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Hearty and comforting, this spicy Pozole Verde is made with slow cooked shredded chicken, hominy, and a spicy tomatillo and pepper blend!

Top shot of Pozole Verde

It sure is winter, and you’re undoubtedly craving the warmth of a good soup as much as I am.

This Florida girl has been impatiently waiting for some cooler weather, actually. This fall has been a scorcher, and eating from a hot bowl of soup while wearing shorts is not my idea of a comforting meal.

Our cool temps never stick around for long, so I take what I can get.

Where Is Pozole Verde from?

Until last fall, I had never even heard of Pozole. I was planning my editorial calendar, and doing some research on unique soup recipes when I came across something called “posole.”

While there are many variations, Pozole Verde is a traditional Mexican hominy-based stew with chicken in a comforting green chile based broth. The flavors are similar to a salsa verde.

Historically, posole was eaten by the Aztecs as a special occasion meal, and the meat inside was human! (To brush up on your history, the Aztecs were cannibals who often ate the human sacrifices they made to their gods). Nowadays, pork and chicken are a more widely accepted choice of protein.

Dutch oven full of Pozole Verde

What is Pozole Verde Made of?

Pozole (or posole) can be made white (blanco), red (rojo), or green (verde) – much like this one. The color is determined by the types of peppers and other ingredients used (or not used in the case of white) in the puree base of the soup.

Our recipe uses these ingredients:

  • Chicken thighs or breasts – thighs will be more flavorful but breasts are leaner. The choice is yours.
  • Hominy – Hominy is lime-treated corn, and can be found in the Hispanic section of any grocery store.Red radishes sliced; for serving
  • Chicken stock/broth – choose a low sodium or salt free version so you can control the salt level.
  • Tomatillos – used to make a salsa verde to simmer with the broth. It also adds
  • Onion
  • Green chiles – we use poblano chiles and jalapeno.
  • Herbs and spices – oregano, cilantro, garlic salt and pepper

Ladle of Pozole Verde soup with chicken and hominy

How To Make Pozole Verde

  1. First, bring chicken broth to a boil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, tomatillos, onion, poblanos, jalapenos, oregano, and salt. Bring it all to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low.
  2. Cover the pot and simmer it for 40-45 minutes.
  3. Next, remove the chicken from the pot and place it in a bowl. Remove the bones and skin, then shred the chicken and set it aside.
  4. Now, place a strainer over another large bowl and strain the remaining contents of the pot. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and set aside the broth.
  5. Then, blend the vegetables with garlic, cilantro, and 1 cup of broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
  6. Return the blended vegetables to the Dutch oven and set it over high heat. Stir in the broth, chicken, and drained hominy. Cook everything for 5-10 minutes until it is warmed through.
  7. Finally, serve the soup with your favorite toppings – cilantro, jalapenos, sliced radishes, avocado, and lime wedges are delicious choices!

Soup Toppings

While extremely flavorful, Pozole Verde by itself is a very plain soup – the fun comes in the toppings! Whether you’re considering serving this deliciously hearty soup to a crowd or as a simple meal for your family, try setting it up taco bar-style.

Place bowls of sliced radishes and jalapenos next to the pot of pozole. Set out a bunch of cilantro. A plate of sliced or chopped avocado and lime wedges will round out the meal. You can also provide chopped onion, shredded lettuce, sour cream, tortilla chips, or even chicharrón (pork rinds).

Bowl of Pozole Verde with a spoon in it

Eat More Chicken!

More Favorite Soup Recipes:

Recipe

Pozole Verde

4.84 from 6 votes
Hearty and comforting, this spicy Pozole Verde is made with slow cooked shredded chicken, hominy, and a spicy tomatillo and pepper blend.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs or breasts
  • 1 pound tomatillos husked and halved
  • 1 small white onion quartered
  • 2 poblano chiles chopped
  • 2 jalapeños chopped, plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 4 large garlic cloves smashed
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro stems and leaves; plus more for serving
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3 cans hominy drained
  • Red radishes sliced; for serving
  • Avocado sliced; for serving
  • Lime wedges for serving
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Instructions
 

  • In a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the chicken pieces, tomatillos, onion, poblanos and jalapenos, oregano, and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes until tender.
  • Carefully remove chicken from pot and shred the meat, discarding the bones and skin. Skim fat from the cooking liquid and reserve.
  • Place a large fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the broth through it. Set aside.
  • Transfer the solids to a blender. Add garlic cloves, cilantro, and 1 cup of the broth and puree until it reaches your desired smoothness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Return Dutch oven to stovetop, setting it over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the skimmed fat to the pot and allow to cook and sizzle for 30 seconds.
  • Pour the tomatillo puree to the pot and stir, being careful not to get splattered with the hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add the stock and stir to combine, then stir in the shredded chicken and drained hominy. Cook for 10 minutes until warmed through, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.
  • Serve the pozole garnished with cilantro, sliced radishes and jalapeno, avocado, and lime wedges.

Notes

For a milder version of this soup, remove the seeds from the jalapeno and poblano peppers.
Keyword pozole verde

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 32gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 465mgPotassium: 897mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 505IUVitamin C: 49.1mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2.5mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of "Yellow Bliss Road" is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Erica

Erica is a Florida-bred, Dominican-wed, nerdy foodie with an eye for pretty photos and incurable wanderlust, who learned everything she knows in the kitchen and about life from her Nana. She discovered her love of food at a young age and launched The Crumby Kitchen in 2014, where she shares her kitchen triumphs with a bit of sass and panache.

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Comments

  1. alex says:

    i love pozole, particularly the green kind so i will make this. but now you have tweaked my curiosity about the “Aztecs ” being cannibalistic. so now while cooking their soup, i have to research, lol. while cooking the soup lol.thanks for the recipe….”” can’t rate it yet haha.

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome alex! Love the feedback, let us know here in the comments when you give it a try.

  2. alex says:

    i love pozole, particularly the green kind so i will make this. but now you have tweaked my curiosity about the “Aztecs ” being cannibalistic. so now while cooking their soup, i have to research, lol. while cooking the soup lol.thanks for the recipe….””

  3. John Morys says:

    I making Pozole for the 1st time today and can’t wait, need to clean kitchen 1st. LOL I got some Cholula Green Pepper Hot Sauce from Mexico. Green monday!!!

  4. Metztli Huerta-Ozuna says:

    I’d ask that you revise your “historical” statement referring to the entire Aztec culture as cannibalistic. Ritual sacrifice, which was not part of the daily Aztec diet outside of the clergy and aristocracy, is often used as justification for imperialistic conquest. Otherwise, great job on an authentic recipe.
    -Meztli

  5. Jackie says:

    This soup was a hit!! Great flavor .

    1. Kristin says:

      Hi Jackie, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave some positive feedback.