Green Pork Posole Soup
Green Pork Posole Bowl is a warm, comforting Southwestern soup filled with tender pork, hominy, and tomatillos simmered in a flavorful broth. It’s hearty enough to be a full meal but light enough to enjoy year-round. This is a perfect chilly day soup, and with big, bold Southwestern flavors, it’s my kind of Tex-Mex.
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I love serving this easy Southwestern soup as a quick weeknight dinner, or sometimes I dress it up with toppings and sides for a festive meal that feels right at home during celebrations like Cinco de Mayo or even casual holiday gatherings. It’s a dish that tastes even better the next day, which makes it perfect for make-ahead cooking.
Traditionally, posoles are made with pork shoulder and a laundry list of ingredients. This shortcut version uses ground pork, so it cooks in a fraction of the time. It’s hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but light enough that you’ll want to go back for seconds.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- Ground pork – I use lean ground pork.
- Small onion – You’ll want about a heaping cup of chopped onion.
- Green bell pepper – If you like it spicy, use a jalapeno in addition to the bell pepper.
- Garlic cloves – Don’t use jarlic. It just doesn’t have enough punch for this recipe.
- Ground cumin
- Jalapeño
- Chipotle powder – Like it spicy? You can go up to ½ teaspoon of chipotle powder, but I wouldn’t add much more than that as the smoky flavor will overwhelm the soup.
- Chicken broth – I use low or no-sodium-added chicken broth.
- Fresh or frozen tomatillos – Every summer, I freeze whole tomatillos. This is a great recipe to use them up.
- White or yellow hominy – Drain it well, then rinse and drain again before using.
- Roma tomatoes – Any tomato will work, really, but I like Romas as they have fewer seeds.
- Queso fresco – No queso fresco? Feta cheese is a good substitute.
- Fresh cilantro leaves – Optional.
- Salt and black pepper
How To Make Green Pork Posole Bowl
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Heat the vegetable oil in a braiser pan or large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the ground pork, onion, green bell pepper, and jalapeno. Cook, breaking up the meat with a meat chopper for small, even crumbles, until the pork is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cumin, and chipotle powder. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring with a long-handled spoon to keep everything moving without scorching, until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth, then add the chopped tomatillos, tomatoes, and rinsed hominy. Use a silicone-coated flat whisk to scrape up the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan; this gives the broth so much depth.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatillos break down and the flavors meld together.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with crumbled queso fresco and fresh cilantro leaves.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Swap ground pork for shredded leftover roast pork or even chicken if that’s what you have on hand.
- If you can’t find tomatillos, use canned tomatillo salsa (salsa verde) as a shortcut.
- Double the recipe—it tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
Recommended
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Green Pork Posole Bowl with warm corn tortillas or a side of Mexican rice. Add lime wedges, avocado slices, or shredded cabbage on the side for a traditional garnish spread.
Storage
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth if it thickens too much. For longer storage, freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Green Pork Posole Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 3–4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound fresh or frozen tomatillos thawed and chopped
- 28-ounce can white or yellow hominy or 1 (28-ounce) can, rinsed
- 2–3 Roma tomatoes cored and diced into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup queso fresco crumbled
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves optional
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the ground pork, the chopped onion, and the chopped green bell pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the pork is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic, the cumin, and the chipotle powder. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken broth, the chopped tomatillos and tomatoes, and the drained hominy, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the posole among individual serving bowls, then top each with a sprinkle of queso fresco and cilantro leaves, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Swap ground pork for shredded leftover roast pork or even chicken if that’s what you have on hand.
- If you can’t find tomatillos, use canned tomatillo salsa (salsa Verde) as a shortcut.
- Double the recipe—it tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
