself, and sometimes refers to the traditional Mexican stew used made with this corn, often pork, and lots of add-ins. Authenticity is not what I'm craving at this moment however, so this is what we're eating tonight:
12 cups turkey broth/stock or chicken broth (see Note)
6 to 8 cups shredded cooked turkey
2 (15-ounce) cans posole or hominy, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in their juice
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons pureed chipotles in adobo
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ to 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
Optional add-ins: Chopped tomatoes, diced avocado, shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1. Combine the turkey broth, shredded turkey, posole, canned tomatoes, onions, carrots, bay leaves and pureed chipotles in a large stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper and lower the heat to medium low, continue to simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the whole house smells great.
2. Stir in the chopped parsley and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve in bowls. This is even better the next day.
Note: The world's simplest turkey broth. Break up the carcass (there should still be some meat attached it to), and throw it into a pot of cold water or preferably chicken broth (for extra built in flavor). If there are some leftover wings or drumsticks, and hopefully some leftover herbs, onions and/or carrots which have been used to roast the original turkey, throw those all into the pot. (Or throw in a few quartered onions and sliced up carrots). Simmer, partially covered, for about an hour and a half until the broth is quite richly flavored, adding salt and pepper as needed. Strain, and discard all of the solids, and you have turkey broth/stock.