Description
A hearty, traditional Mexican red pozole soup featuring fall-apart tender pork, hominy, and a rich dried chili broth. Designed for meal prep, this recipe allows you to make one large batch and enjoy it for four different dinners throughout the week.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 pounds pork shoulder (butt), cut into 3-inch chunks
- 10–12 dried Guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 6–8 dried Ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered (skins on)
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cans (15 oz each) hominy, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 cups water (for boiling pork)
- 1 cup reserved chili soaking liquid
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water (for blending)
Instructions
- Prep the chilies: Remove stems and seeds from Guajillo and Ancho chilies. Tear into pieces and soak in boiling water for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Boil the pork: In a large Dutch oven, combine pork chunks, quartered onion (with skins), garlic cloves, bay leaves, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim off foam for 10 minutes. Simmer for 45 minutes until pork is fork-tender. Remove pork and set aside; discard onion skins and bay leaves.
- Make the chili paste: Drain chilies, reserving 1 cup of soaking liquid. Blend chilies, remaining garlic, and 1 cup of vegetable broth/water until smooth. Strain if desired.
- Toast the paste: Heat vegetable oil in the empty pot over medium heat. Add chili paste and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and nutty. Do not burn.
- Simmer the broth: Pour toasted chili paste back into the pot with the pork broth. Add hominy, Mexican oregano, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Return cooked pork to the pot. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- Shred the pork: Remove pork, let cool for 5 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Discard fat/gristle. Return shredded pork to the pot.
- Portion and cool: Let pozole cool to room temperature. Portion into containers, leaving headspace for freezing if applicable.
Notes
The recipe is designed for meal prepping, yielding enough for four dinners. Toppings (cabbage, radishes, lime, avocado, tortilla chips) should be stored separately and added fresh upon serving. The soup freezes well for up to three months. For a vegetarian version, omit pork and use vegetable broth with added mushrooms and potatoes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl with toppings
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 28
Keywords: pozole rojo, Mexican soup, meal prep, pork stew, hominy, holiday recipe, make once eat 4x, traditional pozole