Chicken, Bean, Hominy, and Kale Soup

Step 1: Chicken ... Note: If you are using a rotisserie chicken - you can skip this step. Add the broth, water, bay leaves, onion, and chicken to a large soup pot; and, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low; and simmer approximately, 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink; and, reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees. Remove from the pot; and set on a plate to cool. Once the chicken is cooled; remove from the bone, and dice or shred. Using a spider or slotted spoon; remove the onion and bay leafs from the broth. Note: I like to use bone in and skin on chicken; I think it adds a nice richness to the soup.

Step 2: Base Vegetables ... Add the olive oil to a saute pan, and bring to medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, jalapenos and poblanos; and, begin to slowly saute the vegetables. Don't rush it - simmer a good 7-10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Add the cumin, and a good pinch of both salt and pepper.

Step 3: Puree the tomatillos in a blender or food processor along with a little of the chicken broth or water, to thin it out. This is the same whether you use fresh or canned. Then, add the tomatillos to the sauteed vegetables; and, mix to combine. Saute just another minute to heat everything up.

Step 4: Soup, Beans, and Hominy ... If you poached your chicken, your broth should already be warm. If not, add your broth to a large pot, and bring to medium heat to warm up. Add the hominy, black beans, vegetable/tomatillo mix; and, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light boil; then reduce to medium low-low heat to simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Kale ... It has very tough stems, so they need to be removed. You can cut them out; or, you can Hold them at the tip; then pull down the center, to the end of the stem - this will easily remove the stem. Once the kale stems/ribs are removed, roll them up and thin slice. This will create 'nice size' pieces for the soup.

Step 6: Add the kale, along with the cilantro to the soup; bring back to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the kale is tender. If you want; you can add a bit more broth, if the soup seems a bit too thick. This is completely up to you. Add the chicken the last few minutes, just to warm it up. I like to let it simmer on low heat 5-10 minutes if you have the time - to let the flavors develop.

Step 7: Finish and Serve ... Ladle into your favorite bowl, top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, cilantro, avocado; a squeeze of lime; and tortilla chips. ENJOY!