Description
Mexican home cooks cherish the hearty chicken pozole verde soup as a comforting, nourishing meal. Balanced spices, tender chicken, and hominy create a memorable dish you’ll savor with each warming spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (0.9 kg) chicken thighs or breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 lb (0.45 kg) tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
- 8 cups (1.9 liters) chicken broth
- 2 (15-oz / 425 g) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
- 2 tsps dried oregano
- 2 tsps ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon (optional, to taste)
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Radishes, thinly sliced (for topping)
- Avocado, sliced (for topping)
- Jalapeños, sliced (for topping)
- Lime wedges (for topping)
- Fresh cilantro (for topping)
- Shredded cabbage (for topping)
- Tortilla chips (for topping)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Kindle onions, jalapeño, and poblano peppers in shimmering olive oil until translucent and softened, releasing their vibrant essence.
- Layer Flavors: Integrate garlic and tomatillos into the vegetable base, enhancing the aromatic profile with gentle heat and stirring.
- Create Verde Base: Puree the sautéed vegetables with chicken broth and cilantro in a blender until achieving a smooth, verdant consistency.
- Build Soup Foundation: Return the green purée to the pot, incorporating remaining chicken broth, oregano, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, and salt to develop a complex flavor profile.
- Poach Chicken: Submerge whole chicken pieces into the liquid, simmering gently until meat becomes fork-tender and fully infused with herbal undertones.
- Prepare Protein: Extract chicken, shred meticulously using two forks, then reintroduce to the bubbling broth, ensuring even distribution.
- Final Assembly: Fold in hominy, allowing it to warm through and contribute a traditional textural element to the soup.
- Season and Garnish: Adjust seasoning with chicken bouillon, salt, and black pepper, then crown with an artistic arrangement of radishes, avocado, jalapeños, lime wedges, cilantro, shredded cabbage, and crisp tortilla chips.
Notes
- Pepper Power: Roast jalapeños and poblano peppers before blending to enhance their smoky depth and reduce raw, sharp heat.
- Chicken Selection: Use bone-in chicken thighs or a whole chicken for richer, more complex flavor and tender meat that shreds beautifully.
- Hominy Hack: Rinse canned hominy thoroughly to remove excess sodium and ensure a clean, authentic taste profile.
- Garnish Strategy: Prepare toppings in advance and serve separately, allowing each person to customize their pozole with preferred textures and intensities.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg