Pozole Verde

This hearty, comforting, authentic Pozole Verde is loaded with chiles, aromatics, chunks of chicken, and hominy all swimming in a homemade chicken broth.

Course Chicken Dinner, Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Chicken Soup, Chicken Stew, Mexican Soup

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 45

Servings servings

Calories 546kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Broth:

1 3-4 pounds roasting chicken, rinsed, giblets discarded
1 white onion, peel removed, cut in half
2 heads garlic, cut in half
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and tied in a bundle with butchers twine
1 tablespoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon
water

Salsa Verde:

3 poblano chiles, cored, seeds removed, and cut in quarters
1 medium white onion, cut in quarters
1 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
1 jalapeño seeds and ribs removed, and cut in quarters
4 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oil

Assemble:

3 (15-ounce) cans hominy, drained

Optional Toppings:

iceberg lettuce, shredded
chopped cilantro, chopped
radishes, thinly sliced
white onion finely chopped
avocado, sliced
sour cream
lime wedges
tortilla chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make Chicken and Broth:

In a large pot or Dutch oven add chicken (1--3-4 pounds), onion (1), garlic (2 heads), (1/2 bunch) cilantro tied with butcher twine, salt (1 tablespoon), and (1 1/2 heaping tablespoon) Better Than Bouillon. Pour in only enough cold water to cover the chicken (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak.
Over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. Skim off the foam while simmering. Add more water as needed to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
Carefully transfer chicken to a cutting board, shred the meat into large bite-sized pieces; discard the bones and skin. Remove onion, garlic, and cilantro and discard. Allow broth to cool. Skim any fat from the cooking liquid and reserve. Remove all but 7 cups of the broth( keep 7 cups of broth in the pot). Store any extra broth for another use.

Make the Salsa Verde:

Add tomatillos (1 1/2 pounds), quartered onion (1 medium), poblanos (3), jalapeños (1), garlic (4 cloves), cilantro (1/2 bunch), oregano (1 tablespoon), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to a blender. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the side. With the machine on, add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth.
In a large, high-sided skillet, heat vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) until it shimmers. Pour the vegetable puree from the blender into the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring as needed, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes.

Assemble:

To the pot of chicken broth, add the sauteed vegetable puree. Add the hominy (4- 15-ounce cans) and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the shredded chicken and continue to cook until heated through.
Serve in individual bowls and add toppings as desired.

Notes

Chicken: We use a whole chicken to maximize the flavor of the base broth and yield a generous amount of cooked chicken for the stew.
White Onion: Used most often in Mexican foods rather than yellow onions. The white variety is a bit milder.
Garlic: Using the whole head of garlic with the top cut-off is a perfect way to infuse a mild garlic flavor into the chicken broth. I peel off the loose outer piece of the peel but leave on the parts that are tightly connected.
Cilantro: Cilantro is an integral ingredient to this soup. It's one of those things you just can't omit.
Salt: I like to use sea salt in this soup.
Poblano Chiles: These are mild green chile that adds great chile flavor without a lot of heat.
Tomatillos: These are green fruit native to Mexico that looks like unripe tomatoes with a papery husk. They tend to be more acidic and less sweet than tomatoes. They have a tart, slightly earthy, bright flavor.
Jalapeños: You can moderate the heat of the stew by how you prep the jalapeno. The ribs and seeds of the pepper contain virtually all the heat. If you want it mild, remove them all. If you want it hot leave them all in. You can add more to increase the heat as desired. You can also add serrano chiles instead of the jalapenos or in addition to.

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