Pozole Verde

Total Time1 hr

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
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
4 cups water
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 water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the chicken breast and let simmer until cooked through, or no longer pink, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a high-speed blender, add the white onion, garlic, kosher salt and 1-2 ladles of the broth mixture (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.
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. Add the shredded chicken back into the soup.
Add hominy and stir to combine. Simmer until the hominy is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
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.