Perfect Pozole Blanco

Pozole Blanco is a traditional Mexican soup made with tender chicken, hominy, herbs, and plenty of aromatics. This hearty chicken hominy soup is beloved for its rich flavours and comforting qualities. It’s a delicious and satisfying meal the whole family will love.

I can’t think of any meal that warms the body and soul more than homemade soup, especially when it’s made with homemade soup stock. It’s so easy to make stock using beef bones from a local butcher or frozen chicken or turkey carcasses. Your home will smell amazing, and you’ll have enough stock for dinner and for the freezer.

However, if you don’t have time to make stock from scratch, this is the recipe for you! Read on to find out how to make this authentic Mexican chicken hominy soup.

Perfect Pozole Blanco

It’s hard to describe the joy I feel when I tuck into a bowl of this chicken pozole, or ‘Mexican penicillin’ as it is sometimes referred to. Eating a bowl full of this light tasting, yet hearty soup brings me right back to the streets of Mexico.

The first thing you’ll notice is the intensity of the flavorful broth. This pronounced chicken flavour comes from cooking bone-in chicken thighs right in the soup. When the soup is almost ready, it’s easy to remove the thighs, shred the chicken, and discard the bones.

Yeah, you read that right, you won’t need to pre-make stock for this soup. Even better, this simple meal is ready in under 45 minutes.

Furthermore, simple aromatics like garlic and onion combine with cumin and dried Mexican oregano, to add even more complexity to the soup broth.

I say the ‘heart’ of this soup is the tender shredded chicken, while ‘body’ of this soup is the white hominy. This starchy vegetable adds a nutty, slightly earthy flavour to the soup, along with essential nutrients and fiber.

Finally, let’s talk toppings. Choose from an assortment of crispy tortilla strips and thinly shredded cabbage to diced avocado, fresh or pickled radishes, Mexican oregano, and fresh cilantro. The only non-negotiable garnish is a wedge of lime!

What is Pozole?

Pozole is a quintessential Mexican soup or stew similar to chicken tortilla soup but made with hominy, chicken or pork, plus seasonings and fresh toppings. There are three main styles of pozole; Pozole Verde (contains salsa verde or green sauce), Pozole Rojo (contains salsa rojo or red sauce), and Pozole Blanco (contains no extra sauce).

Pozole is usually made with chicken or pork but beans are also used in vegetarian versions. This stovetop soup recipe features chicken thighs but recipes using whole chickens in either and Instant Pot or slow cooker also exist.

This Pozole Blanco is my favourite ‘under the weather’ soup but a fiery red version with tender pork shoulder and plenty of smoked red chilies is also difficult to resist!

Ingredients for Pozole Blanco

This pozole isn’t your typical chicken noodle soup. Yes, it contains chicken, but the similarities stop there. With a lively chicken broth brimming with soft white hominy and shredded chicken plus aromatics like onion and garlic and all those extra toppings, you’re going to want to make it on repeat.

• Olive Oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Chicken Thighs
• Water
• Bay Leaves
• Salt
• Mexican Oregano
• Cumin
• Black Pepper
• White Hominy
• various toppings

Feel free to use a whole chicken in this recipe instead of the thighs. It will be more difficult to remove and shred but you’ll end up with the same tasty soup. Alternatively, you can add the flavourings to chicken broth and use leftover shredded chicken, although it won’t be as flavourful.

You probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry, other than the Mexican oregano and white hominy. Yes, you can use regular dried oregano, but it is worth sourcing Mexican oregano for its more pungent, citrusy flavour. If you use regular oregano, try adding some marjoram or lemon verbena for the same citrus flavour.

What is Hominy?

Essentially, hominy is field corn that has undergone a process called nixtamalization. During this process, kernels of field corn are mixed with lye, stripping away the hull and germ. This makes the corn more digestible, more nutritious, and gives it a longer shelf life.

Hominy is the whole kernel after nixtamalization, while masa harina (the flour used to make tortillas, tamales, etc.) or hominy grits are the ground versions.

There are two types of hominy: yellow and white. You can use both versions in this soup, though the yellow hominy tends to be a bit sweeter (but not as sweet as sweet corn).

Additionally, hominy is available frozen, dried, or canned. For ease of preparation, this recipe requires canned hominy, but you can use frozen or dried once you have rehydrated it according to package directions.

How to Make Pozole Blanco

This is one of those from scratch recipes that tastes like you’ve been slaving over the stove all day. Only you know that it took less than 45 minutes to make!

To begin, drizzle a bit of olive oil into the base of a large soup pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté them over medium heat until they become soft and translucent. Next, add 10 cups of water and chicken thighs to the pot then season with bay leaves, kosher salt, oregano, cumin and freshly ground black pepper.

Bring the contents to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes of simmering, add the canned hominy and allow to simmer for another 20 minutes, until the hominy is tender.

Remove the cooked chicken thighs and remove the meat off the bone. Shred the chicken and add it back to the soup. Discard the chicken bones.

How to Serve Pozole Blanco

I’ve saved the best for last! This soup is tasty right out of the soup pot with just a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of Mexican oregano and some avocado. However, it’s the fresh toppings elevate this soup experience to a whole other level.

Besides lime wedges, crispy fried tortilla strips or tostadas are a must! If you’re after that crunch factor without added carbs, thinly sliced fresh cabbage and/or sliced radishes will do the trick. For a more decadent version, try crispy chicharrons or crispy chicken skins.

Spice it up with dried chilies, your favourite hot sauce, or salsa and serve pozole with a side of tostadas. They’re the Mexican equivalent of soda crackers in soup.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I’ve been the sole recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen for the past eleven years. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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