Pozole Verde Recipe

This Pozole Verde Recipe is a delicious soup with slow-cooked pork, tomatillos, green chilis, hominy, and fresh corn. Pozole has become one of our family’s favorite soups, and once you try it I think it will for you as well.

We are a soup family and make and eat it at least 2 times a week during the cooler months. If you or your family are similar, you must try my Avgolemono or Lentil Soup.

 

Pozole Verde

Pozole verde is a classic Mexican thick broth-based soup consisting of onions, hominy, and often pork as the protein. It originated along Mexico’s Pacific coast region in a state called Jalisco. There are some variations with meat, such as a beef shoulder or shank being used in addition to chicken. Different broth types of pozole soup also exist, from verde to rojo or plain or stock flavored.

This is a very simple soup and can take as little as 30 minutes to put together and as much as 3 hours. I like to take my time prepping everything, searing up the meat properly as well as roasting it correctly. Just like any soup, it always tastes better the next day after it has time for all of the flavors to infuse.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Tomatillos – You will need fresh tomatillos. Since we are making pozole verde, these are necessary. You can use canned if that is all you can find.
• Peppers – I used fresh serrano peppers. You can also use jalapeños or any spicy green chili that you desire.
• Pepitas – These are shelled pumpkin seeds and are used in the soup as well as a garnish. You can substitute with sesame seeds, walnuts, pistachios, or quinoa.
• Spices – I used ground cumin in this dish.
• Herbs – I used a combination of fresh cilantro and dry oregano. These are staples in this dish.
• Sugar – Plain granulated sugar is all that is needed.
• Lemons – Fresh lemon juice will add a hint of clean acid to balance out the spice in the soup. You could also use lime juice.
• Pork — I used pork shoulder in this pozole, but you could also use pork chops or steaks. You will need some fat on the pork, so using a lean cut is not advised.
• Onions – You can use a red, yellow, white, or sweet onion. In addition, you’ll also need some garlic cloves.
• Stock — Chicken Stock is best for this recipe. However, you can also use vegetable stock, brodo, or water.
• Oil – Olive or avocado oil works well in this dish. You can, however, use your favorite neutral-flavored oil.
• Corn – Fresh corn off the cob is used in this soup. You can also use drained canned or thawed from frozen.
• Hominy – You will need drained, rinsed, canned white hominy. Yellow hominy can also be used.
• Garnishes – This is optional, but I like to garnish pozole with radishes, avocado, lime slices, and pepitas.

How to Make Pozole Verde

Roast the serrano peppers and tomatillos.

Puree the peppers and tomatillos with the herbs and spices in a blender.

Brown a pork shoulder in a large pot. If the pork shoulder is too big, cut it in half and do it in batches. The pork will shrink as it roasts. Set it to the side on a plate, once browned.

Saute onions and garlic until browned in the pork’s rendered fat. Pour the pureed serrano and tomatillo mixture into the pot with the stock and seared pork, and simmer over low heat.

Shred the pork, add it back to the pot, and finish the soup with hominy, freshly cooked corn, salt, and pepper.

Serve the Pozole Soup with optional garnishes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 3 days ahead for freshness.

How to Store: Pozole soup will refrigerate well, with all the toppings separate and covered for up to 5 days.  Likewise, it freezes well, with all the toppings separate and covered for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat: To reheat it, simply place the desired amount back into a saucepot and cook over low heat until warm.

More Soup Recipes

• Chicken Dumpling Soup
• Ribollita Soup Recipe
• Classic French Onion Soup Recipe
• Zuppa Toscana
• Pork Confit and Split Peas Soup Recipe