On a whim, I ordered soup at a taqueria in the Mission. I was disappointed the minute the word “sopa” came out of my mouth: passing up my go-to carne asada burrito or carnitas tacos was a stupid, wasted order. But, when the soup arrived, my tune changed. It had a rich flavor, red fragrant broth, tender chicken, and these corn puff things.
About a year ago, I was looking for a Mexican soup recipe and I came across this video. The soup I’d ordered that night in the Mission was a pozole; those corn puff things, hominy. Inspired, I set out to make my own pozole. I decided on a pozole verde because I like tomatillos, and I wanted to use chicken instead of pork. The combination of tomatillos, lime, jalapeños, pepitas and cilantro gives this soup bright flavors and a spicy finish.
10 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 chicken breast, skin on
3 chicken wings
1/2 cup green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 lb tomatillos, husked
2 fresh jalapeño chiles, quartered
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, juiced
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 (16-oz) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
Instructions
Make stock and cook chicken
Bring 8 cups water, bay leaf, an onion, 3 cloves of garlic, juice of one lime, chicken wings and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil, covered, in a heavy pot, reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken breast and poach about 20 minutes. Make sure chicken is cooked all the way through. Transfer chicken breast to a cutting board to cool. Pour broth through a cheese cloth into a large bowl to strain, discard solids, and put aside. Shred chicken breast with a fork. Discard wings
Make pozole sauce
Cook pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over low heat, until puffed but not browned,6 minutes or so. Simmer tomatillos and last onion in 2 cups of water about 10 minutes. Drain vegetables and purée in a blender with jalapeños, 1/4 cup cilantro, oregano, 3 cloves of garlic, pumpkin seeds and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
Return puree to heavy pot with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken, juice of the other lime, apple cider vinegar, hominy, and 3 more cups reserved broth and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes.
salt and pepper to tak
Garnish with any or all of the following: fresh cilantro, avocado, white onion, green onion, tortilla chips, radishes, lime wedges
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