Ingredients
- 1 pasture-raised chicken (3–5 pounds) from a local farm
- 2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered
- 1 large white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 poblano peppers (or green bell peppers), cored and roughly chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (including stems)
- 1–2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin (or to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
In a large pot, add chicken and cover with 8 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
Carefully remove chicken from pot, reserving boiling liquid. Once cool enough to touch, shred and reserve meat. Keep carcass for another use—like making stock!
Meanwhile, add tomatillos, onion, poblano, cilantro and jalapeño or serrano to the pot, bring back to boil, then simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
With an immersion blender, carefully blend contents of pot until smooth. Fold in shredded chicken and cooked rice and season with cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls and, if you’d like, serve with shredded Oaxacan or other melty white cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, sliced jalapeños and fresh cilantro to garnish.
About this recipe
Loosely adapted by Jenna K. White from splattered index cards and childhood memories.
