Almost Chicken Posole

Mmm, chicken posole. This was a fairly new discovery for me, and now I can't get enough of it. This is one of my favorite go to meals when I want a quick dinner. I started with Real Simple's Chicken Posole recipe as a base, but I've made it so many times and kept fiddling with it until I found my perfect version. In fact, I don't even think it can be called "posole" considering I took out the hominy in favor of gnocchi I'm not a huge corn fan.  If this sounds in any way interesting to you, continue:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 of an onion, thinly sliced
2  14oz cans of chicken broth
1  28oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy, I don't)
2 cups of shredded chicken meat (you can either sauté breasts/tenders with the onions, or use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.)
1 15oz package of gnocchi
1 lime
cheddar cheese

First slice the onion. The original recipe calls for a whole onion, but I find that it's usually too much so I prefer to use between a half and 3 quarters of an onion. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and brown the onions about 8-10 minutes until they are transparent and smell incredible.

Here's where you have a choice to make. I prefer to get raw chicken breasts, filets, or tenders and cook them in the pan with the onions, however, if you want a quick and easy route, get a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred about 2 cups of the meat with a fork. If you decide to use a rotisserie chicken, it's already cooked so don't add it to the pan yet, you'll add it at the end.

Add the broth, tomatoes, and chili flakes and bring to a boil. The original recipe calls for diced tomatoes which will give you a broth based soup with tomato chunks. I prefer using crushed tomatoes for a more hearty saucy texture. I feel it distributes the flavor better, but that's just me.

Once the soup boils, reduce head and add the chicken and gnocchi. Like I mentioned, I'm not a hominy fan, so this is a substitute.  Simmer for about 5 minutes until gnocchi is soft and everything is heated through.

Spoon into bowls and squeeze a lime slice or 2 into the soup. Personally I think the more lime, the better it tastes! Top with some shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with a nice loaf of bread for dipping and a glass of red wine for maximum enjoyment.  Warning: this soup is filling and extremely delicious. You may find yourself making it over and over again. Or perhaps that's just me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go stuff my face.