Description
Hearty Mexican pozole verde brings soulful comfort from Jalisco’s culinary traditions, blending tender pork, hominy, and green chile sauce in a richly satisfying bowl. Spicy garnishes and fresh cilantro complete this warming dish that connects you to generations of authentic Mexican cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 5 pounds (2.27 kilograms) pork shoulder/butt roast
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon
Chiles and Aromatics:
- 10 cloves garlic, divided
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 6 dried guajillo chiles
- 6 dried ancho chiles
- 1–3 dried chiles de arbol (optional)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 4 bay leaves
- 8 ounces (227 grams) can tomato sauce
- 2 (25 ounces/709 grams) cans white hominy, drained
Garnishes:
- Shredded cabbage
- Diced onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Avocado (optional)
- Sliced radishes (optional)
- Warm tortillas for serving
Instructions
- Cut pork into uniform 1-inch cubes and place in a large pot, covering with water. Bring to a rolling boil and carefully remove any accumulated foam from the surface.
- Add whole onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, salt, and bouillon to the pork. Reduce heat and allow to simmer gently for approximately 1.5 hours until meat becomes tender.
- While pork simmers, prepare chiles by removing seeds and boiling them in water for 15 minutes to soften and enhance their flavor.
- Transfer boiled chiles to a blender, incorporating 1 cup of chile cooking liquid and remaining garlic. Blend until creating a smooth, uniform sauce.
- Heat oil in a separate pan and carefully cook the strained chile sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and develop deeper flavors.
- Remove bay leaves, onion, and whole garlic cloves from the pork pot, leaving only the meat and broth.
- Incorporate the prepared chile sauce, tomato sauce, additional seasonings, and hominy into the pork pot. Allow mixture to simmer for 30 minutes, melding all flavors together.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, ensuring a balanced and rich flavor profile.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with traditional Mexican toppings for added texture and freshness.
Notes
- Select fatty pork cuts like shoulder or butt for richer, more tender meat that melts in your mouth during long simmering.
- Toast dried chiles briefly before boiling to enhance their complex, smoky flavor and release deeper aromatics.
- Customize heat levels by choosing mild ancho chiles or spicier guajillo varieties depending on personal spice tolerance.
- Make this soup gluten-free by using certified gluten-free bouillon and carefully checking tomato sauce ingredients.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg