First up on the menu this soup season: Pozole Blanco!
It’s soup season, everybody! I love, love, love this time of year when the weather starts to cool down and the big, oversized sweaters come out. All I want to do is curl up with a steaming bowl of soup and watch Gilmore Girls for the thousandth time. I’ve even gone as far as to host “soup nights” with my friends. We heat a giant, cauldron-sized pot of soup and spend the night storytelling and watching fall-themed movies.
For the first official “soup night” of the season, I’ve decided to make a classic Mexican comfort dish: pozole blanco. You may be more familiar with its colorful counterpart, pozole rojo. Pozole rojo is named for its red-colored broth and spicier flavor. It uses guajillo or ancho chiles to achieve its signature color and heat. There’s also pozole verde, which is—you guessed it—green.
All the variations of pozole are delicious for different reasons, but today, we’re focusing on the white version, hence the name. Pozole blanco is the mildest version of the soup, made with corn, cabbage, hominy, and pork. Despite its milder taste, pozole blanco is full of delicious spices and veggies that give it just the right amount of flavor. The result is a savory and delicious soup that’s perfect for cozy nights in.
But pozole blanco isn’t just great for nights at home on the couch; it’s also a commonly made dish at Mexican celebrations like birthdays, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. Pozole has been a celebratory dish since its origins, which date all the way back to ancient Aztec times. It was eaten on special occasions and during ceremonies, even then. Cool, right?
Is Pozole Blanco Healthy?
Pork shoulder is a good source of protein and additional nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Since it’s a fattier cut, however, it’s best enjoyed occasionally or in smaller portions.
Hominy (which is made from dried corn) adds fiber, while the fresh cabbage, radishes, lime, and cilantro add vitamin C and other antioxidants to the mix. The soup itself is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and you can adjust the garnishes to suit your preferences or dietary needs.
What Is Hominy?
The star ingredient in traditional pozole blanco is hominy. Hominy is made of dried maize (corn) kernels that have been soaked in an alkaline solution to remove the hull and germ. This changes the texture and flavor and makes the nutrients in the corn more bioavailable and easier to digest.
Hominy has been the heart of pozole soup since Aztec times. The Aztecs revered maize as a sacred plant and often used it in meals, especially for celebratory dishes like pozole. In pozole blanco, hominy gives the broth its creamy white color.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
To store pozole blanco, cook it without the final garnishes and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you want to reheat it, do so over low heat, and add your garnishes once you’ve poured your soup into the bowl.
Serving Suggestions
If you want to make pozole blanco for a festive celebration, you can also serve other traditional Mexican comfort foods like Spanish Rice, Air-Fryer Tortilla Chips, and Mexican Cornbread Casserole.
If I’m going to be making pozole blanco for my first “soup night” of the year, I’m serving it alongside other fall classics. I’ll be making Air-Fryer Apple Chips, Vegan Spinach Dip, and, for dessert, Pumpkin Spice Paleo Magic Cookie Bars. Stay tuned to see what other soups I’ll be sharing this season!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into chunks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups water
- 4 cups white hominy drained and rinsed
- 1/2 head cabbage shredded
- 1 bunch radishes thinly sliced
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the pork shoulder chunks, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pork with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, or until the pork is tender.
- Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Serve the pozole in bowls, topped with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, lime wedges, and chopped cilantro.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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