Posole Rojo (Mexican Pork & Hominy Soup)

Full of warmth, joy, and cheer

Posole rojo (poh-soh-lay roh-hoh) is a delicious Mexican soup traditionally made for Christmas or New Years, and it’s the perfect meal for a holiday crowd. It’s so incredibly flavorful, thanks to the hours of simmering, the rich Mexican spices, and the browned, meaty pieces of pork… and it’s also just so pretty, isn’t it?

But for all it’s flavor and prettiness, it’s not hard to make! (We’re even using canned chipotles instead of the traditional method of soaking dried peppers to save a little prep time). The active time is pretty short: you’ll just be cutting and browning the meat, adding the rest of the ingredients, and letting the whole thing simmer for a couple hours while you watch a Christmas movie.

Note: this recipe makes a huge amount of soup, perfect for a large dinner party or for feeding visiting relatives! Make sure you have a big soup pot that will hold at least 10-12 quarts!

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Posole
Cooking time: ~ 3 hours (Active time ~ 1 hour)
Serves: 12-16

For Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten free: this dish is gluten-free

• Dairy free: this dish is dairy-free

Kids Can Help

Wash produce, open and rinse the hominy. Older kids can help rotate the pork as it browns.

Ingredients

For the posole:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder

• 4-6 cloves of garlic

• 2 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano (found at a Mexican grocery store, or sub regular

• oregano)

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 7 oz can of chipotles in adobo sauce (you’ll need about ¼-½ cup)

• 1 110-oz can of hominy (yes, 110 oz! If you can’t find a large can, use 4 25-oz cans)

• 1.5 Tbsp salt, plus more for the pork

• 16 cups of water

For serving:

• 1 head of green cabbage

• 1 bunch of radishes

• 1 bunch of cilantro

• 2 avocados

• Bag of limes

Tools

• Chef knife

• 2 large cutting boards (one for raw meat, one for vegetable garnishes)

• Extra-large stock pot (at least 10-12 qt capacity)

• Tongs

• Colander

• Measuring spoons

• Large measuring cup (a 4-cup size is ideal)

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Directions

Step 1

Cut the pork shoulder into 1-inch chunks. 

Step 2

In the soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add about 10-12 pieces of pork at a time. Sprinkle with salt and sear each side (cook undisturbed until the meat is dark brown underneath), then set aside; repeat until all pieces have been browned. 

Step 3

Return all of the pork to the pot and lower heat. 

Step 4

Peel and mince the garlic and add to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until soft, adjusting heat if needed so the garlic doesn’t burn. 

Step 5

Add the cumin, oregano, and bay leaves and stir to coat the pork. Cover and cook on low until pork is cooked through, about 5-10 more minutes. 

Step 6

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the hominy. 

Step 7

Once the pork is cooked, add the hominy, 16 cups (1 gallon) of hot water, 1.5 Tbsp of salt, and the chipotles in adobo sauce to the pot (¼ cup will give you a fairly mild soup; add more if you like it spicy!) Bring to a boil, then simmer for as long as you like– at least 2 hours is ideal so the pork will be nice and tender. 

Step 8

While the soup is simmering, prep your vegetables:
Cabbage: shred the cabbage (you can use a box shredder or use a knife to cut very thin slices, making sure to keep your fingers out of the way!)
Radishes: remove tops and wash radishes, then halve and thinly slice
Cilantro: Wash, dry, and mince
Avocado: right before serving, halve the avocado, remove the pit with a spoon, and slice vertically, leaving it in the shell so you can scoop out slices with a spoon.
Limes: quarter these to make them easy to squeeze: 1-2 quarters per bowl of posole!

Step 9

Serve the soup, leaving room to add the vegetables on top.