Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner, this Pozole Verde is a great way to enjoy the delicious flavors of Mexico in the comfort of your own home.

Pork pozole verde in a white bowl with radish, lettuce and peppers. — Pork Pozole Verde

Green Chile Pork Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup, perfect for warming up on a cold day or enjoying it with friends and family. This hearty and flavorful soup is made with tender chunks of pork, hominy, tomatillos, and spices.

The base of the broth has green chilies in it, giving it is signature color and name.

Why Should you Make it?

Delicious: It’s a unique and delicious way to enjoy traditional Mexican cuisine.
Easy: The stock is dump and go. Then you just need to prepare the peppers and the hominy.
Versatile: Customize this soup with various toppings like sliced radishes, shredded lettuce, cheese, pickled or candied jalapeños, sour cream or Mexican creme, and scallions. Serve it with warmed tortillas.
Cozy: A warm bowl of soup on a cold day is the epitome of comfort food.

What you need

For Pork

Pork shoulder or pork butt – Trim it to remove large pockets of fat and cut into two inch pieces.
Onion – Chop fine.
Garlic – Just crush it.
Cumin – An earthy spice from the Cuminum cyminum plant, closely related to parsley.
Salt – Kosher salt or sea salt is great.
Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is best.

For soup

Tomatillos – Fresh or frozen tomatillos will both work. You can also substitute green (unripe) tomatoes.
Poblano peppers – a mild yet flavorful pepper.
Jalapeño peppers – increase or reduce quantity depending on the heat tolerance of your family.
Ground Cumin – an earthy spice that comes from the Cuminum cyminum plant, which is closely related to parsley.
Mexican oregano – Found in specialty Mexican stores and online (affiliate link).
Hominy – Found in local grocery stores, canned in the canned beans aisle, or dried in the dried beans aisle. “Hominy comes from yellow or white maize, also known as field corn. Dried hominy kernels are soaked in an alkali solution of lye or slaked lime. This process, called nixtamalization, removes the hull and germ, making the corn easier to grind and cook with. Nixtamalization also helps the kernels release more of their nutrients, including niacin (also known as vitamin B3), and makes them easier to digest, too.“

How to make it

For the pork and the stock

Chunks of pork in Dutch oven. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Cut the pork into one to two-inch pieces.

You can brown the pork if you’d like, but it is not strictly necessary.

Add the pork to a large stockpot or Dutch oven.

Pork covered with water. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Barely cover the pork with water.

Chopped onion and garlic on cutting board. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Chop onion and smash garlic.

Add them to the pot.

Onions, garlic, and spices added to the pot. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Add salt, pepper, and spices.

Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, until pork is fork tender.

Raw peppers on a baking sheet. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Place peppers on a baking sheet. Broil for about 15 minutes, until the skin is blistered and black.

Charred peppers on baking sheet. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Carefully remove them from the oven and flip them over with tongs.

Broil for another 15 minutes.

Charred peppers added to a bowl. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Quickly place the peppers in a covered bowl to produce steam.

Let them cool about five minutes.

Parring knife and seeded pepper on board. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Scrape off the blackened skin with a paring knife. Remove seeds and stem.

Peppers added to food processor. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Add tomatillos, peppers, and the remaining spices to your food processor bowl or blender container and pulse until a smooth paste is formed.

Vegetables processed into a paste. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Prepare hominy according to package directions if using dried hominy.

Add the vegetables and hominy to the pork and the stock in the pot. Heat through.

Serve with any of the suggested toppings below.

What Toppings to Use

Shredded lettuce or cabbage
Radishes, sliced thin
Avocado, sliced or diced
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges to squeeze over the soup
Diced onions or green onions
Sliced black olives
Sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños
Queso fresco or crumbled cotija cheese
Tortilla strips or chips
Red pepper flakes or hot sauce for added heat
Sour cream or crema Mexicana

White bowl of soup on a wooden background.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Reheat the soup in the microwave for about 90 seconds per serving. It can also be heated on the stovetop in a small saucepan until hot.

Pozole can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for about six months.

Tools You’ll Need

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