Pozole Verde

One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is this pozole verde recipe. There’s just such a richness to the broth with the layered flavors of tangy and smoky roasted tomatillos, a little spice from the poblanos and cumin, and the creamy toothsome hominy in every bowl. Plus all of the colorful and crisp fresh toppings. It’s really such a celebration of senses.

You know what vegetable doesn’t get enough love during fall and winter? Tomatillos. Sure, they make a great salsa verde in summertime. But they’re also perfect for a soup or stew.

You know what other ingredient doesn’t get enough love in the kitchen? Hominy. It’s got such a great texture and flavor. WAY better than regular corn. I always have a can or two of it on hand.

Instead of making chili when it gets cold, I like to cook up this chicken tomatillo soup inspired by Mexican pozole verde. It’s got spice from poblano peppers, tanginess from the roasted tomatillos, wonderful little bites of cumin spiced chicken thighs, and an enticing array of colorful garnish for texture and flavor.

What Is Pozole Verde?

So what exactly is pozole verde? It’s a flavorful Mexican stew made with tomatillos, poblano peppers, shredded pork or chicken, hominy. And it’s topped with fresh garnishes including chopped purple onion, cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, and a squeeze of fresh lime. There’s quite a layering of flavors and textures with all of those ingredients which is why it is one of my favorites.

Traditional pozole verde takes some time to make. And while it is worth the effort to stew the meat for hours for a richer depth of flavor, this recipe below is a shortened version perfect for a quick comforting weeknight meal. 

What Is Pozole Verde Made Of?

Pozole verde is a delicious, savory stew layered with the flavors of cumin, poblano peppers, and tangy tomatillos. Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make pozole verde:

• tomatillos – Tomatillos are also sometimes called Mexican husk tomatoes. They are a small light green fruit covered in a paper-like husk that covers it like a lantern. Tomatillos have a tangy, crisp flavor that brightens up any soup or stew.
• poblano pepper – Fresh poblano peppers are a very mild dark green chili from Pueblo, Mexico. When poblano peppers dried, they become ancho chilis. Their dark green color (along with the tomatillos) is what makes this pozole verde (green). They’re not quite as hot as a jalapeño, but definitely have a great flavor.
• red onion – Red onions are actually purple in color. Because I was curious, I looked up how red onions became known as red and it is because the skins used to be used to make red dyes. The flavor of a red onion is similar to a yellow onion, but a bit more mild when eaten raw. 
• cubed chicken thighs – Cubed chicken is quick-cooking and perfect for shortening the time to make pozole verde for an easy weeknight meal. 
• chicken broth – You can make your own broth from scratch, but to save time, I like to use store-bought chicken broth. I also sometimes use chicken bone broth to had more protein to the meal.
• canned hominy – Hominy has larger kernels than regular corn on the cob. It’s usually produced with yellow or white maize and is treated with lime or lye to soften the kernels before the hulls are removed. Hominy has a toothsome, creamy texture and a bowl of it reminds me a little bit of popcorn.
• garlic – Fresh garlic cooked down in the pozole verde adds a richness to the flavor.
• cumin – Cumin is a ground spice that adds a rich, warm, earthy flavor to dishes.

Is Pozole A Soup or Stew?

Traditionally, pozole verde is a stew. But it truly depends on how you cook it and the amount of broth you include. Stews are prepared by cooking meats in a low simmer for a long time. And in the case of pozole verde, that also includes stewing the hominy. In fact, that’s how it got the name pozole, which means “foam” in reference to how the corn would look while cooking.

This pozole verde receipe below is prepared more like a soup to save time, sautéing smaller pieces of chicken and adding canned hominy. If you’d like to make it more like a stew, you could stew a whole chicken by boiling it on a low simmer for several hours, thus creating your own chicken stock and then shredding the tender chicken meat for the pozole.

What Can You Serve With Pozole Verde?

The great thing about pozole verde is it is completely customizable with a variety of condiments. So everyone can add the toppings they’d like! Whether they want to ramp up the heat, add some crunch, or fresh zest, there’s a little something for everyone.  

• Sliced Radish: Sliced radishes add a bit of pepperiness and a refreshing crunch.
• Tortilla Strips or Chips: Tortilla strips or whole chips are also great for adding crunchiness with a bit of salt. Tortilla chips are also convenient for scooping up the extra bits at the bottom of the bowl once you’ve finished your pozole verde.
• Lime Wedges: Citrus always enhances the flavor of any dish. And a squeeze of lime gives a burst of zesty freshness to the stew.
• Cilantro: Cilantro adds an enticing pop of green and a fresh flavor. But if you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can omit it and still get that same pop of green, but a more spicy flavor, with the peppers listed below.
• Diced Red Onion: Diced red onion adds a bit of crunch and mild heat without being a hot at jalapeños. Plus the purple adds a nice pop of color to the dish.
• Jalapeño: Want to add some spicy heat? Top your pozole verde with sliced jalapeños. The best part about serving these on the side is that everyone can add the spice to their liking.
• Diced Avocado: Whether you added to many jalapeños and need to cool it down, or you just wand a bit of rich creaminess, diced avocado is another perfect topping for pozole verde.

How To Make Chicken Pozole Verde: Step-By-Step

Gather together your ingredients. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the poblano peppers, cilantro, radishes, and tomatillos. While washing the tomatillos, remove and discard the husks.

Place the tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Set pre-heated oven to broil at 500 degrees. Broil tomatillos on top rack of oven for 8-10 minutes until tender and blistered. (keep an eye on them as oven broilers can vary).

While tomatillos are roasting, prep the other vegeables. Dice the onion, thinly slice the radishes, mince or slice the garlic, cut the limes into wedges, and pick the cilantro leaves from the stems. Cut the poblano pepper in half, discard the seeds, and then dice into 1/2 inch pieces.

Carefully remove the tomatillos from the oven and set them aside to cool.

While tomatillos are cooling, prep the chicken thighs. Pat dry with a papper towel, then dice into 1 inch thick pieces. Add the chicken to a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and season with the cumin as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Massage the chicken so that it is evenly coated with oil and seasonings. Set aside and wash your hands.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or pot on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes. It’s helpful to have the rest of your ingredients nearby to build the pozole verde.

Add garlic, poblano peppers, and half of the diced onion. Cook until onion and peppers are fragrant and starting to brown (one to two minutes). Then add the broth, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Carefully add chopped tomatillos and stir into blend with the rest of the ingredients in the stew.

Carefully add hominy into pot with pozole verde and simmer until hominy is warm (about 5 minutes).

Once it’s finished cooking, ladle chicken pozole verde into bowls and top with cilantro, diced onion, radishes, and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

 

More Comforting Soup Recipes You’ll Love!

• Spicy Tomato Soup
• EASY Tom Yum Soup Recipe
• Colcannon Soup
• Thai Pumpkin Soup
• Chicken Tortellini Soup

First posted in 2022. Updated in 2023.