Green Chile Posole With Garden Beans and Pumpkin Seeds – A Backyard Feast

Why This Recipe Works

There’s a special kind of joy in cooking a stew that feels stitched together from the backyard. This green chile posole is one of those dishes: smoky, tangy, hearty, and surprisingly flexible with whatever the garden happens to be offering up.

I first made a version of this when my tomatillos didn’t quite ripen evenly — half green, half stubbornly pale. I tossed them under the broiler with some garden peppers and thought, “Well, let’s see what happens.” What happened was magic. The roasted chiles added warmth without overwhelming the palate, and the pumpkin seeds thickened everything into a velvety, nutty broth. Add beans, hominy, a little yellow summer squash, and suddenly you’ve got a pot of comfort that can feed a crowd.

This is the kind of meal where the kitchen smells smoky-sweet, the bowls are big, and nobody leaves hungry.

So in a nutshell, why does this recipe work? Because it is a stew that’s hearty, adaptable, and garden-friendly.

Seasonal Flexibility

Swap tomatillos for green tomatoes, jalapeños for serranos — the recipe bends with the harvest.

Healthy & Wholesome

Packed with beans, vegetables, seeds, and chiles — it’s as nourishing as it is filling.

Simple Method

Roast, blend, simmer, serve. Most of the magic happens while the pot does its thing.

Make-Ahead Friendly

Flavors deepen overnight, and it freezes well, too.

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion (or a few small garden onions, halved or quartered)
• 2 large poblano chiles (or any low to medium-heat green chile from the garden) chopped
• 1 serrano chile (or swap with a homegrown jalapeño) seeds removed and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped, seeds removed and chopped
• About 1½ pounds tomatillos, husked and quartered (or green tomatoes if that’s what you’ve got)
• 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 2 dried ancho chiles or chipotle if you want a little smoky heat (soaked in hot water to soften and seeds removed)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), lightly toasted
• One 25-oz can of Hominy (or make them fresh, but give yourself 3 days to make them correctly)
• 4 cups cooked white beans (or rehydrated beans from your pantry stash) (this is your protein if making it veggie style. I like to add homemade crispy carnitas or chicken to mine)
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock (homemade stock if you’ve got it)
• 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or oregano from your herb patch), divided
• 1 tsp ground cumin (or toast whole seeds first)
• 1 large zucchini or yellow summer squash (or two small), diced
• Optional toppings: cotija cheese crumbles, crushed tortilla chips, cilantro leaves, scallions, lime wedge, nasturtium petals

Yield & Servings

• Makes about 6–7 hearty servings.
• Perfect for a family dinner with a little left over for lunch the next day.

Ingredient Notes

Fresh Produce

Onion, tomatillos, zucchini, red bell pepper and chiles bring brightness and backbone. Green tomatoes work beautifully if tomatillos aren’t in your patch.

Proteins or Grains

White beans stand in as the protein here — creamy and satisfying.

Flavor Boosters

Ancho chiles and pumpkin seeds add richness, smokiness, and nuttiness to the broth.

Instructions

1. Char the Veggies. Preheat the broiler and place the rack 6 inches from the heat source. Spread the onion, poblanos, serrano/jalapeño, red bell peppers, summer squash, tomatillos/green tomatoes, and garlic on a baking sheet. Broil until blistered, 15–30 minutes, turning as needed. Cover loosly and let cool.
2. Soak the Dried Anchos. In a mug of hot water, soak the ancho chiles until soft and rehydrated.
3. Make the Green Base. Peel and seed the poblano and serrano/jalapeño peppers. Peel garlic. Blend roasted onions, tomatillos/green tomatoes, serrano peppers, soaked and softened anchos, and garlic, with ½ cup pumpkin seeds until smooth. Pour puree into a pot and add the anchos. Add chopped roasted poblanos.
4. Build the Posole. Stir in the beans, drained can of hominy, 3.5 cups of broth, two teaspoons of oregano, and one teaspoon of cumin. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve It Up. Ladle into bowls. Top with the broiled summer squash/zucchini and red pepper for color and deliciousness. Add extra toppings like cilantro, cotija cheese, lime wedge, extra pepitas, and, if you are like me, your desired amount of carnitas or chicken. Even fish works well with this recipe.

Cooking Variations

Stovetop Method

As written above.

Oven/Grill Method

Grill the peppers and tomatillos over an open flame instead of broiling — adds extra smokiness.

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot

Combine base ingredients and broth in the cooker. Simmer on low for 6–7 hours (in a slow cooker) or 20 minutes on high pressure (in an Instant Pot). Add zucchini in the last 15 minutes or after pressure cooking.

Easy Substitutions & Seasonal Variations

Vegetables or Greens

• Use diced summer squash instead of zucchini.
• Add a handful of kale or chard in the last 5 minutes.

Vegetarian Proteins

• Try pinto beans, black beans, or even tofu.

Grains or Starches

• Add cooked rice or barley for extra bulk.

By Season

Spring Version

Green garlic, spring onions, and tender zucchini.

Summer Version

Fresh chiles, bell peppers, and tomatillos.

Fall Version

Swap in green tomatoes, hearty beans, and pumpkin seeds saved from carving.

Winter Version

Dried chiles, stored onions, and beans from the pantry.

Serving Suggestions & Storage

Pairings

Serve with salad, brown rice, warm tortillas, or cornbread on the side.

Toppings or Garnishes

Cilantro, scallions, toasted pumpkin seeds, or even nasturtium petals for flair.

Storage Tips

Fridge

Keeps up to 5 days.

Freezer

Freeze in meal-size portions for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze this recipe?

Yes — portion it into containers and freeze up to 3 months.

How long does it last in the fridge?

About 5 days in a sealed container.

Can I make this vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free?

Yes, make this with beans instead of meat — naturally gluten-free.

What seasonal produce works best?

Tomatillos in summer, green tomatoes in fall, dried beans, and zucchini almost anytime.

Final Tip / Closing

This posole is the kind of stew that tastes like it’s been handed down in the family for years — even if you just made it up from what you had on hand. Don’t be afraid to improvise: swap beans, change the chiles, toss in that extra zucchini and yellow squash. The beauty of garden cooking lies in its forgiving nature. And remember — if your batch comes out a little different each time, that’s just the garden reminding you it’s in charge.