Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup or stew made featuring hominy, a type of maize, and a meat protein such as pork or poultry. This is an unexpected use for Thanksgiving’s leftover turkey and turkey stock and can be prepared quickly by taking a little shortcut and using prepared salsa verde instead of tomatillos. It's perfect for post-Thanksgiving football game days!
In Mexico, the soup is traditionally served at celebratory events, such as Christmas, birthdays or Mexican Independence Day. How perfect would this be for celebrating those post-Thanksgiving football wins?
Posole Verde gets its green color from tomatillos. To streamline preparation, prepared salsa verde is used in this recipe. And in keeping with tradition, posole is served with a variety of accompaniments – here I’ve used cabbage, onions, cheese and cilantro.
Great news is that this is gluten free!
Ingredients
Soup
- canola oil
- medium yellow onions
- garlic
- jalapeno pepper
- poblano peppers
- prepared salsa verde
- ground cumin
- Mexican oregano
- salt
- pepper
- beer (lager)
- hominy
- turkey meat, light and dark meat
- turkey stock (or chicken stock)
Toppings
- shredded white cabbage
- diced white onions
- Monterey Jack cheese
- fresh cilantro
- lime
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Heat oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened...
...and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes more.
To roast poblano peppers, preheat oven to 425F. Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and roast until the skin is blistered and blacked on all sides, turning occasionally. Place the roasted peppers in a paper bag and or in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel. Allow peppers to steam for 10 minutes to loosen skin. Peel skin off and remove stem and seeds.
Add the onions/garlic to a food processor or blender along with the jalapeno, poblano peppers and salsa verde.
Blend until smooth.
Return blender contents to the soup pot and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the cumin and oregano and continue cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, beer, and turkey stock.
Increase heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in turkey and hominy. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Hint: Whenever I roast peppers -- poblano or bell -- I typically roast more than I need and freeze them for later use.
Substitutions
Hominy is the key ingredient in authentic posole. It is made from corn kernels that have been dried and then soaked in a lime water. Naturally high in fiber and low in calories, sugar and fat, it is also gluten free. I used yellow hominy, but there is also white hominy which would work equally as well.
- Turkey -- An easy and stream-liner substitute for turkey leftovers is shredded rotisserie chicken. Or use prepared pulled pork; pork is a traditionally used in posole.
- Stock -- While I used my rich roasted Turkey Stock, simplify by using prepared turkey or chicken stock
- Poblano Peppers -- While not entirely the same flavor profile as roasted poblano peppers, canned mild green chilis can be substituted here. I would use 2-3 4 oz. cans.
- Cabbage - Instead of cabbage, use iceberg lettuce.
- Cheese -- Substitute Monterey Jack with Oaxaca or Cotija -- or a combination!
Variations
Posole Verde: While I love the bright fresh flavor of salsa verde, this could easily be turned into a Posole Verde simply by using a robust prepared red salsa instead of prepared salsa verde
Heat: Dial up the heat by adding more jalapeño or a teaspoon or two of adobo sauce from canned chipotles.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Use vegetable stock and your favorite meat-alternative turkey. Substitute the cheese garnish with a cheese alternative, such as Daiya Dairy Free Cutting Board Mozzarella Style Vegan Cheese Shreds
Equipment
- soup pot
- blender, food processor or Immersion blender
- medium saute pan
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Or cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to six months.
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🍽️ Recipe
Turkey Posole Verde
Equipment
- soup pot
- blender, immersion blender or food processor
- medium sauté pan
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped, ½ cup reserved
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 2 poblano peppers roasted, peeled, seeds and stem removed*
- 16 ounces jar salsa verde
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup beer lager
- 2 cans (15.5 oz.) yellow hominy
- 4 cups chopped turkey meat light and dark meat
- 1 quart turkey stock (substitute chicken)
Toppings
- 2 cups shredded white cabbage
- ½ cup reserved diced white onions
- 4 ounces shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime cut in wedges
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened and just starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the onions to a food processor or blender along with the jalapeno, poblano peppers and salsa verde. Blend until smooth.
- Return blender contents to the soup pot and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the cumin and oregano and continue cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, beer, and turkey stock. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in turkey and hominy. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
- To serve, ladle soup into bowls, and top with a handful of shredded cabbage, a few tablespoons of chopped onion, shredded cheese and a sprinkle of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
To Roast Poblano Peppers
- Preheat oven to 425F. Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and roast until the skin is blistered and blacked on all sides, turning occasionally. Place the roasted peppers in a paper bag and or in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel. Allow peppers to steam for 10 minutes to loosen skin. Peel skin off and remove stem and seeds.
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