Hearty posales (main-dish Mexican soups)

Posole is a hearty main-course Mexican soup made with dried, soaked individual corn kernels called hominy. Hominy can be purchased dried, canned, or ground into grits.

SHRIMP POSOLE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 minced cloves garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 (14.5-ounce) cans lower-sodium chicken broth

1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 pound peeled shrimp

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium high. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, oregano, cumin and chili powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the broth, hominy and tomato and bring to a boil; immediately reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Stir in shrimp and simmer until shrimp is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve right away. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving 312 calories, 28 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 1,251 mg sodium

PORK POSOLE

1 pound center cut boneless pork loin chops, cut in bite-size pieces

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomato with green chile

1 (14.5-ounce) can lower-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Toss the pork with the chili powder and chipotle chili powder. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high; add the pork and cook until well-browned on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes.

2. Add the hominy, tomatoes, broth and water and bring to a boil; immediately reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until pork is cooked through and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving 280 calories, 27 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 1,109 mg sodium

CHICKEN POSOLE

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 minced cloves garlic

1 cup chopped onion

2 (14.5-ounce) cans lower-sodium chicken broth

1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, drained and rinsed

1/2 avocado, cut in thin wedges

4 lime wedges

1. Toss chicken and chipotle together and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium high. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and hominy and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 6 to 7 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

3. Ladle into four bowls; top each with slices of avocado and a lime wedge. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving 304 calories, 30 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 910 mg sodium