Green Turkey Pozole (Pozole Verde de Pavo)
A pozole made with leftover turkey – maybe your Thanksgiving turkey. It starts with broth & turkey made from the turkey carcass, but if you need to use store-bought chicken broth, or substitute chicken, that’s fine, too.
- Total Time: 4 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Mexican or Mexican American
Ingredients
Verde Sauce:
- 1 pound of tomatillos, husks, and stems removed
- 1 onion, peeled and cut in half pole to pole
- 7 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 to 3 jalapeno or serrano peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
- 1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped (stems are fine to use)
- 1 tablespoon oil or fat from the turkey broth
Pozole:
- 7 cups turkey broth
- 1 recipe Verde Sauce
- 2 cans of hominy, drained & rinsed well
- 2 corn tortillas sliced very thinly (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon (or more) marjoram
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 cups of cooked shredded turkey
- a little water, if needed
- Garnishes: Thinly sliced cabbage, red onion, & radish, along with lime wedges, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro
Instructions
Verde Sauce:
Add tomatillos, onion, garlic, and hot peppers to a pot. Cover with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a lively simmer. Continue to simmer for several minutes until tomatillos have softened but not burst.
Remove the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and peppers to a blender, reserving the water they were boiled in. Work in batches if needed. Add the cilantro and add about a half cup of the reserved water to start the blending process and process until a smooth, cohesive sauce comes together.
Be careful blending hot liquids. Slightly loosen the pour spout of the blender and hold the lid down with a kitchen towel or hot pad.
Heat oil or fat over medium-high heat in a large frying pan with high sides. Add the green sauce and cook for several minutes until the sauce turns from bright green into a dull army green color.
Pozole:
Bring 7 cups of turkey broth to a simmer. Add in Verde Sauce, hominy and marjoram along with the sliced corn tortillas if using. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Taste for salt and pepper, add turkey and a little water if needed to bring to desired consistency.
Serve with garnishes.