Green Mexican Soup with Tomatillo, Poblano & Chicken

Green Mexican soup is a bright, hearty chicken soup built around roasted tomatillos, poblano chiles, cilantro, and a gently spiced broth. This home-style sopa verde is served hot with lime and crunchy or creamy toppings; recipes for green soups vary across Mexican regions and households, so this version is one practical, filling interpretation rather than a single definitive formula.

Ingredients

1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1½ lb (680 g) fresh tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and halved if large
2 medium poblano chiles (about 8 oz / 225 g total), stems removed
1 jalapeño chile (about 1 oz / 30 g), stem removed; remove seeds for less heat
½ medium white onion (about 4 oz / 115 g), cut into wedges
3 garlic cloves (about 15 g), peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral cooking oil, divided
6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tsp ground cumin (2 g)
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (1 g), or ¾ tsp (1 g) ordinary dried oregano
12 oz (340 g) waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
1 packed cup (30 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
3 oz (85 g) baby spinach
1¼ tsp kosher salt (about 6 g), plus more to taste
¼ tsp ground black pepper (about 0.5 g)
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 avocado (about 150 g flesh), diced, for serving
½ cup (15 g) tortilla strips, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables. Set an oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse away their sticky coating; dry them so they roast rather than steam. Arrange the tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeño, and onion wedges on the sheet. Brush them with 1 teaspoon of the oil, turning to coat. Keep the garlic aside for the stovetop so it does not scorch under the broiler.
Broil until blistered. Broil for about 6 minutes, turn the vegetables with tongs, then broil for another 6 minutes. The tomatillos should soften and have browned spots, while the chiles should blister in places. If the onion browns sooner, remove it early. Transfer the hot poblanos and jalapeño to a bowl and cover it for 5 minutes; the trapped steam loosens their skins. This short rest is included in the cook time.
Make the green base. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, rub off loose, heavily blackened skin. A little remaining skin is fine and adds a roasted flavor. Discard the poblano seeds and membranes for a milder soup; keep some jalapeño seeds if you want more heat. Put the roasted tomatillos, chiles, onion, cilantro, and 1 cup (240 ml) of the broth in a blender. Blend for about 2 minutes, until mostly smooth. Work in batches if your blender is small, and vent the lid according to its instructions because the vegetables may still be warm.
Start the broth. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic, cumin, and oregano, and stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Avoid browning the garlic, which can make the broth taste bitter. Pour in the blended green mixture and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. It should bubble gently and smell savory and fresh.
Simmer the chicken. Add the chicken pieces, the remaining 5 cups (1.2 L) broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then lower the heat so the liquid simmers steadily rather than splashing. Cook uncovered for about 23 minutes, stirring once or twice to separate the chicken pieces. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer; USDA FSIS lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. If a piece has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again.
Cook the potatoes. Stir in the diced potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until a knife slides easily into a cube. Keep the simmer gentle so the potato edges stay intact and the chicken does not become tough. If the pot reduces more than you like, add a splash of broth or water; the soup should be spoonable, not as thick as a stew.
Finish with greens and lime. Stir in the spinach and cook for about 2 minutes, just until wilted. Turn off the heat, add the lime juice, and taste the broth. Add salt a pinch at a time if needed. The lime should brighten the roasted chile flavor without making the soup taste sharply sour.
Serve. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, distributing chicken and potatoes evenly. Add diced avocado and tortilla strips at the table, with lime wedges for anyone who wants extra citrus. The tortilla strips soften quickly, so keep them separate until serving.

Tips

Choose tomatillos that feel firm. Fresh tomatillos are usually easy to find in supermarkets with a Latin American produce section. If they are not available, use 1½ lb (680 g) canned tomatillos, drained. Canned tomatillos are already cooked and softer, so skip broiling them and blend them with the roasted chiles; the soup will taste less toasted and may need a little less broth.
Control the chile heat. Poblanos are generally mild, but their heat varies. Removing the seeds and pale inner ribs from the jalapeño keeps the soup gentler; for more heat, blend in some of the seeds or add a second jalapeño. Taste the blended base before adding it to the pot, since you can always add heat but cannot easily take it away.
Keep the green color fresh. Use fresh cilantro and add the spinach near the end rather than simmering it for the full cooking time. A long boil can dull the color and flatten the herbal flavor. Mexican oregano has a more citrusy, earthy character than Mediterranean oregano; regular dried oregano works, but the finished broth will taste slightly different.
Use a careful blender technique. Hot liquid expands as it blends. Let the roasted vegetables cool briefly, blend in small batches if needed, and follow the blender maker’s directions for venting hot contents. Do not fill a sealed blender jar to the top with steaming broth.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this soup as a full lunch or a light dinner with warm corn tortillas, bolillos, or crusty bread for dipping. For a more substantial meal, put out cooked rice or extra beans on the side rather than adding them directly to the pot; that keeps the broth from becoming overly thick and lets everyone choose how filling to make a bowl. A simple cabbage-and-radish salad with lime is a crisp contrast to the tender chicken and potatoes.

Set out the avocado, tortilla strips, lime wedges, and a small bowl of chopped cilantro so the toppings stay fresh and each person can adjust their bowl. Crumbled queso fresco is another good option if you enjoy a salty, milky finish. Add cheese sparingly at first, since the broth is already seasoned. If serving children or guests who prefer mild food, keep sliced jalapeño or a chile salsa on the side instead of increasing the heat in the whole pot.

Variations

Make it vegetarian: Leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth. Add one 15-ounce (425 g) can of drained white beans or hominy with the potatoes for substance; beans make the broth creamier, while hominy gives it a pleasantly chewy texture. Check the salt after adding canned ingredients, especially if they are not low-sodium.

Use chicken breast: Replace the thighs with 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless breast, cut into similar-sized pieces. Breast meat is leaner and can dry out if overcooked, so begin checking its temperature before the end of the stated simmer. It still needs to reach 165°F (74°C) for safety.

Add hominy or corn: Stir in 1½ cups (about 260 g) drained canned hominy or 1½ cups (240 g) corn kernels with the potatoes. Hominy makes the soup reminiscent of other hearty Mexican broths, although this particular recipe is not a traditional pozole. Frozen corn can go straight into the pot; allow a few extra minutes for the broth to return to a simmer.

Make it dairy-free or richer: The base recipe contains no dairy. For a richer bowl, stir a spoonful of Mexican crema or plain sour cream into each serving rather than into the pot, where it may separate during reheating. If you cannot find fresh poblanos, use two canned whole green chiles, drained; they are usually milder and softer, so the soup will have less roasted flavor and a smoother, less complex chile character.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, transferring them to shallow, airtight containers so they cool promptly. Keep the avocado and tortilla strips separate; add fresh toppings only when serving. The soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The potatoes may soften slightly over time, but the broth remains suitable for reheating within that window if it has been chilled promptly and kept cold.

For longer storage, freeze the soup without avocado or tortilla strips for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat from frozen over low heat with a splash of broth, stirring as the soup loosens. Warm leftovers on the stove until steaming throughout, and check that they reach 165°F (74°C), the safe temperature for reheated leftovers. In a microwave, cover loosely, stir at intervals, and check several places for even heating. Add a little fresh lime after reheating if the citrus flavor has faded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is green Mexican soup the same as pozole verde?
This recipe is not pozole verde: it uses chicken, potatoes, and a tomatillo-poblano broth, without the large nixtamalized corn kernels that define pozole. Green soups vary, and some versions do use hominy or follow a pozole-style approach. If you want that texture here, add drained hominy with the potatoes.

Can I make the soup ahead?
Yes. Cook the soup through the potato step, cool and refrigerate it promptly, then reheat it the next day until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Add the spinach and lime near the end of reheating so the greens stay bright and the citrus tastes fresh. Prepare toppings just before serving.

Can I use store-bought salsa verde?
You can replace the tomatillo, roasted chile, onion, and cilantro blend with about 2½ cups (600 ml) of salsa verde, but the result will depend on how spicy and salty the salsa is. Start with less added salt, taste the broth, and adjust. Salsa verde usually gives a sharper, more prepared-salsa flavor than freshly roasted vegetables.

What can I use instead of poblano chiles?
Anaheim chiles are a useful substitute and are often similar in mildness, though their flavor is a little less earthy. Green bell pepper will provide color and body but almost no chile warmth or roasted chile character. If using bell pepper, add jalapeño to taste rather than assuming it will replace the poblano’s mild heat.

Why does my soup taste sour?
Tomatillos naturally bring tartness, and some batches are more acidic than others. Check that the lime juice was measured, then balance a particularly sharp broth with a pinch of salt and, if needed, a small pinch of sugar. Avoid adding lots of sugar: the soup should remain tangy, with the roasted chiles and chicken broth in the foreground.

Can I make it without a blender?
A blender gives the broth its smooth, cohesive green base. Without one, finely chop the roasted vegetables and mash them thoroughly with a potato masher, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot before adding the chicken. The soup will be more textured, but it will still taste good; take care when blending hot liquid and keep the blender head submerged to limit splashing.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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