Chicken Pozole Verde

By gnikylime

Pozole is a very classic pre-Columbian Mexican soup, regardless of the cultural background, this soup really hits the spot. The broth smells fantastic, and is incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients

• BROTH:
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken (or 2.2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 celery rib, cut into quarters
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
• 8 allspice berries (or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice)
• 1 leafy stem of cilantro
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• SALSA VERDE:
• 1/2 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, or 1 (10-ounce) can of tomatillos
• 1/4 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt
• SOUP:
• 3 large kale leaves (preferably lacinato), stems and center ribs discarded and leaves chopped (about 3 cups) (savoy cabbage also works)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of cayenne
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more if desired
• Chopped cilantro, for serving
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced, for serving

Details

Servings 10
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 80mins

Preparation

Step 1

To make the broth, place the chicken, breast side down, in a large pot, along with the onion, garlic, celery, peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, cilantro, bay leaf, and salt. Cover with 12 cups of water, bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. If using fresh tomatillos, place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. They should be softened and a lighter green. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. If using canned tomatillos, skip this step. Place the tomatillos in a blender, along with either 1/4 cup of the cooking water or 1/4 cup of the canned tomatillos’ liquid. Add to the blender the onion, garlic, jalapeños, and cilantro. Blend until smooth. You should have about 2 cups. Add salt to taste.

Once the broth has cooked 45 minutes, turn off the heat, carefully remove the chicken with tongs and place in a large bowl. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the skin and the bones; chop the meat and discard the rest. You should have about 4 cups of meat. Salt the chicken to taste.

Meanwhile, strain the broth, discarding the vegetables, then remove the fat from the broth with a gravy separator. (The fat removal is not necessary if you use the boneless, skinless chicken breasts.) If you don’t have a separator, you can take a quart-sized plastic storage bag and pour some broth into it. Snip a bottom corner of the bag and drain the broth, stopping when you get to the fat layer that is on top. (You will probably have to remove the fat in batches). Return the broth to the pot; you should have about 12 cups. Bring the broth to a boil, and then cook until the broth has reduced to 6 cups, which will take 15 to 20 minutes. Once reduced, turn the heat down to a simmer.

To make the soup, add to the simmering reduced broth the salsa verde, chicken, kale, drained hominy, cumin, allspice, cayenne, and lime juice. After about 5 minutes, the kale should be greatly reduced. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt to taste.

Serve garnished with cilantro and avocado.

Cook's note:

The broth can be made the night before to save time.