A hearty Mexican soup with tender chicken, soft hominy and a green sauce made with tomatillo, poblano and pepitas. Serve the fresh, crunchy garnishes on the side so everyone can finish their own bowl.
Chicken pozole verde combines chicken broth and hominy with a green sauce made with tomatillo and chili pepper, among other ingredients. Hominy is corn that has been treated with an alkaline solution; this gives the kernels their own full flavor and a soft yet firm bite. It isn’t a simple substitute for rice or sweet corn: the large kernels are an important part of the dish. In this practical version, we use canned hominy, so the soup can be on the table at home in a manageable amount of time.
Bone-in chicken legs give the broth more flavor than chicken breast and stay juicy as they simmer. Cook them gently, without boiling hard: this makes the meat tender and keeps the broth clear enough for the green sauce to shine later. Tomatillo brings a distinct, fresh, slightly tart flavor. Poblano adds a mild, green pepper flavor; jalapeño brings a little extra heat. The heat varies from pepper to pepper, so remove the seeds and ribs if you want a milder soup.
Roasting the tomatillo, poblano, jalapeño, onion and garlic gives the sauce more depth than blending them raw. Roast them in a hot, dry pan or under the grill until they have dark spots here and there and have softened. Pepitas, hulled pumpkin seeds, are briefly toasted and blended in: they make the sauce richer and lightly nutty. Use a blender for a smooth result; pulse for less time if you prefer to keep some texture. Fresh tomatillo isn’t available everywhere. Green tomato can add acidity and color to another soup, but it won’t have exactly the same flavor, so consider that a variation.
Pozole has different regional and household variations, including red, green and light broths. The exact chiles and herbs can vary; this recipe keeps to the green style without presenting it as the only set version. Dried hominy can also be used, but usually needs to be soaked first and then cooked for longer; follow the package directions and allow extra time. Add canned hominy only after the chicken is cooked, so the kernels heat through without falling apart.
Put finely sliced cabbage, radishes, lime and oregano on the table separately. The cabbage and radishes add crunch, while lime brightens the rich broth; sprinkle oregano over the soup to taste. Serve with tostadas if you like, but keep the toppings simple so the green sauce remains recognizable. Refrigerate leftover soup in a sealed container within two hours and use it within three days. Reheat only the portion you’re going to eat, heating it thoroughly; store the fresh garnishes separately.
Put the chicken, water, half the onion, 2 cloves of garlic, the bay leaf and 2 teaspoons of salt in a large soup pot. Bring gently to a boil, skim any foam from the surface and simmer gently with the lid ajar for 40–45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer them out of the pan. Then roast the tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeño, remaining half onion and 2 cloves of garlic in the same pan, turning regularly, until soft and charred in spots. This takes about 10–15 minutes. Let the peppers cool briefly and remove the stems; remove the seeds and ribs too if you want less heat.
Lift the chicken out of the broth and let it cool slightly. Remove the onion, garlic and bay leaf from the pot. Pull the chicken meat from the bones with two forks and set aside.
Put the roasted tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic in a blender with the toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro and about 250 ml of broth. Blend until smooth to make a green sauce.
Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the green sauce over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Pour the sauce into the soup pot with the broth. Add the drained hominy and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Return the chicken to the soup and heat through for another 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and put the cabbage, radishes, lime wedges and oregano on the table separately to serve alongside.
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