Hearty Pozole Verde with Chicken

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

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.

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

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).

Eat More Chicken!

• Mexican Chicken Casserole
• Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe
• Crockpot Orange Chicken

More Favorite Soup Recipes:

• Pozole Rojo with Chicken
• White Chicken Chili Recipe
• Instant Pot Homemade Tomato Soup
• Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

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 mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings 6

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Ingredients

  

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• 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.

Nutrition

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

Keyword pozole verde

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