When I think of grilled cheese and soup pairings, I immediately have images of melted cheese oozing out of golden grilled sourdough bread sitting alongside my favorite bowl of Red Bell Pepper & Tomato Bisque. That combination is so totally delicious! Today though, I wanted something different, and I wanted something that would be Weight Watchers friendly to boot. When my friends at Sunday Supper decided to highlight grilled cheese and soup pairings, I decided to see what I could come up with that would be a bit different, delicious, and healthy for me all at the same time. The result was this amazing red pozole with chicken and a vegetarian Tex-Mex quesadilla. So good!
This soup has the tangy, fruity, and toasty flavor of chili peppers just like a red pozole should, but my recipe is a quicker version of the traditional soup. This recipe takes a few shortcuts – making the soup a dinner that you can enjoy on a weeknight after working all day. A traditional pozole is made with dried chilies and simmers for hours on the stovetop – filling your home with a sweet and savory aroma. My recipe is made with jarred enchilada sauce (yikes, it really is!), but the simmering soup still fills your house with that mouth-watering aroma that it should!
Just ask my family. They kept commenting on how amazing the house was smelling while I was making this soup.
Another swap that I made was to substitute the traditional pork with chicken. This was a decision based solely on making the soup more Weight Watchers friendly. A bowl full of deliciousness – chicken, hominy, chicken broth with the red sauce, seasonings, and crunchy veggie toppings – is only two points. The Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quesadilla is only five points – and yes, it does include cheese! This whole dinner is only seven Weight Watchers Freestyle points, and it is full of flavor!
Red Pozole with Chicken and a Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quesadilla
Red Pozole with Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 – 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large chicken breasts, skin on, bone-in
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 cups hominy, drained
- 64 ounces chicken stock
- 18 ounce jarred enchilada sauce
- 2 teaspoons Con Cilantro Y Tomate ( cilantro and tomato bouillon)
- Sliced green cabbage, radishes, fresh cilantro, and sliced limes for the topping
Directions
- Coat the bottom of a large stock pan with olive oil and set to medium heat.
- Add chicken skin side down and cook until browned, flipping chicken to sear all sides. (You are not cooking the chicken all at the way through). This will take about four minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add onion to the stock pot, and continue to heat on medium until onions are translucent, about five minutes. Scrap up any brown bits – this adds extra flavor.
- Add in diced garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
- Add cumin, oregano, and Con Cilantro Y Tomate. Stir together over heat for another minute.
- Add hominy to the pot and coat with seasoning.
- Return chicken breast to the stock pan.
- Add in enchilada sauce and chicken stock, stir to combine.
- Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.
- Remove chicken breast from soup.
- Remove chicken skin and discard. Using two forks shred the chicken off the bone.
- Add shredded chicken back into the stock.
- Serve bowls of soup topped with shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, radish slices, and lime wedges.
Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quesadilla
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- Low-fat tortillas
- Reduced-fat four cheese Mexican, shredded
- Can corn, drained
- Can black beans, drained
- Red ball pepper, diced
- Avocado
Directions
- Spray bottom of sauté or grill pan with cooking spray and heat on medium heat.
- Place tortilla in pan and heat.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the tortilla and heat until melted.
- Add two tablespoons each of corn, black beans, and red bell peppers on one side of the tortilla. fold tortilla over the veggie mix, allowing the melted cheese to help hold the quesadilla together.
- Top with sliced avocado before serving.
- Slide from pan and set aside while you make another one.
Serve together and enjoy a new twist on grilled cheese and soup! Of course if you are not counting points, feel free to double the cheese in the quesadilla to get cheese oozing out of the golden grilled tortilla for even more cheese flavor.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 - 6 garlic, minced
- 2 large chicken breasts, skin on, bone-in
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 cups hominy, drained
- 64 ounces chicken stock
- 18 ounce jarred enchilada sauce
- 2 teaspoons Con Cilantro Y Tomate ( cilantro and tomato bouillon)
- Sliced green cabbage, radishes, fresh cilantro, and sliced limes for the topping
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large stock pan with olive oil and set to medium heat
- Add chicken skin side down and cook until browned, flipping chicken to sear all sides. (You are not cooking the chicken all at the way through). This will take about four minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add onion to the stock pot, and continue to heat on medium until onions are translucent, about five minutes. Scrap up any brown bits - this adds extra flavor.
- Add in diced garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
- Add cumin, oregano, and Con Cilantro Y Tomate. Stir together over heat for another minute.
- Add hominy to the pot and coat with seasoning.
- Return chicken breast to the stock pan.
- Add in enchilada sauce and chicken stock, stir to combine.
- Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.
- Remove chicken breast from soup.
- Remove chicken skin and discard. Using two forks shred the chicken off the bone.
- Add shredded chicken back into the stock.
- Serve bowls of soup topped with shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, radish slices, and lime wedges.
My friends at Sunday Supper have come up with some of their very own creative and yummy grilled cheese and soup pairings. Be sure to check them out. Thank you to Em of Life Tastes Good for hosting this event!
Sunday Supper Grilled Cheese and Soup Pairings
- Beef Patty Melts with Mushroom Stroganoff Soup by Palatable Pastime
- Chicken Parmesan Grilled Cheese with Chicken Vegetable Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Chilled Peach Soup with Parmesan Toast by Pies and Plots
- Creamy Tomato-Basil Bisque with Garlicky Grilled Cheese Croutons by The Weekend Gourmet
- Mushroom Grilled Cheese with French Onion Soup by Sunday Supper Movement
- Red Pozole with Chicken and Cheesy Tex-Mex Quesadillas by Positively Stacey
- Thyme Kissed Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Fingers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
The Sunday Supper Movement is committed to bringing our readers delicious recipes that encourage them to gather and eat together around the family table. Search for your favorite ingredients on our Sunday Supper website. Also check out the Sunday Supper Pinterest boards for plenty more ideas and inspiration.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
I love these two healthier recipes—the veggie loaded quesadilla is perfect as is the yummy chicken soup!
A great twist on grilled cheese and soup with Tex-Mex flair!
[…] Red Pozole with Chicken and Cheesy Tex-Mex Quesadillas by Positively Stacey […]