Pork Pozole Verde is a Mexican green pozole made with cooked pork, hominy, tomatillos, poblano chiles, and fresh toppings. Using already cooked pork makes this stovetop method faster while still giving the soup plenty of flavor.
Leftover pork shoulder, roast pork, or carnitas can go straight into the soup for a fast weeknight meal.
Why You'll Love This Pork Pozole Verde
Pork pozole verde is one of the best ways to turn cooked pork into a second full meal that does not feel like leftovers. The green broth tastes fresh and tangy, the hominy makes each bowl satisfying, and the toppings let everyone finish their bowl the way they like it.
Since the pork is already cooked, you get the flavor and comfort of pozole without a long simmer.
- Smart leftover pork meal: Cooked pork shoulder, roast pork, or carnitas turns into a fresh pot of pozole instead of feeling like round two of the same dinner.
- Faster than long-simmered pozole: Starting with cooked pork means the soup only needs enough time for the green broth, hominy, and meat to come together.
- Hearty but not heavy: Pork and hominy make the soup filling, while lime, radishes, avocado, and cilantro keep each bowl fresh.
- Easy to serve family style: Put the toppings on the table and let everyone build their own bowl.
Ingredients Overview
The green broth starts with tomatillos, poblano chile, serrano chile, onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and coriander. Hominy gives pozole its signature chewy corn texture, and blending a small portion of it with cilantro helps thicken the soup slightly.
Pozole can be made from raw pork with a longer simmer, but it is also a natural way to use cooked pork shoulder, roast pork, pork loin, pork butt, pork tenderloin, or leftover carnitas. Starting with cooked pork makes the soup faster while still giving you a hearty bowl with hominy, green broth, and fresh toppings.
Pro Tip
Starting with fresh pork? Cut it into small cubes and brown it in the Dutch oven before adding the green sauce. Simmer until the pork is fully cooked and tender, then continue with the recipe as written.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Pork Pozole Verde
Blend the tomatillos, chiles, onion, and garlic into a green sauce, then simmer it before adding the pork, broth, hominy, and seasonings. A small amount of hominy gets blended with cilantro and stirred back into the pot to give the broth more body. Follow the step-by-step photos below for the visual guide.
Step 1: Wash, seed, and chop the poblano and serrano, then dice the onion and mince the garlic. For mild pozole, remove the chile seeds and membranes. Disposable gloves are helpful when handling chiles so you do not accidentally rub chile oil into your eyes.
Step 2: Remove the husks from the tomatillos, then rinse them well to remove the sticky coating. Quarter them into pieces that fit easily in your blender.
Step 3: Puree the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chiles in a blender. Pour the green sauce into a soup pot and simmer for 15 minutes to mellow the raw tomatillo flavor.
Step 4: Place ½ cup of the drained hominy and the chopped cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the mixture is creamy.
Step 5: Add the cumin, coriander, cooked pork shoulder, vegetable broth, drained hominy, salt, and black pepper to the pot.
Step 6: Add the creamy hominy and cilantro mixture to the soup pot. Simmer on medium high for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth thickens slightly.
Step 7: Slice radishes, limes, pickled jalapenos, and avocado for garnish while the pork pozole verde simmers. Serve the soup hot with toppings on the side.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pork pozole verde hot with plenty of toppings so everyone can finish their own bowl. Sliced radishes, avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, and pickled jalapenos work well with the tangy green broth and tender pork.
For a fuller meal, add warm bolillo rolls, homemade flour tortillas, refried black beans, or guacamole. A cold mangonada or watermelon agua fresca is a good match when serving this soup with a larger Mexican meal.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few easy ways to adjust this pork pozole verde recipe.
- Use raw pork: Brown cubed pork shoulder or boneless pork chops in the Dutch oven before adding the green sauce, then simmer until the pork is fully cooked and tender.
- Use leftover pork roast: Cooked pork loin, pork tenderloin, pork shoulder, roast pork, or carnitas can all be added to the soup. Cut lean pork into bite-size pieces so it warms through without needing a long simmer.
- Adjust the heat: Add another serrano chile for more heat, or remove the serrano seeds and membranes for a milder broth.
- Add Mexican oregano: A small pinch of Mexican oregano gives the broth a more herbal note without changing the basic recipe.
- Use chicken broth: Chicken broth can replace vegetable stock if that is what you keep on hand.
Tips for Success
A few small details make the broth taste better and keep the texture right.
- Rinse the tomatillos well: The papery husks leave a sticky coating that should be washed off before blending.
- Drain and rinse the hominy: Canned hominy is packed in salty processing liquid, so drain and rinse it before adding it to the soup.
- Simmer the green sauce first: Cooking the blended tomatillos and chiles before adding the broth helps soften their raw edge.
- Blend only part of the hominy: A small amount thickens the broth while the rest stays whole for the classic pozole texture.
- Add toppings at the table: Radishes, avocado, lime, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos taste best when added right before eating.
Storage Options
Pozole verde stores well, but keep the fresh toppings separate.
- Refrigerate: Store leftover pork pozole verde in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the soup without toppings for up to 3 months. Leave a little room in the container for expansion.
- Thaw: Thaw frozen pozole overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm the soup in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Add a splash of broth or water if it thickens too much.
- Store toppings separately: Keep avocado, radishes, lime, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos in separate containers so the soup stays fresh.
Related Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Pozole verde is made with a green sauce from tomatillos, green chiles, and herbs. Pozole rojo is made with a red chile sauce, usually from dried red chiles.
Yes, drain and rinse canned hominy of its brine before adding it to the soup.
Pork pozole verde is usually mild to medium, depending on the chiles used. For less heat, remove the seeds and membranes from the chiles or use fewer chiles.
Yes, pork pozole verde can be made ahead and reheated. Store the soup separately from the toppings, then add the avocado, radishes, lime, and cilantro just before serving.
Yes, pork pozole verde can be adapted for the slow cooker. If using cooked pork, add it near the end so it warms through without breaking apart too much. If using raw pork, brown it first, then cook on low until tender.
Yes, cooked chicken can be used instead of pork for a chicken pozole verde variation. Add cooked chicken near the end so it warms through without breaking apart too much.
Mexican Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Pork Pozole Verde
Equipment
- 6 qt Enameled Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 large Poblano chile de seeded and chopped
- 1 small Serrano chile de seeded and chopped
- 1 pound Tomatillos washed, husked, chopped
- ½ large Red onion diced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon Coriander ground
- 1 teaspoon Cumin ground
- 2 pound pork shoulder Leftover cooked pork cut into chunks
- 8 cup Vegetable stock
- 25 oz Hominy 1 can, 25 oz, drained
- 1½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- Avocado sliced thin
- Radishes sliced thin
- Limes sliced thin
- Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Wear disposable gloves and wash and seed the chiles. Cut them into small pieces. Dice the onion and mince the garlic gloves.2 large Poblano chile, 1 small Serrano chile
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos, then wash and quarter them into pieces that fit in your blender.1 pound Tomatillos
- Puree the tomatillos, diced onion, garlic and chiles in the blender, and simmer 12 minutes in a soup pot.½ large Red onion, 4 cloves Garlic
- Place ½ cup of the drained hominy and the chopped cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the mixture is creamy.¼ cup Cilantro
- Next, add the cumin, coriander, shredded or cubed cooked pork shoulder, vegetable broth, and the remaining drained hominy to the soup pot.1 teaspoon Coriander, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 2 pound pork shoulder, 8 cup Vegetable stock, 25 oz Hominy, 1½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- Add the creamy hominy and cilantro mixture to the soup pot with the verde sauce, pork, and hominy.
- Simmer on medium high for 15 minutes, while the soup thickens up slightly.
- Slice radishes, limes, and avocado for garnish while the pork pozole verde is cooking. Serve while hot.Avocado, Radishes, Limes, Cilantro
Notes
- Rinse the tomatillos well: The papery husks leave a sticky coating that should be washed off before blending.
- Drain and rinse the hominy: Canned hominy is packed in salty processing liquid, so drain and rinse it before adding it to the soup.
- Simmer the green sauce first: Cooking the blended tomatillos and chiles before adding the broth helps soften their raw edge.
- Blend only part of the hominy: A small amount thickens the broth while the rest stays whole for the classic pozole texture.
- Add toppings at the table: Radishes, avocado, lime, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos taste best when added right before eating.
Nutrition
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