It's Chili!

It's springtime... here, that means wild, weather changes.  55 Degrees and sunny one day, six inches of snow the next.  We actually woke up yesterday morning to a FOOT of new snow!  Thankfully, most of it had melted by this morning, but it's CHILLY!  So, although we are craving the BBQs and ready to start grilling, we still need to be ready to cook up some winter soups.

I have always thought of CHILI as having ground beef & beans, but not this one!  It is a fun & tasty, twist on chili that cooks up in about an hour on the stove or you can saute the veggies, then throw everything in the crock-pot!

(Note:  As always, Green text are Olivelle recipes that I will share. Green text within a recipe are ingredients that can be purchased from Olivelle locally or on the website http://www.olivelle.com/ )

Hominy, Tomato & Chili Soup
(Chef Claudia Galofre-Krevat)

1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Tbsp Caramelized Garlic Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion (Diced Small)
1 Large Anaheim Chili (Seeded & Minced) or 1Canned Green Chili (Minced)
1 Tbsp NOMU Mexican Rub

4 Cups Chicken Broth  (or Vegetable Broth)
Optional: 1/2 Dried Ancho Chili (Seeded & Crushed)

1 14oz Can White or Yellow Hominy (Drained)

1 14oz Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Tortilla Chips (Crushed)

1 Tbsp SoGo Lime Juice
Chili Verde Sea Salt & Pepper (To Taste)

Mexican Crema (To Garnish)

1. Toast Cumin Seeds in a small sauce pan, over medium heat for about 3 minutes (tossing frequently).  Then crush with a mortar & pestle and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch Oven or large saucepan.  Saute Onions & Anaheim Chili until the onion is translucent.  Add the Mexican Rub & Crushed Cumin Seed and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. If using a Crock-pot, transfer the onions & chili to the crock-pot and add all remaining ingredients except the Crema.  If cooking on the stove top, add all remaining ingredients except the Crema, into the onions & chili, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 Minutes.
4. Serve with Mexican Crema.

I am hoping to start up the grill and mix up the summer salads soon, but in the meantime... let's stay warm and keep the soup pot handy!