Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew with three iterations: rojo, verde and blanco. Pozole blanco, or “white pozole,” omits chiles but still packs a punch with a garlic-and-onion-filled broth that comes together in minutes. Small, tender pieces of pork and chewy hominy simmer in the fragrant broth to add a welcome meaty, starchy richness before being topped by a balancing mix of crisp, fresh accompaniments: shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radishes and creamy wedges of avocado.
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What you’ll need
Chicken Bouillon Paste
$8 $6 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
4-Cup Measuring Cup
$10 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
2
4
4½
2
1
2
1½
2
Preparation
Step 1
Season 1 lb. pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 1" pieces, all over with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high. Cook meat in a single layer, turning halfway through, until deeply browned, about 4 minutes.
Step 2
Add 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 4½ tsp. chicken bouillon paste to pot and cook, stirring often to avoid burning garlic, until meat is coated, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and cook, stirring, until no dry streaks remain, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Add 1 white onion, halved, peeled, 2 bay leaves, 1½ tsp. oregano, preferably Mexican, and 6 cups water. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat so soup is at a simmer, cover, and cook until pork is tender and soup has thickened slightly, 45–55 minutes.
Step 4
Add two 15-oz. cans white hominy, rinsed, and cook, uncovered, until tender (meat will be even more tender at this point), 20–30 minutes. Taste soup and season with salt.
Step 5
Ladle soup among bowls; top with thinly sliced green cabbage, thinly sliced radishes, cilantro leaves with tender stems, and sliced avocado. Serve with tostadas and lime wedges for squeezing over.
Do Ahead: Soup (without toppings) can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat over medium before serving.
Leave a Review
Reviews (3)
Back to TopThe family loved this! It was warm and rich and really hit the spot! The toppings are crucial, crunchy and cold to cut through the very umami soup flavors. I had some errends to run so after step 3 I put the top on and put it in a 250 degree oven for 2 hours while I was running around. Came home, added hominey and prepped toppings. It was excellent and I'll definiately make it again.
Stickyheels
Durham, NC
4/30/2024
This is terrific! Wonderful flavors. Every bite, and each one is different, was delicious. I wouldn't skip a single topping. I used a sweet onion since that's what i had and wondered about not cutting it up, but it was so soft and cut into bite size pieces with a spoon while eating. I used vegetable bullion instead of chicken because again, that's what i had. This is going into the make again and again folder.
Diane
NY, NY
5/5/2024
This was easy and delicious, and tasted like it had been cooking for hours. Husband and I both loved it, and we'll be adding it to our dinner rotation. I wasn't sure what to make of the large pieces of onion left at the end of cooking, so I took them out. They had imparted great flavor to the dish. I might try chopping it into smaller pieces next time.
Anonymous
Littleton, CO
5/6/2024