Pork Verde Pozole

This Pork Verde Pozole recipe is hearty, flavorful, and made with tender pork, tomatillos, hominy, and fresh cilantro for an authentic Mexican soup everyone will love.

This traditional Mexican soup is known for its all-apart tender pork, flavorful broth and vibrant green chile flavor.

Pozole verde

Trust me when I say that a piping hot bowl of Pork Verde Pozole is a bowlful of comfort food that will warm up your body and soul.

Pork Pozole is a hearty Mexican soup recipe made with seasoned pork and tender hominy.

Simmered in a flavorful green broth, this homemade soup will definitely warm you up and make your tastebuds happy. 

Eating this Mexican soup feels both cozy and satisfying with every spoonful. 

Made with tomatillos, poblano pepper, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro, this pozole verde is the perfect balance between savory and fresh. 

When it’s simmering on your stovetop it will fill your kitchen with irresistible aromas. 

You can make this soup with pork for a family dinner, a weekend gathering, or even when meal prepping for the week ahead.

Anytime you serve it, homemade pozole delivers big flavor with simple ingredients. 

The best part about cooking this homemade soup recipe is that you can make it mild or spicy or brothy or hearty. Just adjust the seasonings, the amount of peppers or add an extra can of hominy.

This hominy soup is rooted in Mexican culinary tradition but easy enough for you to cook at home. 

Pork Verde Pozole is cozy, bold, and packed with flavor when hominy and pork combine to make an irresistible soup. 

Tender pork, tomatillos, and hominy in every spoonful make this soup pure comfort food.

So when you need comfort food with a kick of spice and heat, this tomatillo pork soup delivers every time.

I love to serve it with garnishes of my favorite toppings of shredded cabbage, chopped avocado, sliced radishes and lime wedges.

Tortilla chips, corn tortillas and flour tortillas are all good to serve with this traditional soup.

A bowl of pozole is like a warm hug with a little spice. 

How to make green pozole soup

This is a quick overview of how to make this easy pozole recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below. 

1. Step 1: Toss the pork in the seasonings and brown the pork pieces in a pot.

2. Step 2: Cook the onion, garlic and remaining spices in the same pot.

3. Step 3: Return the pork to the pot. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

4. Step 4: While the soup is simmering, combine the ingredients for the green sauce in the blender and puree.

5. Step 3: Add the fresh green sauce to the pot and stir until combined.

6. Step 4: Stir in the hominy and simmer, uncovered, for an additionl 45 minutes.

Hint: The long and slow gentle simmer is key to tenderizing the pieces of pork and making them melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Substitutions

• Pork Shoulder – You can use pork loin or  boneless chicken thighs as a substitute for pork shoulder.
• Tomatillos - Tomatillos are not always readily available so you can use fresh green tomatoes or canned tomatillos if fresh tomatillos aren’t available.
• Hominy - Substitute canned corn kernels or white beans in place of the hominy. 
• Poblano Pepper – If you prefer a milder heat, you can replace poblano pepper with a green bell pepper. 
• Chicken Broth - Vegetable broth can easily replace chicken broth in this recipe. 
• Mexican Oregano - Regular oregano can replace Mexican oregano.

Storage

• Store any leftover pozole soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
• The flavors can actually deepen, intensify and improve overnight. 
• You can also freeze this soup in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. 
• Thaw the frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight and reheat over medium heat on the stovetop until heated through. 
• If you need to loosen the soup, just add a little more broth when reheating. 

Ingredients

Ingredients for an easy pozole recipe

• Boneless Pork Shoulder - This cut of pork becomes extremely tender when simmered, making it ideal for pozole. The marbling of the porl adds richness and deep flavor to the soup.
• Kosher Salt – Kosher salt makes all the flavors in the recipe pop and intensify.
• Chili Powder – Chili powder adds warmth and subtle smokiness without overpowering the other flavors. 
• Ground Cumin – Cumin adds an earthy depth and a classic Mexican-inspired spice flavor.
• Olive oil – Oil is used to brown the pork and sauté the aromatics.
• Onion – Onion creates a savory base and adds a hint of sweetness.
• Garlic – Garlic infuses the broth with its bold savory flavor.
• Dried Mexican Oregano – Dried Mexican oregano adds a traditional herbal Mexican seasoning. 
• Chicken Broth – Chicken broth is the foundation of the soup that the fresh salsa verde is added to. 
• Hominy – Hominy is the heart of pozole, adding a tender texture and a mild corn flavor. You can use white hominy or yellow hominy in this recipe.
• Tomatillos – Tomatillos are the base of the salsa verde and add a fresh flavor and slight acidity. 
• Poblano Pepper – Poblano pepper adds a mild heat and a smoky richness to the soup.
• Jalapeño – Jalapeno lends a slight spicy note to the soup. Prefer a bold spiciness? Add the jalapeno seeds too. 
• Fresh Cilantro – Fresh cilantro adds a bright citrusy herbal flavor to the salsa verde. 

Easy Homemade Soup Recipes

What to serve with pozole soup

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Verde Pork Pozole Recipe

Every spoonful of Verde Pork Pozole, a flavorful classic Mexican soup, is filled with tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork that has simmered in a flavorful green broth made with tomatillos, jalapeno and fresh cilantro.

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword homemade soup, Mexican soup, pork pozole, pork verde pozole, pozole

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 248kcal

Author Gwynn Galvin

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Ingredients

PORK

• 1 pound boneless pork shoulder , cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

SOUP

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion , chopped, about 1 cup
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) hominy , drained and rinsed
• 1 pound tomatillos ,husked and halved
• 1 poblano pepper , seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeño , seeded
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

SUGGESTED TOPPINGS

• Sliced radishes
• Shredded cabbage
• Diced avocado
• Lime wedges
• Chopped onion
• Fresh cilantro

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Instructions

PORK

• In a mixing bowl, combine pork, kosher salt, chili powder and ½ teaspoon ground cumin, tossing until the pork is evenly coated.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the seasoned pork until browned on all sides; remove the pork pieces and reserve.

SOUP

• Add the onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin and oregano to the same pot and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Return the pork to the pot and add chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a blender, combine tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeño and cilantro and blend until smooth.
• Stir the green sauce and hominy into the pot with the pork. Simmer, uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes until the pork is tender.
• Serve hot with desired toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1312mg | Potassium: 919mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 713IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg