The 10-Minute Comfort Dinner I Make When Winter Feels Never-Ending

Pozole is one of my top comfort dishes. A savory, earthy, and spicy soup that's all the things I love in one dish. It's a recipe that conjures up my grandparents' kitchen and can be customized in a million different ways.

The thing is, I'm not always willing to commit hours of my day to making it. If you've ever made pozole from scratch, you know what I mean. Soaking hominy overnight. Searing the meat. Simmering the soup for ages while the kitchen fills with incredible aromas and sends appetites into overdrive with hours yet left on the clock. Eventually, I'd had enough and went hunting for a shortcut.

Thankfully, I stumbled upon Martha Stewart's Easy Chicken Posole, which starts with a rotisserie chicken, guajillo salsa, canned hominy, and stock, and ends with a ban-the-winter-blues bowl of pure comfort that takes only 10 minutes.

Why I Love Martha Stewart's 10-Minute Chicken Posole

Pozole (or posole) is a Mexican soup (or stew, depending on who you ask) usually made with pork and occasionally chicken. Recipes vary region to region, reflecting the colors of the Mexican flag: green, white, and red.

There are a few reasons why Martha's take on this classic recipe is nothing short of genius. Fellow busy home cooks know that rotisserie chicken is the key to unlocking all sorts of quick, easy meals. This recipe only calls for one cup of shredded chicken, leaving plenty of leftovers for casseroles, chilis, salads—you name it. When making this pozole, I always opt for shredded chicken thighs for a deeper flavor.

Canned hominy is a revelation that negates the need to soak overnight and shaves off hours of cooking. Just be sure to rinse it off well before stirring it into the pot.

My Mexican side comes from Jalisco, and the smoky, fruity guajillo salsa Martha uses in this recipe is the perfect cheat for a pozole rojo, the style famous in that particular region. There's no toasting and rehydrating the chiles. Honestly, it’s brilliant, and I’ll be using this trick for other recipes.

Tips for Making Martha’s Speedy Soup

• Broth versus stock: Whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken, I make bone broth, which I'll use for soups, stews, and sipping. If I happen to have some on hand, it introduces a ton of flavor to this 10-minute pozole. Otherwise, a good store-bought stock has never let me down.
• Add more spice: The guajillo salsa does the heavy lifting for spices in this quick pozole. I like to add a little ancho chili powder, cumin, bay leaf, Mexican oregano, and a couple of garlic cloves to the pot as it simmers. These simple touches boost flavor without adding to the overall cook time.
• Don't skimp on toppings: Pozole is as much about the toppings as it is about the soup. Martha keeps hers simple with cilantro, but I'm a maximalist. Some of my favorite toppings are diced avocado, sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, and lime, but you can go further with a dollop of crema, diced onion, sliced chiles, and cheese. It's also a great way to use up stale corn tortillas; cut and lightly fry them in oil to make homemade tortilla chips.