Pozole is a traditional, hearty Mexican stew made with hominy (large, dried corn kernels) and meat or veggies, typically it is made with pork or chicken but we make it vegetarian with potatoes/sweet potatoes/squash or other veggies, all cooked in a flavorful broth.
It comes in three main varieties—blanco (white), verde (green), and rojo (red)—depending on the sauce base, and is served with a variety of fresh toppings like shredded cabbage, jalapeños, radish, onion, and lime. Try our Green Chile (Verde) Pozole Recipe, below.
Green Chile Pozole Recipe:
Ingredients
1 large white onion, halved
8-10+ cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
Olive Oil
1 ½ tablespoon salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups chicken or veggie broth, divided
4 to 5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder, cut into large chunks (optional, to go vegetarian use potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, pumpkin or other veggies as ingredients)
1 cup Diced Green Chile
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed, diced (8–10 medium-sized tomatillos)
7-8 cups cooked white hominy*
Toppings:
Shredded cabbage
Diced Onions
Lime wedges
Sliced Radishes
Chopped Cilantro
Avocado
Cowboy Candy or Pickled Jalapenos
Spicy Salsa
Instructions
Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, cumin, black pepper, oregano, and half of broth to a large blender, and blend until smooth.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the blended onion mixture, tomatillos, pork or other veggies** and sauté a bit in a drizzle of olive oil. Add cooked hominy, and the remaining 2 cups of broth. Boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours or until the pork is fall-apart tender. Remove the pork and shred to return to pot. If not using pork, cook time can be shortened. Serve the pozole in bowls topped with a mix of your choice of shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, sliced radishes, diced onions, avocados, pickled jalapenos, and some spicy salsa!
Notes:
*Hominy: Use white or yellow hominy, if you choose to make it from scratch. Cooking dry hominy involves soaking the kernels overnight, then simmering them for 1.5 to 2 hours until tender and “bloomed” (like popcorn). Use a 4:1 water-to-hominy ratio, as it absorbs significant liquid. Dried hominy can also be pressure-cooked for 1 hour 15 minutes or prepared in a slow cooker on low for 4-5 hours.
**Note: If using potatoes, you may want to leave out any acidic ingredients like chiles until they have softened, as cooking in acid keeps potatoes from getting as soft.
