Pozole Three Ways: Red, Green and White Recipes

Mexico's Greatest Soup

If you asked a hundred Mexicans to name their favourite comfort food, a significant proportion would say pozole. This magnificent soup - a deep, rich broth studded with plump kernels of hominy corn and tender pieces of pork - is one of Mexico's oldest and most beloved dishes, with roots stretching back to pre-Hispanic civilisations.

Pozole is celebration food, family food, hangover food and cold-weather food all at once. It appears at birthday parties, Christmas Eve dinners, New Year's Day brunches and Sunday afternoon gatherings. It is served in restaurants, at street stalls, and in homes across every region of Mexico. And it comes in three distinct versions - red (rojo), green (verde) and white (blanco) - each with its own character, regional identity and passionate following.

For British home cooks, pozole is an ideal introduction to the depth and complexity of Mexican cuisine. Once you understand the basic technique, you can make any of the three versions with ingredients that are increasingly available in the UK.

The Ancient Origins

Pozole's history is both fascinating and sobering. The word comes from Nahuatl (the Aztec language) - "pozolli" meaning "foamy" or "frothy," referring to the way hominy corn blooms and froths when cooked. Archaeological evidence suggests that hominy-based soups have been eaten in Mesoamerica for thousands of years.

The pre-Hispanic version of pozole was a ceremonial dish with deeply significant ritual associations. After the Spanish conquest, the dish evolved into the pork-based version we know today, and it has been a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine ever since.

The Common Foundation: Hominy Corn

All three pozoles share the same foundation: hominy corn (maiz pozolero or cacahuazintle). These are large, starchy corn kernels that have been treated with an alkaline solution (nixtamalisation) to remove the hull, then cooked until they bloom - splitting open like popcorn in slow motion, becoming tender and slightly chewy with a distinctive earthy, corn flavour.

In Britain, dried hominy corn can be found at Mexican specialist shops and online retailers. Tinned hominy is also available and significantly reduces cooking time - look for it in the world food aisle at larger Tesco and Sainsbury's stores, or order online.

Pozole Rojo (Red Pozole)

The most widely known version, pozole rojo gets its deep, brick-red colour and complex flavour from a blend of dried chillies - typically guajillo and ancho, sometimes with a little arbol for heat.

Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 1kg pork shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces
• 500g dried hominy corn (or 2 tins, drained)
• 1 pig's trotter (optional but traditional - adds body to the broth)
• 6 dried guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 medium white onion, halved
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if available)
• Salt to taste

Method

1. If using dried hominy: Soak overnight in cold water. The next day, drain and place in a large pot, cover with fresh water, and simmer for 2-3 hours until the kernels begin to bloom (split open). This step is eliminated if using tinned hominy.
2. Cook the pork: Place the pork pieces and trotter in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water (about 3 litres). Bring to the boil, skimming off any foam that rises. Add half the onion and 2 garlic cloves. Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the pork is very tender.
3. Make the chilli sauce: While the pork cooks, toast the dried chillies in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until fragrant and pliable (not burnt). Place in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 20 minutes. Blend the soaked chillies with 1 cup of their soaking liquid, the remaining onion half and 2 garlic cloves until completely smooth. Strain through a sieve.
4. Combine: Remove the pork from the broth and shred into large chunks. Add the chilli sauce to the broth and stir well. Add the cooked or tinned hominy. Return the shredded pork. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and oregano.

Pozole Verde (Green Pozole)

Popular in the states of Guerrero and Morelos, pozole verde gets its vibrant green colour from tomatillos, green chillies and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). It has a fresher, more herbaceous flavour than the red version.

The Green Sauce

• 500g tomatillos (or green tomatoes), husked and halved
• 4 serrano or jalapeno chillies
• 100g raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• Large bunch of fresh coriander
• 4 leaves of romaine lettuce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 white onion, quartered

Roast the tomatillos, chillies, garlic and onion under the grill until charred (about 10 minutes). Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until they puff and pop. Blend everything together with the coriander and lettuce until smooth. The lettuce adds colour and body without altering the flavour significantly.

The cooking method is identical to pozole rojo - cook the pork, add the green sauce instead of the red, combine with hominy, simmer and season.

Pozole Blanco (White Pozole)

The simplest and arguably most elegant version, pozole blanco is the pure, unadorned broth - pork, hominy and seasoning, without any chilli sauce. The flavour relies entirely on the quality of the pork, the broth and the hominy. It is the version that best showcases the toppings, which do most of the flavour work.

Pozole blanco is traditional in Jalisco and parts of central Mexico. It is the easiest version to make and an excellent starting point for pozole beginners.

The Toppings: Where Pozole Comes Alive

Regardless of the colour, pozole is always served with a generous array of toppings, set out in small bowls so each person can customise their bowl:

• Shredded cabbage: Thinly sliced white or green cabbage, raw. Adds essential crunch.
• Sliced radishes: Thinly sliced, for peppery crunch.
• Dried oregano: Sprinkled on top. Mexican oregano is ideal.
• Tostadas: Crispy fried or baked tortillas, served on the side for dipping or crumbling.
• Lime wedges: Essential. The acidity transforms the dish.
• Diced white onion: Raw, finely diced.
• Sliced chillies or hot sauce: For those who want extra heat.
• Sliced avocado: Not traditional everywhere but increasingly common and delicious.

Sourcing Ingredients in Britain

The main challenge for British cooks is finding hominy corn and dried chillies:

• Hominy: Tinned hominy is available at some Tesco stores, online from Mexican food retailers, and at Mexican shops across the UK.
• Dried chillies: Guajillo and ancho chillies are increasingly available online and at specialist shops.
• Tomatillos: Harder to find fresh. Tinned tomatillos work well for pozole verde and are available online.
• Mexican oregano: Available from specialist shops. Mediterranean oregano substitutes adequately.

Making Pozole in Advance

Pozole is one of those rare dishes that genuinely tastes better the next day, as the flavours deepen and the hominy absorbs more broth. Make it a day ahead, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently before serving with fresh toppings. It also freezes beautifully for up to three months.

For more Mexican soups and stews perfect for British winters, explore our recipe collection. And for the best dried chillies and hominy, visit Mexican shops in the UK.

Pozole for a Crowd

One of pozole's greatest practical virtues is that it feeds a crowd effortlessly. The recipe scales up with almost no additional effort - doubling or tripling the quantities simply means a larger pot and more hominy. The toppings can be set out on the table for guests to customise their own bowls, creating an interactive, communal dining experience that is inherently sociable.

For a pozole party, prepare the soup in advance (it reheats beautifully), set out the toppings in small bowls, warm a stack of tostadas, and provide each guest with a large, deep bowl. Add a bucket of Mexican beer (Modelo or Pacifico, served ice-cold with lime wedges) and possibly a pitcher of agua fresca (hibiscus water is the classic pairing), and you have one of the most crowd-pleasing and low-stress dinner party formats imaginable.

Pozole is particularly well-suited to winter gatherings in Britain. The rich, warming broth, the satisfying chew of the hominy, the crunch of fresh cabbage and radish on top, the squeeze of sharp lime cutting through the richness - it is a dish that makes a cold, dark British evening feel genuinely festive.

The Health Benefits of Hominy

Hominy corn is more nutritious than untreated corn, thanks to the nixtamalisation process. The alkaline treatment increases the bioavailability of niacin (vitamin B3), improves protein quality, adds calcium from the lime solution, and reduces harmful mycotoxins. Hominy is also lower on the glycaemic index than many other starches, making it a more sustained source of energy than white rice or bread.

Combined with the protein from pork (or chicken, in lighter versions), the vitamins from the fresh toppings and the capsaicin from the chillies, pozole is a genuinely nourishing meal - which explains why it has been a staple food in Mexico for millennia. It is not merely comfort food; it is food that sustains.

For more warming Mexican recipes perfect for British weather, explore our recipe collection. For dried chillies, hominy and Mexican oregano, visit Mexican shops across the UK.