This Pork Pozole Verde is my take on an authentic, beloved Mexican dish. Filled with tender pork, vegetables, hominy, and spices and topped with your choice of delicious toppings! A comforting, delicious dish just in time for holiday gatherings or a family dinner.
What is Pozole?
Pozole (or posole) is a traditional Mexican stew packed with hominy (large, dried corn kernels that have been treated with an alkali solution) and typically features meat, most commonly pork.
It’s a beloved and iconic dish in Mexican cuisine, often served during celebrations and special occasions. I personally love Mexican soups because they are always hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor.
There are many versions of pozole, including pozole rojo (red sauce) and pozole verde (green sauce). Today, we’re making the green version, and I couldn’t be more excited!
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
What Makes This Recipe Great
This is Pork Pozole Verde (or green pozole), and what gives this soup that vibrant green color is the addition of salsa verde, which is made with a roasted, then blended combination of poblano peppers, jalapeño pepper, and tomatillos. It gives the soup an amazing flavor and a delicious kick.
One of my favorite things about this dish is that it feeds the masses, and everyone gets to choose their toppings, which makes for a fun and hands-on dining experience. Beyond the fact that it’s absolutely delicious, it’s also easy to customize for everyone’s preferences!
It’s protein-packed, naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and such a wonderful comfort food.
Ingredient Notes
- Pork loin or pork shoulder: You can use pork loin or bone-in pork shoulder. I prefer using bone-in meat because simmering the bones gives the soup a deeper and better flavor. However, boneless meat is much easier to deal with and will still be delicious.
- Chicken broth
- Spices: Bay leaves, ground cumin, and dried oregano.
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Cilantro
- Hominy: This comes in a can and is pretty easy to find at most grocery stores in the canned aisle or the Hispanic foods section.
- Tomatillos
- Poblano peppers
- Jalapeno peppers
- Salt and pepper
- Avocado oil: Or your preferred cooking oil.
How to Make Pork Pozole Verde
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Season the pork liberally all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.
- Add chicken broth, bay leaves, cumin, and oregano to the pot, and let everything come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.
- While the pork simmers, place tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet and toss with 2 tbsp of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until soft.
- Cool the veggies for 10 minutes, then add them to a blender (including the juices) with cilantro. Add 1 cup of the broth from the pork to the blender and blend everything until smooth.
- Stir the blended sauce with the pork, and simmer for 2 more hours or until the pork shreds easily.
- Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Transfer the pork to a bowl and shred. Discard the bone (if any), and add the meat back into the soup.
- Stir in hominy and taste to adjust the seasoning.
- Serve topped with shredded cabbage, radish slices, avocados, diced onion, cilantro, cotija, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.
Expert Tips
- You can use pork loin or bone-in pork shoulder. I prefer using bone-in meat because simmering the bones gives the soup a deeper and better flavor. However, boneless meat is much easier to deal with and will still be delicious.
- You can also use chicken if you wish. This will shorten the cooking time significantly, as the chicken will cook through in about 30 minutes.
How to Serve Pork Pozole Verde
You serve the soup with various garnishes so each person can top with whatever topping they desire.
Traditional Topping Ideas
- Shredded cabbage
- Radish slices
- Avocado
- Diced onion
- Cilantro
- Cotija cheese
- Lime wedges
- Jalapeno slices
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Tortilla chips
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
This soup also freezes well. Let the pork pozole verde cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over the stovetop or in the microwave. I recommend freezing without toppings and serving with fresh toppings when ready to eat.
Recipe FAQs
Pozole Verde rocks a brilliant green hue and a fresh, zesty punch. It’s the result of a vibrant green sauce mixed with pork, hominy, and a blend of flavorful spices. A taste explosion in every bite!
They’re the same dish, just with two different spellings. “Pozole” in Mexico and “posole” in the U.S.
If you make this recipe, please leave me a star rating and comment below! I love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Follow me on social media Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more delicious recipes!
Easy Pork Pozole Verde Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork loin or 4 lb bone-in pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil, divided
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 8 tomatillos husks removed and halved
- 3 poblano peppers stems/seeds removed and halved
- 2 jalapeño peppers stems/seeds removed and halved
- 1 large onion quartered
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems tightly packed
- 25 oz can of hominy strained and rinsed
Topping Suggestions
- Shredded cabbage
- Radish slices
- Diced avocados
- Diced onion
- Cilantro
- Cotija cheese
- Lime wedges
- Jalapeño slices
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Season the pork liberally all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.
- Add chicken broth, bay leaves, cumin, and oregano to the pork, and let everything come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.
- While the pork simmers, place tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, onion, and garlic on a baking pan, and toss with 2 tbsp of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until soft.
- Cool the veggies for 10 minutes, then add them to a blender (including the juices) with cilantro. Add 1 cup of the broth from the pork to the blender and blend everything until smooth.
- Stir the blended sauce in with the pork, and simmer for 2 more hours, or until the pork shreds easily.
- Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Transfer the pork to a bowl and shred. Discard the bone (if any), and add the meat back into the soup.
- Stir in hominy and taste to adjust seasoning,.
- Serve topped with shredded cabbage, radish slices, diced avocados, diced onion, cilantro, cotija, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- You can use pork loin or bone-in pork shoulder. I prefer using bone-in meat because simmering the bones gives the soup a deeper and better flavor. However, boneless meat is much easier to deal with and will still be delicious.
- You can also use chicken if you wish. This will shorten the cooking time significantly, as the chicken will cook through in about 30 minutes.
How to Serve Pork Pozole Verde
You serve the soup with various garnishes so each person can top with whatever topping they desire. Traditional Topping Ideas- Shredded cabbage
- Radish slices
- Avocado
- Diced onion
- Cilantro
- Cotija cheese
- Lime wedges
- Jalapeno slices
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Tortilla chips
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. This soup also freezes well. Let the pork pozole verde cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over the stovetop or in the microwave. I recommend freezing without toppings and serving with fresh toppings when ready to eat.Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.
this was SO INCREDIBLY GOOD, everyone needs to make it, like, yesterday. SO easy and SO flavorful. I thought about using the Instant Pot like some other pozole recipes, but I wanted to make it the stated way the first time. I think Maybe one could do the pork stage for maybe 15-20 min, do a release, then add the roasted veg, then maybe another 30-40? One could even combine the two if in a time pinch. I might try it next time, but honestly the stovetop method is perfectly simple AND makes your house smell amazing. Thank you, Jeanine, it’s so so delicious. I garnished with cilantro, a squeeze of lime wedge and a couple crumbled up tortilla chips.
Thank you so much and I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I actually thought about making it an Instant Pot recipe but with the pressurizing/depressurizing time, I didn’t think it would really shorten the time of cooking. But yes – you can definitely try it out. Appreciate you leaving a review!!
I have a question. How much store bought salsa verde do I need if I don’t want to roast the poblanos, jalapeños or tomatillos?
I’ve never tried this before so want the easy way to begin with. I using the recipe on this site with the 3 lobs of pork.
I think 1.5-2 cups will work!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have wanted to make pozole verde for some time and thought it would be too complicated. Made it last night on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. Your recipe is spot on, well written and the outcome was delicious! I will make this for years to come. I will try with chicken too, but the pork was amazing.
Thank you so much! It’s definitely a lot easier than I imagined as well. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing this recipe it was delicious! Very flavorful and easy to make. My picky kids loved it!
Yay, I’m so glad!!