Chicken Pozole Verde
Pozole Verde de Pollo
A deeply comforting, nutrient-dense soup made with shredded chicken, hominy (plump nixtamalized corn kernels), and a vibrant green broth of tomatillos, cilantro, and jalapeños. It is served with a mountain of fresh, raw garnishes.
Time
65m
Servings
6
Difficulty
medium
Budget
$$
The Story
Pozole dates back to the Aztec empire in Mesoamerica, originally a ceremonial dish of profound cultural significance. The defining ingredient is hominy (cacahuazintle), which is corn treated with an alkaline solution. This ancient process, called nixtamalization, prevents pellagra (niacin deficiency) and significantly boosts calcium content. While red (rojo) and white (blanco) versions exist, the green (verde) version from Guerrero is particularly rich in antioxidants due to the blended tomatillos and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) used to thicken the broth.
✓Healthy Swaps & Tips
- • Use vegetable broth and substitute the chicken with pinto beans or pulled king oyster mushrooms for a vegan version.
- • Load up on the raw cabbage garnish; it adds incredible volume and crunch for virtually zero calories.
Ingredients
- 500gboneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 800gcanned hominydrained and rinsed
- 400gtomatilloshusked and rinsed
- 2jalapeño or serrano peppersseeded for less heat
- 1 large bunchfresh cilantro
- 30gpepitas (pumpkin seeds)toasted
- 1.5 literschicken brothlow sodium
- 4 clovesgarlic
- 1 mediumwhite onionhalved
- for garnishshredded cabbage, sliced radishes, lime wedges
Instructions
In a large pot, simmer the chicken breasts in the chicken broth with half the onion and 2 cloves of garlic until cooked through (about 20 mins). Remove the chicken, let it cool, and shred it. Reserve the broth.
While the chicken cooks, boil the tomatillos and remaining jalapeños/garlic in a separate pot of water until soft (about 10 mins).
Transfer the boiled tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, remaining raw onion, cilantro, and toasted pepitas to a blender. Blend until smooth to create the 'verde' base.
Stir the blended green mixture and the rinsed hominy into the reserved chicken broth. Simmer for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and heat through.
Serve hot in deep bowls. Crucially, provide the raw garnishes (cabbage, radishes, lime, extra cilantro) at the table for everyone to pile on top.
Common Questions
What is hominy?
Hominy is field corn that has been dried and then treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization. It makes the corn puff up, gives it a chewy texture, and makes its nutrients easier for the body to absorb.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated values based on standard ingredients.
Nutrition info is provided as a general guide. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredient brands and portion sizes.
