Verde Chicken Pozole

Do these cooler nighttime temperatures have you craving a hot bowl of soup? If so, try pozole, a favorite tasty and hearty soup with a deep, flavorful broth that’s traditional Mexican cuisine.

The word pozole means hominy, which is dried kernels of corn that have been soaked and hulled, so they’re soft, puffed, and chewy. Pozole is prepared in many different ways, but all versions feature hominy in the base. The broth has a wonderful, complex flavor which comes from the richness of the corn, along with a variety of aromatic vegetables, chiles, and spices. Tomatillos contribute a savory but tart flavor profile to the broth.

Pozole can also include pork, chicken or beans. Traditionally, it’s served along with a variety of fresh condiments like chopped onion, shredded cabbage, sliced radish, avocado, or lime to top off your bowl.

The three most common versions of pozole are Rojo (red), made with red chiles and a red sauce, Verde (green), made with green chiles, tomatillos, and other green ingredients, or Blanco (white), which doesn’t have either the red or green sauce ingredients.

Our version, Verde Chicken Pozole is surprisingly easy to make and it will satisfy and warm you from head to toe.

Total Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 people

Calories: 590 kcal/serving

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion coarsely chopped
• 2 poblanos, de-seeded and coarsely diced
• 1 jalapeno, coarsely diced
• 3 whole garlic cloves
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2.5 lbs. bone-in skin on chicken breast
• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, washed thoroughly and coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
• 2 15 oz. cans of hominy, drained
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Soup garnishes

• 2 avocados sliced
• 1/4 shredded whole green cabbage
• 4 sliced whole radishes
• 2 limes cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, poblano, jalapeno and whole garlic cloves for 10 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and add the chicken breast.  Let the chicken breast cook for 20-30 minutes or until completely cooked.  Remove the chicken from the broth with tongs or a slotted spoon and let cool for 20 minutes.
3. Add the fresh tomatillos and cilantro to the broth and blend with an immersion blender.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can add the broth, sauteed veggies, fresh tomatillos and cilantro to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Return to the stock pot and add the hominy, oregano, sea salt and black pepper.  Let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred by hand.  Add the chicken back to the soup and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with avocado slices, green cabbages, sliced radishes, lime wedge, green onion and fresh cilantro.

There’s nothing like a bowl of homemade soup, but when time is short, or you’re out on the run, stop by Rubio’s for a bowl of our own Chicken Tortilla Soup. It’s one of our favorites and it is back for a limited time only.  It features grilled all-natural chicken in savory chicken broth, with our salsa fresca and citrus rice.  Enjoy it topped with Hass avocado slices, tortilla strips and cheese. It’s served with two warm, flour tortillas, or if you prefer, enjoy any of our delicious tacos with your soup.