Description
Chicken Pozole Verde Soup is a flavorful Mexican green pozole made with tender shredded chicken, roasted poblano peppers, tomatillos, and hominy in a savory broth. This comforting soup is enhanced with fresh cilantro, aromatic spices, and served with classic garnishes like sliced radishes, avocado, jalapeños, lime wedges, shredded cabbage, and tortilla chips. Perfect for a hearty meal with vibrant Mexican flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 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
Chicken & Hominy
- 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 2 (15-ounce) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (optional, or more to taste)
- Ground black pepper to taste
Garnishes
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Sliced avocado
- Sliced jalapeños
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Shredded cabbage
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions, jalapeños, and poblano peppers. Sauté, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and tomatillos, and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes until the peppers soften. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Blend Mixture: Transfer the sautéed vegetable mixture into a blender. Add about 1 cup of cold chicken broth and the fresh cilantro. Blend until completely smooth, adding more broth if needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Season and Combine: Pour the blended green mixture back into the pot. Add the remaining chicken broth, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, bay leaf, and salt. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Cook Chicken: Add the chicken thighs or breasts to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and transfer to a plate or cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Add Hominy and Simmer: Stir in the drained and rinsed hominy into the soup. Cook the soup uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
- Adjust Flavor: Taste the soup. If it needs more flavor depth, stir in chicken bouillon as desired. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
- Serve: Ladle the pozole verde into soup bowls and garnish with your choice of thinly sliced radishes, avocado slices, jalapeños, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, shredded cabbage, and tortilla chips for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- For milder soup, remove seeds and membranes from the jalapeño and poblano peppers.
- Use chicken thighs for juicier, richer meat; chicken breasts work well if preferred leaner.
- You can substitute fresh hominy with canned, but be sure to rinse it well to reduce sodium and canned flavor.
- If you like a thicker soup, blend some hominy separately and add it back to the pot.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat nicely on the stovetop.
- Make sure to partially cover the pot during simmering to avoid too much broth evaporation while still allowing flavors to concentrate.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Chicken Pozole Verde, Mexican Soup, Green Pozole, Hominy Soup, Chicken Soup, Mexican Comfort Food
