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    Home > Blog > Chicken & Poultry > Pozole Verde

    Pozole Verde

    by Jenny Park · Published: Aug 25, 2024

    Jump to Recipe
    As simple to make as it is delicious to eat, our Chicken Pozole Verde is full of fresh and flavorful ingredients and the perfect meal prep soup to enjoy all week long!
    Chicken pozole verde in a bowl with chips on the side.

    If you’ve ever had traditional pozole made with pork and red sauce, you’ll love this fresh and flavorful variation. Chicken Pozole Verde combines tender white meat chicken with a homemade Verde sauce. Blending tomatillos, poblano peppers, onions, jalapenos, lime, and cilantro together adds a spicy, bright flair that makes this soup absolutely addictive.

    While soup can be a light appetizer or lunch option, we love our hearty soups that are filling enough for a meal. Like our Carnitas Tortilla Soup and Chicken Gnocchi Soup, this Pozole deserves a spot as the main course.

    One of our favorite parts of this Pozole is having fun with the toppings. Cabbage, onions, cilantro, radishes, fresh oregano, and onions give this soup the most amazing combination of textures and flavors.

    Chicken pozole verde in a bowl with garnishes and chips on the side.

    What is Pozole?

    Pozole is a traditional, hearty Mexican soup often made with pork but can also feature other proteins like beef, chicken, or seafood, and a broth featuring chilis and hominy. Most pozole (ours included) is loaded high with garnishes like shredded cabbage, radishes, onions, oregano, and other fresh ingredients.

    Pozole Verde vs Pozole Rojo

    Both Pozole Verde and Pozole Rojo are made in Mexico, but the more traditional and common soup is Pozole Rojo. This hearty soup has a bold red color and even bolder flavor, using two fatty cuts of pork and red chilis like ancho and guajillo.

    Pozole Verde often uses chicken, but it can also be made with beans instead for a vegetarian version. It is more acidic and spicy than its red-hued cousin. This version is naturally bright and green in color, featuring tomatillos and green peppers like serrano, jalapeno, and poblano, along with plenty of fresh cilantro.

    Both Pozole Verde and Pzole Rojo are topped with generous amounts of fresh garnishes like cabbage, onions, herbs, and more.

    Garnishes for chicken pozole verde on a cutting board.

    How to Make Chicken Pozole Verde

    Pozole Ingredients

    Chicken pozole verde soup ingredients.

    Pozole Toppings

    Pozole verde garnish ingredients.

    Process for Pozole Verde

    1. Pour stock into a large pot, season with salt and pepper and simmer. Season chicken with salt and pepper
    2. Simmer stock and add chicken breasts and continue to poach until chicken has cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
    Chicken stock and seasoned chicken breast.
    Chicken breast simmering in chicken stock.
    1. Remove chicken from pot and shred once cool enough to handle. Reserve stock.
    2. Place tomatillos, garlic, poblano peppers, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro into a blender.
    Shredded chicken breast in a bowl.
    Tomatillo ingredients in a blender for soup.
    1. Puree until smooth.
    2. Pour mixture into a heavy bottom skillet and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
    Blended up ingredients for the base of chicken pozole verde.
    Chicken pozole verde soup base simmering in a pot.
    1. Stir puree into reserved stock and simmer.
    2. Add shredded chicken and hominy and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed.
    Chicken pozole verde simmering.
    Chicken pozole verde simmering in a pot.
    1. Serve with array of garnishes.
    A bowl of soup with a cutting board of garnishes next to it.

    Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

    Make Ahead

    This soup is perfect for making on a Sunday and enjoying all week long. Prepare the Pozole as directed and let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also prepare any garnishes ahead of time and store them separately.

    To reheat leftovers, spoon what you’d like into a small pot and warm over the stove for 10-15 minutes.

    Freezing

    Chicken Pozole Verde is an excellent freezer meal. Prepare as directed, let cool, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Take the soup out of the freezer the night before to thaw, then warm it in a pot on the stove over low-medium heat.

    Vegetarian Options

    Pozole Verde is often made without meat as a hearty vegetarian soup. To make this a vegetarian recipe, leave out the chicken and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. If you want to add protein and make the soup a little more hearty, replace the chicken with pinto beans.

    Chicken pozole verde in a bowl with a spoon.

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    Chicken pozole verde in a bowl with chips on the side.

    Chicken Pozole Verde

    5 from 17 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    As simple to make as it is delicious to eat, our Chicken Pozole Verde is full of fresh and flavorful ingredients and the perfect meal prep soup to enjoy all week long!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
    Total Time: 55 minutes mins
    Servings: 4

      INGREDIENTS  

    • 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
    • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 to 3)
    • 1 pound tomatillos, husked and quartered
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 2 roasted poblano peppers, skinned seeded
    • 1 medium white onion, quartered
    • 1 jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded
    • 2 limes, juiced
    • 1 bunch cilantro
    • 28 ounces canned hominy drained
    • salt and pepper to taste

    garnishes

    • shredded green cabbage
    • diced white onion
    • minced cilantro
    • matchstick cut radishes
    • minced oregano
    • lime wedges

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Pour stock into a large pot, season with salt and pepper and simmer. Season chicken with salt and pepper
    • Simmer stock and add chicken breasts and continue to poach until chicken has cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
    • Remove chicken from pot and shred once cool enough to handle. Reserve stock.
    • Place tomatillos, garlic, poblano peppers, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro into a blender.
    • Puree until smooth.
    • Pour mixture into a heavy bottom skillet and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Stir puree into reserved stock and simmer.
    • Add shredded chicken and hominy and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed.
    • Serve with array of garnishes.

      NOTES  

    **Makes 2 quarts – Each serving is 2 cups**
    **Nutritional Information doesn’t include garnishes listed in ingredient list**
    Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
    Make Ahead
    This soup is perfect for making on a Sunday and enjoying all week long. Prepare the Pozole as directed and let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also prepare any garnishes ahead of time and store them separately.
    To reheat leftovers, spoon what you’d like into a small pot and warm over the stove for 10-15 minutes.
    Freezing
    Chicken Pozole Verde is an excellent freezer meal. Prepare as directed, let cool, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Take the soup out of the freezer the night before to thaw, then warm it in a pot on the stove over low-medium heat.
    Vegetarian Options
    Pozole Verde is often made without meat as a hearty vegetarian soup. To make this a vegetarian recipe, leave out the chicken and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. If you want to add protein and make the soup a little more hearty, replace the chicken with pinto beans.
    Calories: 467kcal Carbohydrates: 49g Protein: 48g Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0.02g Cholesterol: 109mg Sodium: 1866mg Potassium: 1455mg Fiber: 10g Sugar: 12g Vitamin A: 491IU Vitamin C: 80mg Calcium: 79mg Iron: 4mg
    CUISINE: Mexican
    KEYWORD: pozole verde, soup
    COURSE: dinner, Main Course, main dish

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    August 25, 2024 / 10 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

    Previous Post: < Previous Post Banana Cream Pie Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    August 25, 2024 / 10 Comments

    Comments

      5 from 17 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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    1. Gille

      May 11, 2022 at 11:42 am

      Love all your recipes :) – Thank you :)

      Reply
    2. Cynthia

      January 01, 2021 at 11:59 pm

      5 stars
      Dear Jenny, you made a nostalgic mexican feel back at home. It’s such an easy and delicious recipe. I hadn’t tried it with chile poblano but it’s a nice addition! I prefer it with lettuce but the garnish is everyone’s choice. We also accompany it with tostadas and sour cream :) thank you so much for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        January 02, 2021 at 12:30 pm

        It makes my heart so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe!! I don’t know why I’ve never thought to add a bit of sour cream and serve it with tostadas, that sounds wonderful!

        Reply
    3. Shelby

      September 11, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      Do I roast the poblano peppers and peel them or do i just put them in the blend raw ?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        September 12, 2020 at 10:49 am

        We roast them!

        Reply
    4. Joanna

      January 31, 2020 at 6:34 am

      5 stars
      Really great if you like the flavor of cilantro. NOTE: grocery-store chicken broth/stock is incredibly high is sodium (salt) so if you’re on restricted intake better be careful how much extra you add OR make your own unsalted.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        February 05, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        Yes, re: grocery store chicken stock!…Although you can also find unsalted these days, which is really nice! :)

        Reply
    5. Theresa Savereux

      April 30, 2018 at 2:06 pm

      This looks delicious and sooo beautiful!! It’s like art in a bowl!! Posole Verde is one of my favorite soups of all time I am also going to make this on Cinco de Mayo. ????????????

      Reply
    6. pixcyn

      April 30, 2018 at 10:25 am

      I love this recipe, it seems pretty easy, although a little off from the original way to make it . Traditionally it is made with tomatillo, serrano peppers and pepitas. I am not so sure how it will turn out with poblano, but I will be sure to give it a try. The only thing that throws me off is that traditionally we top pozole with lettuce, not cabbage.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        April 30, 2018 at 4:21 pm

        Hi! Yea, this definitely isn’t a ‘traditional’ recipe. I added the poblano bc a local restaurant i usually order this from uses poblano and i like the flavor it adds. They also use cabbage as the garnish instead of lettuce and i like the added crunch, but totally use lettuce if the cabbage creeps you out! :)

        Reply

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    A bowl of soup with a cutting board of garnishes next to it.
    Chicken pozole verde in a bowl with garnishes and chips on the side.
    Chicken pozole verde in a bowl with garnishes and chips on the side.
    A bowl of soup with a cutting board of garnishes next to it.
    Chicken pozole verde in a bowl with chips on the side.
    A bowl of soup with a cutting board of garnishes next to it.

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