POZOLE VERDE // MEXICO’S SACRED, SATISFYING STEW
Hi, old friends! I haven’t been here in a while, mostly, because like for so many of you, my kids are (still) home around the clock, and it’s been snowing non-stop for weeks—big fat flakes that just accumulate in piles, first eagerly played in and later neglected for the solace and warmth of the indoors.
Snow always makes me want to bake—full on. Our bread box and cookie jar has been brimming over. But sometimes our savory kitchen gets neglected in times like this. Exciting meals feel like too much effort, too many dishes. Work.
Last night, though, we made fish tacos with my dear friend Anna, who we’re safely podded with—a celebration of her finishing her first solo cookbook just this week (a book we’re all going to want!). We both had half a fridge worth of food, and, as she pointed out—two half fridges are far better than one. It forced us to get creative, to mix textures and flavors in a way that is almost certainly interesting, if not completely delicious (it was!). We threw in all the things—cilantro, scallion, radish and lime into an herb salsa; then: cabbage and grapefruit and pea shoots into a zingy slaw. Pickled onions, and beautiful, flaky chunks of line-caught cod and wild shrimp, smothered in paprika, chiles and lime were layered into tortilla—soft and crispy—with beans and avocado. My palate came alive again, and this morning I woke up with a distinct craving for another big-flavor favorite: POZOLE.
Above all the (many!!) recipes, meals and traditions I’ve adopted from Mexican culture, Pozole has my heart. It’s one of the most satisfying stews that I know: fortifying and deeply flavorful. It was once considered sacred in certain parts of Mexico and is still often found at celebrations and holidays.
There are a few types of pozole, but the one I like best is Pozole Verde (green pozole) with chicken (though, traditionally it would be pork), tomatillos and hominy. This method piggybacks on having some good poached chicken and chicken stock on hand, which you can find in both my most recent books—on the stove top —in Every Day is Saturday—and in the Instant Pot—in Instant Family Meals.
Whenever I poach a chicken, it is almost always with this soup in mind. But even if you haven’t, there’s always rotisserie chicken (or any leftover chicken or pork) and a good prepared broth; both come beautifully to life with roasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos and poblano, which you can quick broil for instant charred flavor.
Though it would be a stretch to say this nourishing stew is a breeze to make, it’s always, always worth the work. As with most of my favorite soups or stews, the toppings—-avocado, radish (any kind!), scallion, cilantro and cotija cheese, to name a few—are what make the finished dish explode with flavor. Just like last night’s impromptu feast, the mixtures of flavors and textures are enough to bring you back to yourself, to the pursuit of flavor and feeding the ones you love.
RECIPE, BELOW.
POZOLE VERDE WITH AVOCADO AND RADISH
reprinted with permission from Every Day is Saturday
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6 to 8 (makes 10 cups)
1 pound (454 g) of poached chicken (from ½ chicken)
6 cups (1.4 L) chicken broth
½ cup (3 ounces/70 g) pumpkin seeds
1 pound (450g) tomatillos , peeled
1 white onion, roughly chopped
3 poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed, roughly chopped
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Handful fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems
1 (28-ounce; 800g) can white hominy, drained (see note)
Toppings:
1 firm, ripe avocado, diced
4 radishes, sliced or diced
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Cotija or queso fresco cheese (use goat cheese if you can’t find either)
Heat the pumpkin seeds in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until they start to pop and smell nutty, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatillos, onion, peppers, broth and a the of salt to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely tender, about 20 minutes. Strain the broth and reserve. Puree the cooked vegetables, in a blender, adding the cilantro stems and leaves.
Meanwhile, shred the chicken into large chunks (you should have about 3 ½ cups) and set aside.
Add a Tbsp of olive oil to the Dutch oven, and heat over high. Add the pureed vegetables and stir it constantly or cover (to keep it from splattering), about 15 seconds. Return the strained broth to the pot with the puree, and bring a simmer.
Stir in the chicken and hominy until just warm. Spoon the soup into bowls and garnish with avocado, radish, chiles, cilantro (and white onion, optional), and serve warm.
Get Ahead: This soup holds well, and even keeps its gorgeous color a day or two. Make, cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Always add your toppings fresh just before serving.
HOMINY
Hominy is a large white corn, usually canned or frozen, that stars in this soup. It keeps well on the shelf or the freezer for months, so I always buy it when I see it to have at the ready for this meal-in-a-bowl.
** recipes and images belong to Sarah Copeland and should not be used or pinned without attribution. **
STYLING // SARAH COPELAND
PHOTO // GENTL + HYERS