When October rolls around and there is a nip in the air and the leaves start to change I want nothing more than to curl up on the couch under a blanket with a book (Frankenstein, Dracula or Poe of course) and a cup of tea.  I want to visit apple orchards and pumpkin patches and drive through the mountains to see the colors.  I want to sit by a bonfire and toast marshmallows and tell ghost stories.  I want to dress up as a vampire and hand out candy to kids in adorable costumes.  I want to wear sweaters and boots and jackets.  I want to eat all the pumpkin things and all the carmel-y apple things and drink drinks made with warm, spicy bourbon-y things.  I want to watch The Great Pumpkin and Hocus Pocus and dream of being a kid again.

I want October to never end.

On chilly, fall nights, I like to warm up with a big bowl of soup.  This soup came about when I was searching for something quick and easy to make on a Sunday afternoon.  I found lots of recipes for posole but decided to create my own and add a few of my favorite must-have pantry spices: coriander and cumin. It made a great dinner and an even better lunch all week!

Pollo Posole Verde

Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 poblano, diced
2 gloves garlic
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1 can diced green chiles
Salt & pepper
2 cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
1/2 jar green salsa
6 cups chicken stock
Rotisserie chicken, shredded
To garnish: cilantro, lime, cotija (or feta) cheese, avocado, sliced radishes (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onions and poblano and saute for about 5 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges.  Add garlic, coriander and cumin and toast for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add green chiles. Add stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove toasty bits. Add salsa, hominy and shredded chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. To serve, garnish with cilantro, lime, avocado and cotija cheese.

Serves 6.

Source: Ruth’s Table

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” – L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables