Pozole Verde - Green Chicken Pozole

 Ingredients for 4 healthy servings:

• 1/2 large onion chopped

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1 tsp Mexican oregano

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp salt - I use Morton’s Kosher salt

• 2 tbl olive oil

• 2 tsp bullion paste or 2 cubes (optional if you use chicken on the bone)

• 4 whole chicken legs with thighs, or whatever pieces you prefer about 3 pounds.

  • It is best to use bone-in chicken to create the base/broth for the soup

• 2 25 oz cans of hominy drained and rinsed

• 2 chile poblanos

• 6 - 8 green tomatillos cut into thirds, between 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound

• 2 bunches cilantro

• 1 jalapeno pepper

Garnishes can be added per your liking. Below are the garnishes I typically use:

• cabbage, very finely shredded

• cilantro, chopped finely

• radishes, thinly sliced or julienned

• avocado

• queso freso, or cotija cheese (feta is a good substitute)

• lime wedges

• tortilla chips, fried in wedges or toothpicks

• pepita seeds

• crushed Mexican oregano

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven (6 to 8 qt) heat oil, when hot, add chopped onion, sauté until translucent, add garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander to bloom.

Once you smell the aromatics, it’s time to add the chicken to the pot and water to cover, about 6 to 8 cups. Add salt.

Cook for about 60 minutes, until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Remove chicken from the broth and set aside to cool in order to shred it.

Tip: Leave the skin on until ready to shred. It will keep the chicken moist.

Add bullion paste or cubes at this time to give the broth a little extra richness. If you used chicken on the bone, I would omit this, but Mexican cooks add bullion to all their soups. If you use it, take care not to over-salt.

Make the green chile while chicken is cooking:

Place poblano chiles in a cast iron skillet to roast. No need to char the tomatillos and jalapeno. I prefer them uncharred and I find the heat of the jalapeno is much spicier if charred.

When Poblanos are well charred, move them to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. This will loosen the skin.

Remove the skin from the poblanos, refer to my chile relleno recipe here for tips.

Cut the jalapeno in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and stem.

Place the tomatillos, jalapeno, poblanos and 1 bunch of cilantro including the stems, in a blender until smooth. If needed add a little broth from the stock to get the ingredients going.

Note: in a pinch and for a quicker weeknight dinner, purchase roasted green chile salsa and add this to the broth. There are many good ones available. Two 16 oz. jars would do the trick, but try to add the cilantro puree for the color and fresh flavor.

This is the time to fry corn tortilla chips if you make them yourself.

After the chicken is removed from the pot to cool:

Pour the green chile puree into the pot of broth. Don’t wash the blender just yet!

Add the drained and rinsed hominy into the pot and let it cook on medium-low heat.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pull it off the bone and add it to the broth.

Take the other half of the cilantro bunch and blend this with just as much water as needed to get it into a puree. Use the remaining half to chop as a topping.

• This is done at the very end because it will give the pozole a beautiful green color and brightness.

Just before you are ready to serve, add the pureed cilantro to the broth allowing it to heat through.

Serve with an array of garnishes.