Pozole Verde
Pozole Verde is a traditional Mexican soup made with tender chicken, hominy, and a vibrant green sauce of roasted tomatillos, peppers, and herbs. Warm, hearty, and packed with flavor, it’s perfect for family gatherings or cozy weekend meals.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 16 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt, to taste
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 8 –10 tomatillos, husks removed and washed
- 1 poblano pepper, halved and seeds removed
- 1 Anaheim pepper, halved and seeds removed
- 1 jalapeño, stem removed
- 6 garlic cloves, whole
- 1 white or yellow onion, quartered
- 30 oz hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tbsp chicken bouillon
- ¼ cup chopped epazote or radish greens
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
For Garnish:
- Finely shredded cabbage
- Diced onion
- Sliced radishes
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large pot, add 16 cups of water, bay leaves, 1 tsp salt, and chicken breasts.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken and let cool slightly.
- Keep the broth in the pot as the soup base.
- Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and set aside.
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, roast tomatillos, jalapeño, poblano, Anaheim pepper, onion, and garlic until lightly charred and tender, about 10–15 minutes total, removing ingredients as they finish.
- Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender with epazote (or radish greens) and cilantro.
- Add about 1 cup of water and blend on high until completely smooth.
- Pour the blended green sauce into the pot with the chicken broth.
- Add shredded chicken, hominy, oregano, cumin, and chicken bouillon.
- Stir well and bring to a gentle boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Taste and adjust seasoning or broth as needed.
- Ladle pozole into bowls and top with cabbage, onion, radish slices, and lime juice.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken for deeper flavor.
- For a spicier broth, blend in an extra jalapeño or Serrano pepper.
- If you can’t find epazote, cilantro and radish greens make great substitutes.
- Pozole tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop.
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