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–+ servings

Chicken Pozole Verde Soup (Mexican Green Pozole)

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour
Total 1 hour 10 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped
  • 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered
  • 8 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breast
  • 2 (15-ounces) cans hominy, drained and rinse
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, or more to taste - optional
  • Ground black pepper to taste

Toppings (optional):

  • Thinly sliced radishes, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, shredded cabbage, tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, jalapeños and poblano peppers and sauté stirring often for 3-4 minutes or until the onions start to become translucent. Stir in the garlic and tomatillos and sauté, stirring regularly for about 4-5 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Remove from the heat.
    tomatillos cut in half over the sauteed chiles
  2. Transfer the onion mixture into a blender and add about a cup of chicken broth (cold broth is fine). Add the fresh cilantro and blend until the mixture is completely smooth. You can add additional broth, if needed.
    tomatillos and the green chile mixture in a blender
  3. Return the blended mixture to the pot or Dutch oven and add the remaining broth, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, bay leaf and salt. Stir to combine.
    adding chicken broth to the green sauce
  4. Add the chicken and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
    cooking chicken in the green chile sauce
  5. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred it with two forks. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the hominy.
    shredded chicken on a white plate
  6. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes over medium heat. Taste the soup and stir in the chicken bouillon if the soup lacks depth of flavor. Simmer for about 5 minutes and season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
    green pozole with shredded chicken on top
  7. Serve in soup bowls garnished with your favorite toppings.
    Bowl of pozole topped with avocado, radishes and cabbage

Notes

  • You can use two (15-ounces) cans or one (28-ounces) can of hominy.
  • Drain and rinse the hominy before using it.
  • Husk and rinse the tomatillos. After removing the paper-thin husk, you will notice that the tomatillos are sticky. This is normal and easily removed by rinsing the tomatillos with lukewarm water.
  • Store chicken pozole verde in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 285 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 36 g, Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 0.02 g, Cholesterol: 103 mg, Sodium: 1735 mg, Potassium: 967 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 358 IU, Vitamin C: 48 mg, Calcium: 61 mg, Iron: 2 mg
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