Pozole Verde
Servings: 12 people
Ingredients
- 4 large poblanos, seeds and cores removed & cut into 2 inch chunks or 5 cups
- 1.5 lbs tomatillo, husks removed and rinsed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 medium white onion, cut into 1/8ths
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 tsp kosher salt or more to taste
- 4 cups (packed) green leaf lettuce, loosely chopped
- 2 cups (packed) cilantro
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 25 oz Mexican style hominy, drained and rinsed *omit for Whole30 and see notes.
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/2 head iceberg, shredded
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Add the poblanos and tomatillos. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast until the poblanos are tender and the tomatillos have softened, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a high-speed blender, add the white onion, garlic, kosher salt and 1-2 ladles of the broth (or approx. 1 cup). Blend until smooth then add into the soup pot. (don't put up the blender-- you'll need it a few times).
- In the blender, add the green leaf lettuce, cilantro and 2-3 ladles of the broth mixture (about 2 cups). Blend to combine then add to the soup pot.
- Once the cook time on the poblanos and tomatillos is complete, add to the blender with 1-2 ladles of the broth (you may need to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your blender). Blend until smooth and add to the soup pot.
- At this point in the cooking process there may be some foam forming at the top of the soup. Using a spoon, skim the foam off the top of the soup and discard.
- Add the chicken breasts into the soup and cook, simmering over medium-low heat, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 1 hour. Once the chicken is cooked through, using tongs remove the chicken from the pot and onto a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken or dice up the chicken (I prefer it diced).
- Add hominy and stir to combine. Simmer until the hominy is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. When the hominy is just tender, add the chicken back into the soup. Stir to combine. Keep over low heat until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sliced radishes, iceberg, lime, avocado and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*For Whole30-- omit the hominy. I dice 2 large russet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and add it to the soup and cook at the end the same as the hominy, or until tender.
Freezer Tips:
- To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or freezer bags, leaving some space for expansion. Label and date the containers before placing them in the freezer.
- To thaw, move the container to the refrigerator and let it defrost overnight, or for a quicker option, use the microwave's defrost setting. Further reheat the soup or stew in a pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches a simmer, or microwave it in intervals, stirring in between, until heated through.
- If you feel like the contents of the soup (i.e. noodles, rice, etc.) soaked up most of the liquid, you can add 1 to 2 cups more broth to rehydrate the soup and get it to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.