• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Closet Cooking

Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Top Recipes
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • 6 Ingredient Meals
    • Slow Cooker Meals
    • One Pan Meals
    • By Course
      • Main Course
      • Side Dish
      • Dessert
      • Appetizer/Snack
      • More
    • By Diet
      • Gluten-free
      • Low-carb
      • Vegetarian
      • More
    • By Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lamb
      • Egg
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
      • More
    • By Cuisine
      • Cajun and Creole
      • Chinese
      • Greek
      • Italian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
      • Mexican
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
      • More
    • By Type
      • Burger
      • Cake
      • Cookie
      • Dip
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Salad
      • Sandwich
      • Soup
      • More
    • By Ingredient
      • Avocado
      • Bacon
      • Cauliflower
      • Mushroom
      • Pumpkin
      • Quinoa
      • Shrimp
      • Strawberry
      • More
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
Never miss a recipe! Subscribe to the email Newsletter!

Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)

[heart_this] · Mar 8, 2017 · 53 Comments

Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)

A green Mexican style chicken soup with hominy (a large corn kernel) in a tasty tomatillo and chili chicken broth!

Today I have a recipe for pozole verde de pollo or a green Mexican hominy and chicken soup using an ingredient that is new to me, hominy. Hominy is a dried corn has been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization and it makes for an excellent alternative for potatoes, beans, etc., especially in soups like this! I have come across dried hominy and hominy in a can and you can use it much like beans where you soak the dried hominy overnight and then cook it until tender or you can use it straight from the can. Pozole is another name for hominy and it’s also the name of the soup/stew that it is commonly served in. There are a lot of different kinds of pozole with the more common ones being white, green or red, based on the colour. This is a green pozole and the green comes form the broth, which is a chicken broth base, with pureed tomatillos and green chilies like jalapenos and poblanos along with plenty of cilantro. Other than the long cooking time for the hominy, this soup is super easy to make and it’s just packed with flavour! The fun part of this soup is of course the topping/garnishes that you serve it with and I like extra cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, queso fresco, radish and onions!

Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)
Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)
Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)
Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)
Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)

Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)
Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)

Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes Servings: 8

A green Mexican style chicken soup with hominy (a large corn kernel) in a tasty tomatillo and chili chicken broth!

ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin, toasted and ground
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups hominy, soaked in cold water overnight
  • 3 pounds chicken (whole or legs, thighs, etc.)
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 pound tomatillos
  • 2 jalapenos, cut in half, seeds removed
  • 2 poblano chilies, cut in half, seeds removed
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice (~1 lime)
  • salt and pepper to taste
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes, before adding the garlic and cumin and cooking until fragrant, about a minute.
  2. Add the broth, chicken, oregano and hominy, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the hominy is tender but still has that al-dente chewiness, about 2 hours.
  3. Meanwhile, roast the tomatillos, jalapenos and poblanos in under the broiler, in a cast iron pan over high heat or in the direct flames of a gas stove until they are lightly charred black before pureeing them along with the cilantro in a blender with some of the broth from the soup and mixing it back into the soup.
  4. Remove the chicken from the soup, let cool until you can handle it, shred the meat and mix it back into the soup.
  5. Mix in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper before enjoying!
Slow Cooker: Optionally skip step 1 and place everything up to the oregano into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 3 hours, before continuing on with the remaining steps. Feel free to just puree the tomatillos, jalapeno, poblanos and cilantro without roasting to save time.
Option: Use bacon grease instead of oil!
Option: Add 2-4 tablespoons masa harina and simmer to thicken.
Option: Serve garnished with avocado, radish, onion, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, etc.!
Option: Add a hit of fish sauce (or soy sauce)!
Option: Instead of using dried hominy use a drained 28oz can of hominy!
Tip: Control the heat spicy heat in this soup by adding the jalapeno and poblano peppers one at a time and testing the heat level of the soup, adding more as needed to get to the desired level of heat.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 235, Fat 6.5g (Saturated 1.3g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 65mg, Sodium 716mg, Carbs 13g (Fiber 2.9g, Sugars 2.3g), Protein 30g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
Similar Recipes:
Avgolemono Soup (aka Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup
Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Soup)
Spicy Roasted Corn and Jalapeno Avocado Soup
Colombian Chicken and Corn Soup (Ajiaco)
Salsa Verde Carnitas
Salsa Verde
Chili Verde
Creamy Salsa Verde Skillet Chicken
Skillet Chicken Verde
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Main Course, Mexican, Recipe, Slow Cooker, Soup, Stew, Texmex

eCookbook Bundle Cover

Get ALL 16 Closet Cooking eCookbooks in a bundle for 70% off! Enjoy some of the tastiest recipes from Closet Cooking along with exclusive cookbook recipes!

Get the Cookbook Bundle Now!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather Christo says

    March 8, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    Pozole is one of my very favorites and I love this green version!

    Reply
  2. Maria Lichty says

    March 8, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    I love adding hominy in soup!

    Reply
  3. Rocky Mountain Woman says

    March 8, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    This looks so good!!! Can't wait to try it.

    Reply
  4. We Are Not Martha says

    March 9, 2017 at 4:29 am

    What a beautiful looking and flavorful sounding soup!!

    Sues

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    March 9, 2017 at 6:06 am

    Kevin, I love hominy and I use the canned version all the time. It comes in white and yellow. So much easier then starting with dry hominy and no real difference in flavor or texture. Will try this recipe. Thanks, Suzanne

    Reply
  6. Unknown says

    March 10, 2017 at 11:04 pm

    This might be a dumb question, BUT lol can I use shredded rotisserie chicken instead at the end instead of adding chicken thighs or drums to the soup?

    Reply
  7. Angil says

    March 10, 2017 at 11:06 pm

    This might be a dumb question, BUT lol can I use shredded rotisserie chicken instead at the end instead of adding chicken thighs or drums to the soup?

    Reply
  8. kevin says

    March 14, 2017 at 7:46 pm

    Angil: Yes you can! Enjoy!

    Reply
  9. Jess Larson says

    April 24, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    we are trying this for dinner tonight! can't wait!

    Reply
  10. Jackelin says

    September 21, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    Love that you use dried hominy for this recipe. Adding this to my soup rotation this winter.

    Reply
  11. Kayla Sandell says

    September 23, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    Thanks so much for this recipe. I made this for the first time for my sisters and everone loved it! I used a couple of your suggestions and added masa flour as well as some fish sauce. I made a really big pot and I know I definitely won't get bored with the leftovers 🙂

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    October 1, 2017 at 11:02 pm

    Made this for the first time today. I made a couple tweaks here and there but overall this soup was a HUGE hit at out house. So flavorful and satisfying.

    Reply
  13. http://kitchentuts.com/ says

    October 9, 2017 at 7:29 am

    my son love chicken but i always try to use chicken use those recipie which is healthy for child.He loved it and really tasty.awesome.

    Reply
  14. Samantha O says

    November 13, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    Hi! Should the chicken supposed be raw or cooked?

    Reply
  15. kevin says

    November 14, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    Samantha O: The chicken is raw and cooks as the soup simmers. Enjoy!

    Reply
  16. Morgan O says

    November 19, 2017 at 6:35 pm

    If I used canned hominy would I add it at the same time as the chicken or would I put it in later?
    Thanks,
    Morgan

    Reply
  17. kevin says

    November 21, 2017 at 5:48 pm

    Morgan O: You can put it in later. Since it is ready to serve from the can you really just need enough time for it to warm in the soup.

    Reply
  18. Anonymous says

    January 8, 2018 at 10:16 pm

    When do I use the oregano, is that for garnish?

    Reply
  19. Maggie Unzueta says

    November 15, 2018 at 6:00 pm

    You’re making me hungry… I think I just heard my tummy growl. lol!

    Reply
  20. Stacy Green says

    December 6, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    I kept it simple using canned hominy and rotisserie chicken. I’m only disappointed that it took 36 years for me to discover this soup. SO good. Thank you!

    Reply
  21. Esme says

    January 3, 2019 at 11:14 pm

    Made this New Year’s Eve. I double batched it. Cooked chicken in separate pot, let chicken cool, shredded chicken to remove bones, and dumped chicken shreds into main pot 20-30 minutes toward the end. I removed some of the char from my vegetables before pureeing. GREAT RECIPE! The traditional pozole is pork with red sauce but I dislike eating pork. I am a sucker for green Mexican sauces =) Got so many compliments. Oh, do let the hominy cook for about 2 hours if you want it on softer side. My hominy was al dente but everyone has their preferences. I forgot to add/char the jalapeno. I’m so glad I did because the poblano peppers had a kick of their own. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  22. Elena says

    February 20, 2019 at 12:05 am

    This is absolutely delicious! Ive made it in the past and I am currently making it as I type this. Full of flavor and easy to add extra heat to if you’re into that. Me….I’m into that lol. Highly recommend this recipe 🤤

    Reply
  23. Kristin says

    February 21, 2019 at 3:46 pm

    I’m curious to know why you prefer using dried hominy over canned? Does it taste better? I’m obsessing about this soup, and I’d love to make it next week, but I’d have to order dried hominy online. IF I used hominy from a can, and used already-cooked shredded chicken, how long would the soup need to simmer? I didn’t know if it needed time to simmer so flavors could meld. I’m guessing the 2 hour simmer time was to soften the dried hominy. This soup looks absolutely DELISH and I’m eager to try it! Thanks!

    Reply
    • kevin says

      February 22, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      For some reason canned hominy is really expensive here so I tend to go with dried. If you are using canned hominy and already cooked chicken, this soup is really quick and 5 minutes of simmering will do the trick! (Though you could let it simmer longer to let the flavours meld.) Any leftovers taste even better the next day! Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        February 28, 2019 at 9:40 pm

        I wanted to report back on the recipe now that I’ve made it today. This soup has amazing flavor! It’s the first thing out of my and my husband’s mouths after the first bite. I loved the addition of the thinly sliced radishes. It added great crunch. I did use a rotisserie chicken to make it easier. I also used the dried hominy. I soaked it in water for more than 24 hours (should it have sat in the fridge or on the countertop? I had mine in the fridge.) I allowed my soup to simmer for more than 2 hours, probably more like 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the hominy still had an unpleasant texture (NOT like what you can get from the can). That was the one disappointing thing about it. When I make this again, I will stick with using canned hominy. There were no instructions on the packaging, except for making tamales, so the hominy packaging was not helpful. I did put my poblanos, jalapenos, and tomatillios under the broiler. I did this earlier in the afternoon. I used 1 cup of chicken broth to puree it altogether, and then I just stuck it in the fridge. When it was time to make the soup, I dumped that mixture in with the chicken broth. This soup is delicious, and worth making again… I just don’t recommend the dried hominy! 😀

        Reply
        • kevin says

          March 1, 2019 at 12:48 pm

          I’m glad you like it! Was the issue with the dried hominy that it was hard? Did it get a little better after simmering it for the extra 45 minutes? (I usually soak it at room temperature.)

          Reply
          • Kristin says

            March 1, 2019 at 6:25 pm

            Yeah, the hominy was still too hard, IMO. It didn’t seem like the right texture… based off of what I’ve eaten from canned hominy. Some of it seemed softer (after a longer simmer), and other pieces were still quite firm. So strange! Anyway, good to know that you soak at room temp. Maybe I shouldn’t have put it in the fridge. It’s delicious, though, and I’m looking forward to eating leftovers for dinner tonight. Thank you! 🙂

  24. Shelly Thaxton says

    March 28, 2019 at 10:29 am

    Hello, I can’t wait to try this Pazole. Recipe is printed and I plan to make this for a dinner party. Question: Can I make this a day ahead? Of course leaving out the toppings.

    Reply
    • kevin says

      March 28, 2019 at 1:32 pm

      Yes you can! Enjoy!

      Reply
  25. Lydia says

    June 19, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    My hubby and I LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it 3 times in the past 2 months and it comes out perfect every time! I’ve made it with both chicken options. Would recommend legs over whole. When cooked and ready for deboning, it almost falls right off! 10/10 would recommend

    Reply
  26. Nica says

    June 20, 2019 at 2:03 pm

    Made this with pork and canned hominy. I think it’s wonderful! It was a nice change from the pozole rojo I usually make!

    Reply
  27. Sue says

    July 19, 2019 at 4:54 pm

    Curious to when the oregano should be added?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      July 20, 2019 at 11:08 am

      Add the oregano along with the broth. Enjoy!

      Reply
  28. Myriam says

    August 26, 2019 at 2:00 pm

    I made this last night, and everyone loved it ! I live in Mexico (originally from Ottawa, ON), and this is what I order most of the times in restaurants … not anymore ! This is the real-deal ! I did take out the seeds from the jalapeños and the poblanos, because I thought it could be a bit too spicy. In the end, it just had a slight kick to it. Thank you for sharing this recipe !

    Reply
  29. Jen says

    September 13, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Do you peel the tomatillos and peppers before blending them?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      September 16, 2019 at 4:36 pm

      I don’t but you could if you desire!

      Reply
  30. Tricia says

    October 7, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    Made this yesterday and omg so delish. Will make it again. Thank you.

    Reply
  31. Stacy says

    February 5, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    This is a fantastic recipe! I make it in the Instant Pot and add canned hominy after it is cooked. The garnishes are beautiful and really enhance this soup. Don’t leave them out. I never knew how delightful a radish could be! I have made this recipe many times and everyone always wants the recipe. Thank you, Kevin!

    Reply
    • Veronica Fabila says

      December 5, 2020 at 2:13 am

      How long did you cook it in the Instant Pot?

      Reply
  32. Ysassi Rebecca says

    February 12, 2020 at 5:23 pm

    Is the serving size 1 cup or more?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      February 13, 2020 at 10:33 am

      The serving size is 2 cups. Enjoy!

      Reply
  33. Vicki says

    July 31, 2020 at 12:33 pm

    Perfection ✨ I made a huge pot for family and friends and they loved it ❤️ Fought over leftovers to take home. Easy to make and delicious 😋 Thanks for sharing this recipe 😘

    Reply
  34. Faith says

    August 14, 2020 at 11:04 am

    Hi! Do you de-seed the peppers? Wondering what the spice level is like. Thanks!

    Reply
    • kevin says

      August 17, 2020 at 8:31 am

      The seeds are removed from the peppers. (I have updated the recipe, thanks!) I find the heat at this level to be nice without being too hot. You can control the heat by starting to add only 1 of each (or even 1/2 of each) jalapeno and poblano pepper and see where the heat is at. If you want more heat add more. Enjoy!

      Reply
  35. Valerie Fiske says

    September 26, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    I created a similar recipe after falling in love with this soup at China Poblano at The Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas. To save time, I use shredded chicken and canned hominy. I also make my own green salsa that’s super quick and easy. For this recipe, I just add the green salsa to the chicken broth after it’s blended. Ingredients: 1 pd tomatillos, 4-5 poblano peppers stems removed, 1-2 roma tomatos, 1 bunch cilantro, tablespoon kosher salt. First, place tomatillos, romas, and poblano’s in a plastic bag with a couple slits at the top and microwave on high for 5 minutes. This will soften it up and then place all ingredients in the blender along with the cilantro and kosher salt and blend until smooth.

    Reply
  36. Fern says

    October 5, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    I have made this twice and it is Excellent!!!! Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
  37. fjkldjfs says

    October 8, 2020 at 2:29 pm

    i loved it

    Reply
  38. Rose Aurora says

    January 8, 2021 at 10:55 pm

    I fixed the pozole recipe!!! We all loved it! It was the best we have had. I really love all your recipes!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Rose

    Reply
  39. Tammy Lynn Martin says

    July 9, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    Can you make this in the instant pot?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      July 12, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      Yes you can! About 30 minutes on high should do it.

      Reply
  40. Nora Paroo says

    December 13, 2021 at 8:21 pm

    When do you add the onions and garlic?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      December 16, 2021 at 7:09 pm

      The onions are cooked in step one and the garlic is added after the onions are done cooking.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Mexican Soups - 13 Stunning Mexican soup recipes... says:
    April 11, 2021 at 9:55 am

    […] Check out this recipe […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to the free Closet Cooking email newsletter and get a FREE copy of the eBook:
The Best of Closet Cooking!

About Me

Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
Read More

The Best of Closet Cooking 2023 – FREE eCookbook

The Best of Closet Cooking Book Cover

eCookbook Bundle

eCookbook Bundle

Top Recipes

Chicken and Avocado Burritos
Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
Mexican Street Corn Nachos
Balsamic Garlic Grilled Mushroom Skewers
Baked Firecracker Chicken
Caprese Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Balsamic Soy Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet
Parmesan Roasted Carrot Fries
Asiago Roasted Onions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
About | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Copyright © 2007-2023, Closet Cooking Ltd. All Rights Reserved.