Chileatole Verde 2.0

Part of the regional Mexican repertoire- the soup is traditionally made with corn, chiles and epazote.  There are savory versions and even some that are a bit on the sweet side with fresh corn and dark sugar.  The idea behind it is to make a porridge-style mixture thick as an atole—our corn-based drink that is usually enjoyed with tamales—adding a herbal and spicy note that is so quintessential Mexican. 

The essentials for chileatole plus a bit more green!

Chileatole is served as a drink or as a soup with all sorts of garnishes such as mayo and powdered chile; lime and cilantro, grated cheese and crema. Really, anything goes.

In this recipe I used hominy for a robust corn flavor. Then added more green veggies and herbs that would make the soup nicely balanced: Spinach and onion for a strong base; cilantro and parsley for a herbal flavor; jalapeño for a good kick; tomatillos for acidity; chayote and zuchinni for creaminess; epazote, thyme and oregano as aromatics.  You can substitute any of these with something else that creates the same effect (tangy, spicy, creamy), or even omit a few if you don’t have them. As long as you have a base of corn, chiles, and aromatics in there, you’re golden. 

Give it a try.  It’s rich, delicious and hits all the spots!  Serve it on it’s own, or with steamy hot corn tortillas, or a nice slice of toasted sourdough bread.

Recipe

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

1 Tbs avocado oil

1 1/2 cups cooked hominy or white corn

1/2 onion, sliced

Up to one jalapeño, sliced

1 small chayote, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

2 small tomatillos, sliced

1 tsp salt

2 cups spinach, chopped

a handful of cilantro sprigs, broken into three parts

a handful of parsley leaves

a pinch of each: dry oregano, thyme and epazote (you can substitute one bay leaf for epazote)

4 cups water

Garnishes: Cotija cheese, Mexican crema, slices of jalapeño and toasted hominy

Make the Chileatole:

1) Cook ingredients: In a pan, heat up the oil and sautee the hominy until its starts to brown- take out about 1/2 a cup and reserve for garnish. Add onion, jalapeño (to your liking-you can always add more later), chayote, zucchini and tomatillos. Add a tsp salt, the oregano, thyme and epazote or bay leaf. Cook on medium-low heat until veggies are soft and a little more pale in color -about 5 to 10 minutes. Add in the spinach and water and cook for about 5 more minutes until spinach is wilted.

2) Transfer to a blender and add cilantro and parsley. Puree to a silk mixture. Taste and rectify for salt or more jalapeño if you’d like.

3) Garnish with reserved hominy and other ingredients. Accompany it with hot corn tortillas or a slice of toasted bread-sourdough if you ask me ;)