Hearty Chicken and Hominy Chili with Buttermilk Cornmeal Dumplings

1. Preheat oven

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, adjusting the oven rack to the middle position.

2. Cook vegetables

In a large Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and poblano chile, along with the pepper and salt. Cook these vegetables for about 5 to 7 minutes until they are softened, which will deepen their flavors.

3. Add garlic and cumin

Stir in the minced garlic and ground cumin, cooking for about one minute. You'll know it's ready when you start to smell the fragrant aroma of the spices.

4. Add broth, beans, hominy, and salsa

Increase the heat slightly and pour in the chicken broth, followed by the rinsed cannellini beans, drained hominy, and green salsa. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld together beautifully.

5. Prepare dumplings

While the chili is simmering, prepare the dumplings. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the chilled buttermilk and melted butter. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined, forming a dough.

6. Add chicken and cilantro

Now, add the shredded rotisserie chicken and chopped cilantro to the chili, stirring to combine. This will infuse the chili with the chicken's rich flavor and the fresh, bright notes of cilantro.

7. Add dumplings

Using a greased ¼-cup dry measuring cup, scoop the dumpling dough and drop it around the perimeter of the pot, with one scoop in the center. Make sure the scoops are about ½ inch apart.

8. Bake

Transfer the Dutch oven to the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the tops of the dumplings are golden brown. This baking time will ensure the dumplings have a crispy exterior while remaining tender inside.

9. Cool and serve

Once baked, let the chili and dumplings cool for about 15 minutes before serving. This brief cooling time will allow the flavors to settle and make it easier to serve.