This hearty soup unfolds with the many layers of flavors. It carries Ventura County into each bite with fresh local cilantro, locally brewed bitter IPA and the distinct taste of locally grown tomatillos. It is well balanced with tender chicken and hominy, and will warm your heart with the hints of fire-roasted goodness from the locally produced Char Man hot sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half
- 1 pasilla or poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 16 ounces Dyna IPA from Transmission Brewing (or any West Coast IPA)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 30 ounces (2 large cans) hominy, drained
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon oregano leaves (dried or fresh)
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ bottle Char Man Verde Hot Sauce (can be found at Ojai Farmers’ Market, in local markets and online)
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium corn tortilla, cut into thin 2-inch-long strips
- Shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro, fried tortilla strips, cotija cheese crumbles, lime wedges and more Char Man Verde
Preparation
In a large stockpot, heat the oil over a high flame until very hot. At once, add the onions, tomatillos, peppers and garlic to the oil; allow it to sear and blister the pepper skins, about 2–3 minutes. (Do this with caution, as the oil will be hot and likely splatter.) Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until tomatillos begin to brown and are softened.
Deglaze with hoppy, bitter IPA. Once the beer has been added, carefully use an immersion blender to purée all ingredients together.
Continue to cook, adding chicken broth, hominy and chicken pieces.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and add oregano and chopped cilantro. Add the half bottle of Char Man Verde to the soup to give it a roasted, complex charred flavor.
Reduce heat to low and slowly simmer soup for an hour to bring out all the flavors.
For the Fried Tortilla Strips:
Just before soup is finished cooking, heat 6 tablespoons oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, gently layer strips of tortilla into pan, covering with oil. Cook until browned and crisp. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and cool on paper towels. Repeat as necessary until all tortilla strips are cooked.
To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish as desired.
Chef’s note: I was so excited to feature a local brewery in this recipe, but if you don’t want to use an IPA (or lager or gluten-free beer), water or broth can be substituted. Adjust the number of jalapeños based on how spicy you like it. This recipe is mild to medium.
