There seem to be several ways to spell this traditional Mexican stew, and even more ways to cook it.  My Mom makes it often but without any specific recipe, and I don’t cook it regularly enough to ever remember what I put in it the last time — so this post is for the specific purpose of being able to recreate my posole next Christmas without searching the internet.  Posole is traditionally made with a base of onion, peppers (poblano, chipotle, and bell peppers), garlic, tomatillos, tomatoes, and hominy.  The hominy is what makes it special, in my opinion.  I like to add shrimp at the end, but chicken or beef would work too.  Make a huge batch, bake some cornbread, and you are ready to feed a crowd.

Shrimp Posole (serves 6)

1 tbsp oil

1 large onion, diced

1-2 poblano peppers, diced

2 large bell peppers, diced

2 tomatillos, diced

6 cloves (or more) garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder (or to taste – optional)

1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy)

1 28 oz can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes

2-3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 large can hominy, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 lb raw shrimp, tails off and deveined

2 ripe avocados, diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat the oil over medium in a large dutch oven.  Add the onion, peppers, and tomatillos and cook 5-10 minutes, until softened.  Add the garlic, seasonings, and chipotles in adobo sauce and cook another minute, then add canned tomatoes, broth, and hominy.  Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer, allowing to cook for at least 20 minutes, but up to a couple of hours if you have the time.  Add the black beans and cook another 5 minutes.  Right before serving, add the shrimp, cooking just 1-2 minutes until the shrimp turn pink.  Garnish with avocado and cilantro (sour cream is good too).