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Chile Verde Sopita

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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (mostly hands-off)
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Recipe Intensity: Medium

Servings: 6

A Hearty, Brothy Hug in a Bowl

Imagine the vibrant, tangy flavor of a slow-simmered pork chile verde, but transformed into a soul-warming, spoonable soup. Welcome to Chile Verde Sopita, a dish that masterfully bridges the gap between a hearty stew and a comforting broth-based soup. This isn’t just a simple meal; it’s a culinary experience that fills your home with the irresistible aroma of roasting peppers and simmering pork. Tender, succulent chunks of pork shoulder are slow-cooked until they fall apart at the touch of a fork, swimming in a brilliantly green, tangy, and slightly spicy broth made from fire-roasted tomatillos and fresh peppers. Each spoonful is a complex symphony of flavors: the rich, savory pork, the bright acidity of the tomatillos, the earthy heat from the chiles, and the subtle warmth of cumin and oregano. It’s a bowl of pure comfort that is both deeply nourishing and explosively flavorful, perfect for a chilly evening, a family gathering, or whenever you need a meal that truly satisfies from the inside out.

Ingredients

For the Chile Verde Base:

  • 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed

  • 2 large poblano peppers

  • 2 jalapeño peppers (adjust to your spice preference)

  • 1 large white onion, quartered

  • 4-5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, packed

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)

  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

For the Pork and Soup:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced

  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

For Serving (Optional but Recommended):

  • Warm corn tortillas or tortilla chips

  • Diced white onion

  • Chopped fresh cilantro

  • Lime wedges

  • Sliced radishes

  • Diced avocado

  • Mexican crema or sour cream

Instructions

Step 1: Char and Blend the Vegetables

Preheat your oven’s broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the husked tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeños, quartered white onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on the prepared baking sheet.
Broil for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are charred and blackened in spots. Use tongs to flip them over and broil for another 5-7 minutes. The goal is a deeply blistered skin and softened flesh.
Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the poblano and jalapeño peppers to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. This steams them, making the skins easy to peel. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skins, remove the stems, and scrape out the seeds (for a milder soup, remove all jalapeño seeds).
Peel the roasted garlic cloves. Add all the roasted vegetables (tomatillos, peeled peppers, onions, garlic) and the fresh cilantro to a blender. Blend until you have a smooth, vibrant green sauce. Be careful when blending hot ingredients—hold the lid down with a towel.

Step 2: Brown the Pork to Perfection

While the vegetables are roasting, pat the pork cubes completely dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add the pork cubes in a single layer. Sear until deeply browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. This step is crucial for building a rich, savory foundation for the soup. Transfer the browned pork to a clean plate and set aside.

Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics and Simmer

Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pot, add the diced yellow onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Return the browned pork and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour the pureed green sauce from the blender over the pork. Add the ground cumin, dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine everything. Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low until it maintains a gentle, steady simmer.

Step 4: The Long, Slow Simmer

Partially cover the pot with a lid, leaving it slightly ajar. Allow the sopita to simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally. You will know it’s done when the pork is incredibly tender and easily shreds with a fork. The sauce will have darkened slightly in color and thickened to a brothy, soupy consistency.

Step 5: Final Adjustments and Serving

Once the pork is tender, taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if needed. If you prefer a thicker consistency, you can mash some of the pork against the side of the pot with a spoon to naturally thicken the broth or let it simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.
For serving, ladle the hot sopita into deep bowls. The beauty of this dish is in the customizable toppings. Provide a platter with lime wedges, diced onion, fresh cilantro, sliced radishes, and avocado. Allow everyone to garnish their bowl to their liking. Serve immediately with warm corn tortillas or a handful of crispy tortilla chips for dipping and scooping.

Chef’s Notes & Tips

  • Spice Control: This recipe is written for a medium spice level. For a very mild sopita, use only one jalapeño with all seeds and membranes removed. For a spicier kick, leave the seeds in one or both jalapeños, or add a serrano pepper to the roasting pan.

  • The Power of the Sear: Do not skip browning the pork. The “fond”—the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot—is packed with flavor that will dissolve into the soup, giving it a deep, complex base.

  • Time-Saver Shortcut: If you’re short on time, you can use a high-quality store-bought salsa verde as a base. Use about 4 cups of salsa and blend it with 1 cup of chicken broth and the cumin/oregano. You will still need to brown the pork and simmer for at least 1 hour to tenderize the meat.

  • Make it Ahead: Like many stews and soups, Chile Verde Sopita tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to meld. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Please note: The following is an estimate based on the ingredients used and serving sizes. Actual values may vary depending on specific brands and portion sizes.

Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (approx. 1.5 cups), without toppings
Calories: ~420
Total Fat: 24g

  • Saturated Fat: 7g

  • Trans Fat: 0g
    Cholesterol: 100mg
    Sodium: ~750mg (can be lowered with low-sodium broth)
    Total Carbohydrates: 15g

  • Dietary Fiber: 4g

  • Total Sugars: 8g

  • Includes Added Sugars: 0g
    Protein: 35g

Vitamin A: 580 mcg (64% DV)
Vitamin C: 45mg (50% DV)
Calcium: 70mg
Iron: 4mg
Potassium: 1100mg

The Last Bite

Ladling Chile Verde Sopita into a bowl is a prelude to comfort. The first taste is the bright, tangy punch of the tomatillo broth, immediately followed by the profound, savory richness of the slow-cooked pork. The tender meat practically dissolves on your tongue, while the broth offers a gentle, earthy heat that warms rather than burns. A squeeze of fresh lime juice cuts through the richness, while a bite with a piece of creamy avocado offers a moment of cool, smooth contrast. It’s a dish that feels both light and substantial, healthy and indulgent, all at once. This sopita is more than just food; it’s a bowl of vibrant, simmered-all-day love that comforts the body and enlivens the spirit. It’s a testament to the magic that happens when simple, fresh ingredients are given the time and respect they deserve.

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