Verde Pork Pozole Recipe

Verde Pork Pozole Recipe is a delicious soup with hominy and fresh corn.  This soup is verde style with shredded pork and is absolutely delicious.  In addition, try making my other delicious recipes for Grilled Thick Cut Pork Chops with Black Bean Corn Salsa or Maple Glazed Pork Chops with Bean Cassoulet.

We are huge soup fans in our house and this pork pozole may be one of your favorites.  There is just something about this that is just unbelievable and will keep you coming back for seconds and thirds.  It’s loaded with chunks of vegetables, slow roasted pork and has such an amazing broth.

If you’ve never heard of this, then let me just start by saying welcome to your new favorite soup!

WHAT IS IT MADE OF

Pozole soup is a broth based soup consisting of onions, hominy and usually pork as the protein.  There are some variations with meat where either a beef shoulder or shank is used in addition to chicken.  There are also different broth types of pozole soup from verde, to rojo or to simply plain or stock flavored.

It’s is a very simple soup and can take as little as 30 minutes to put together and as much as 3 hours.  I personally like to take my time prepping everything, searing up the meat properly as well as roasting it correctly.

• CHEF NOTE: Just like any soup, it always tastes better the next day after it has time for all of the flavors to infuse.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POZOLE AND POSOLE

There are variations in the way it is spelled and pronounced based on where you are in Latin America.  Pozole traditionally has pork, hominy and broth, which is what this version is.  You may see posole as well, but rest assured it is the same.

IS IT HEALTHY

By normal everyday standards in the United States, I would say pozole soup can be really healthy.  It is loaded with fresh vegetables, protein and broth.  There is minimal oil for roasting used and if you wanted to go an extra mile, simply use no oil and trim the fat completely from the pork.

WHAT IS HOMINY

If you’re wondering what hominy is in this pork pozole recipe, don’t be alarmed because I get this question all of the time.  Hominy is simply dried corn, or maize, that is reconstituted in a diluted lye solution, a.k.a lime juice.

I know, it sounds kind of crazy right?  I can assure you it’s totally normal.  The solution helps the hominy soften up by loosening up the hulls from kernels.  Just like anything though, drain it and rinse it before putting it into the soup.

HOW TO MAKE PORK POZOLE

Here’s how easy it is to make pork pozole verde

STEP 1: Roast some serrano peppers and tomatillos.

• CHEF NOTE: If serrano peppers are nor available then use jalapeños.

STEP 2: Puree the peppers and tomatillos with some herbs and spices in a blender.

STEP 3: Brown a pork shoulder in a large pot.

• CHEF NOTE: If the pork shoulder is too big simply cut it in half and do it in batches.  The pork will shrink up as it roasts.

STEP 4: Saute some onions and garlic until browned in olive oil and add to the pork pot.

STEP 5: Pour the pureed serrano and tomatillo mixture over top along with some stock and simmer.

STEP 6: Finish the soup with hominy, fresh cooked corn, sea salt and pepper.

STEP 7: Serve the Pozole Soup.

WHAT DOES IT GO WELL WITH

Pozole soup becomes even more delicious in flavor when toppings are added it to it.  Here are some of the optional and traditional toppings:

• Avocado
• Radishes
• Lemons
• Fresh oregano
• Sour cream
• Pepitas

CHEF NOTE: You could also add things such as cabbage, onions, tortilla chips or tostadas.

HOW TO MAKE IT IN A SLOW COOKER

While I didn’t make this recipe in a slow cooker it is definitely crock pot friendly, so please feel free to cook it up in there.

• Roast some serrano peppers and tomatillos.
• Puree the peppers and tomatillos with some herbs and spices.
• Add the puree, pork and stock to a crock pot along with onions, garlic and hominy.
• Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.

CHEF TIP: If you have a saute function on the crock pot, I would recommend searing the pork first before adding in all of the ingredients.

PORK OR CHICKEN POZOLE

Traditionally pozole soup uses pork but let me tell you that I’ve made chicken posole quite a few times and it is every bit as fantastic this one.  The process to make a chicken version is very similar to that of a pork pozole but obviously chicken cooks and breaks down much faster so the cooking time will obviously quicker as well.

This is one of the reasons I like chicken pozole, however if you’ve been following me fore quite a while then you know I’m a bit of a traditionalist so pork it is for me, most of the time anyways.

SOUP RECIPES

If you love this pork recipe then you will love these soup recipes!

• Chicken Dumpling Soup
• Ribollita Soup Recipe
• Classic French Onion Soup Recipe
• Lasagna Soup

HOW TO REHEAT: To reheat it, simply place the desired amount back into a sauce pot and cook over low heat until warm.  Alternatively you can place a small amount in a bowl and heat in a microwave until hot.

STORING AND FREEZING POZOLE: Pozole soup will refrigerate well, with all of the toppings separate, covered for up to 5 days.  Likewise, it freezes well, with all of the toppings separate, covered for up to 3 months.

*If you are in love with this pozole soup recipe then my Pork Confit and Split Peas Soup Recipe is a must try, and please leave me a comment below and a rating if you’ve had made it.* 

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Print Recipe

5 from 9 votes

Verde Pork Pozole Recipe

A delicious zesty pozole soup recipe with hominy and fresh corn. This pozole is verde style with shredded pork and is absolutely delicious.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 20 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 16

Calories: 165kcal

Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

For the Posole:

• 8 to matillos husk removed
• 2 seeded serrano peppers
• ¼ cup of pepitas
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of dry oregano
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 20 to 25 cilantro leaves with stems
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2- pound pork shoulder roast
• 2 small diced medium sized yellow onions
• 4 finely minced cloves of garlic
• 96 ounces of chicken stock
• Three 25-ounce cans of strained and rinsed hominy
• 2 cups of cooked corn sliced off the cob
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

For the Garnishes:

• Sliced radishes for garnish
• Diced avocado for garnish
• Lemon or lime slices for garnish
• Fresh oregano leaves for garnish
• Pepitas for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• add the tomatillos and seeded serrano peppers to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper along with 4 ears of corn on the cob.
• Roast the vegetables in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are browned.
• Next, add the serrano peppers to a blender along with the tomatillos, pepitas, cumin, sugar, dry oregano, lemon juice and cilantro leaves and puree on high until smooth and set aside.
• Shuck the cooked corn and slice the corn off the cob. Note: Wait a few minutes to shuck as it will be hot.
• Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper and sear it over high heat in a large cast iron pot with a lid with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until golden brown on all sides. Set the pork aside on a plate.
• Turn the pot to high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and caramelize the onions and garlic. Once browned add in the seared pork, the verde sauce, chicken stock salt and pepper and cook over low heat for 3 hours or until the pork shreds apart with ease.
• Finish the soup by adding in the hominy and cooked corn. Adjust any seasonings.
• Add optional garnishes: radishes, avocado, lemon slices, fresh oregano leaves and pepitas.

Notes

CHEF NOTES:

• If serrano peppers are nor available then use jalapeños.
• Wait a few minutes to shuck the corn as it will be hot.
• If the pork shoulder is too big simply cut it in half and do it in batches.  The pork will shrink up as it roasts.
• Just like any soup, pozole always tastes better the next day after it has time for all of the flavors to infuse.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 10.6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1.7mg