Mexican Hominy Soup: A Hearty, Easy Pozole-Style Recipe

Mexican hominy soup is a satisfying broth-based dish made with plump nixtamalized corn, tender chicken, and a sauce of dried red chiles. This version takes its cue from red pozole, a Mexican soup with many regional and family variations, and finishes each bowl with bright, crunchy toppings.

Ingredients

4 dried guajillo chiles (about 1 oz / 28 g), stemmed and seeded
2 dried ancho chiles (about ⅔ oz / 18 g), stemmed and seeded
2 cups (475 ml) hot water, for soaking the chiles
1 medium yellow onion (about 8 oz / 225 g), half roughly chopped and half thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves (about 12 g), peeled
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, such as vegetable oil
8 cups (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried Mexican oregano, or regular dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 cans hominy, 15.5 oz (439 g) each, drained and rinsed; about 3 cups (510 g) drained total
1½ teaspoons (9 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
2 cups (140 g) finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup (25 g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro
4 radishes (about 60 g), thinly sliced
½ small white onion (about 75 g), finely diced, for serving
1 avocado (about 200 g), sliced, optional
½ cup (30 g) tortilla strips or crushed tostadas, optional

Instructions

Toast and soak the chiles. Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Press the guajillo and ancho chiles against the pan for about 20 to 30 seconds per side, just until fragrant and pliable; do not let them blacken, or the sauce can taste bitter. Put them in a heatproof bowl, cover with the hot water, and soak for 15 minutes. While they soften, chop and measure the remaining ingredients.
Blend the chile sauce. Lift the softened chiles from the soaking liquid and add them to a blender with the roughly chopped half onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup (240 ml) of the chicken broth. Blend until as smooth as possible, about 45 seconds. If the mixture is too thick to move freely, add a splash of the soaking liquid. For a particularly smooth broth, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve; this is optional.
Cook the sauce. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced half onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned. Carefully pour in the chile sauce; it may sputter. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the sauce smells fragrant and looks slightly darker.
Simmer the chicken. Pour in the remaining 7 cups (1.66 L) broth, add the bay leaf, salt, and black pepper, and bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Add the chicken thighs, lower the heat, and partially cover the pot. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, turning the thighs once, until they are cooked through. Check the thickest part of a thigh with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry.
Shred the chicken and add hominy. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Stir the drained hominy into the soup and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes so it warms through and takes on the chile flavor. Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks, discarding any tough pieces of connective tissue.
Finish and season. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the lime juice. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the broth and adjust the salt, pepper, or lime to suit your preference. If the soup seems more concentrated or salty than you like, add hot water or broth a little at a time; if it tastes flat, try a small squeeze of lime before adding more salt.
Serve with toppings. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of hominy and chicken. Set out cabbage, cilantro, radishes, diced onion, lime wedges, and any optional toppings so everyone can finish a bowl to taste.

Tips

Keep the chiles fragrant, not scorched. Dried chiles toast quickly. Use moderate heat and turn them as soon as they smell aromatic; black spots and a harsh, smoky smell are signs they have toasted too long. If they do burn, discard them and start again, since bitterness carries into the whole pot.
Choose a practical chile substitute if needed. Guajillo and ancho chiles are often available in Latin American grocery aisles. If you cannot find guajillos, use dried New Mexico chiles for a similar mild, red chile character. If anchos are unavailable, use another mild dried chile such as pasilla; the flavor will be less sweet and raisin-like. Avoid replacing them with hot chiles unless you want a much spicier soup.
Control the heat gently. A hard, rolling boil can make chicken tougher and break up the hominy. Keep the soup at a quiet simmer, with occasional bubbles around the edge. If using bone-in thighs instead of boneless, allow extra time and remove the bones before shredding; confirm the chicken reaches the safe temperature.
Rinse canned hominy well. Draining and rinsing removes much of the canning liquid and gives the broth a cleaner flavor. Add it for the final 15 minutes rather than cooking it for the entire time, so the kernels stay plump and intact.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup hot in wide bowls with the toppings arranged separately. Cabbage adds a cool crunch, radishes bring a peppery snap, and lime gives the chile broth a fresh, tart finish. Cilantro and finely diced white onion are classic-style garnishes for pozole-inspired bowls; avocado makes the meal richer, while tortilla strips or crushed tostadas add a crisp contrast. Put extra lime wedges on the table because the amount of acidity people prefer varies.

For a more substantial meal, offer warm corn tortillas, tostadas, or a simple side of rice. If serving a group, keep the pot warm over low heat and let guests assemble their own bowls just before eating. Add delicate toppings only at the table rather than stirring them into the pot; cabbage and radishes soften quickly in hot broth, and tortilla strips lose their crunch. A small bowl of dried oregano or chile flakes can also let guests adjust their own servings without making the whole batch hotter.

Variations

Make it vegetarian: Leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth. Add two drained cans of pinto or cannellini beans (about 3 cups / 510 g total) for extra substance, and simmer them with the hominy. The broth will be lighter and less savory than the chicken version, so taste carefully and add a little more salt, oregano, or lime if needed.

Use pork: Replace the chicken with 2 pounds (900 g) boneless pork shoulder cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces. Simmer until tender enough to shred, usually about 1½ to 2 hours, adding broth if the level drops too much. Pork shoulder takes longer than chicken thighs, so do not rely on the chicken timing. Check whole cuts of pork with a thermometer and cook to 145°F (63°C), followed by a 3-minute rest; for the easiest shredding, continue simmering until tender.

Make a milder or hotter bowl: For a gentler chile flavor, use one fewer guajillo and add a little more broth. To make the whole pot hotter, blend in one seeded dried chile de árbol, tasting the sauce before adding more. A flexible alternative is to keep the soup mild and serve hot sauce or chile flakes at the table.

Use cooked chicken: Leftover cooked chicken can replace the raw thighs. Skip the chicken simmering step and add about 3 cups (420 g) shredded cooked chicken when the hominy has simmered for 10 minutes; continue until the soup is hot throughout. Since it is already cooked, adding it late helps keep it from drying out.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking, in shallow airtight containers. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Store the cabbage, radishes, avocado, cilantro, and crunchy tortilla toppings separately so they stay fresh. The broth may thicken as the hominy sits; stir in a splash of water or broth when reheating.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it is steaming throughout and reaches 165°F (74°C). You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, stirring halfway through and checking the temperature in several spots. Freeze the soup, without fresh toppings, for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C); the hominy may soften slightly after freezing, but the soup will still be satisfying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hominy, and is it the same as corn?

Hominy is corn that has been treated through nixtamalization, a process that changes the kernels’ texture and flavor. It is sold canned or dried, and canned hominy is ready to use after draining and rinsing. Regular sweet corn is not a close substitute: it is sweeter, smaller, and lacks hominy’s pleasantly chewy, puffy texture.

Is this soup the same as pozole?

This is a red, chicken-based soup inspired by pozole, which is built around hominy and often served with fresh toppings. Pozole has many regional and household versions, including variations in meat, chile, and garnish. This recipe follows a convenient approach with canned hominy and boneless chicken, rather than claiming to represent every traditional preparation.

Can I make the soup ahead?

Yes. Make the broth, chicken, and hominy up to 2 days ahead, cool and refrigerate them promptly, then reheat gently before serving. Keep the toppings separate and cut the avocado shortly before serving. The flavors meld as the soup rests, though you may need to loosen it with broth and brighten it with fresh lime after reheating.

Can I use dried hominy instead of canned?

Yes, but dried hominy needs advance preparation and substantially more cooking. Follow the package directions for soaking and cooking it until tender before adding it to this soup; do not expect it to soften in the final 15-minute simmer. Because cooking times and yields vary among dried hominy products, prepare enough to equal about 3 cups (510 g) drained hominy.

How can I make the broth smoother?

Blend the chile mixture thoroughly, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve before frying it in the pot. Press the sauce through with the back of a spoon to extract the liquid, leaving coarse chile skin behind. Straining takes an extra minute or two but gives the finished soup a more even texture; leaving it unstrained gives the broth a slightly more rustic feel.

Why does my soup taste bitter or bland?

Bitterness usually comes from chiles that were scorched during toasting, so keep the skillet at medium-low and remove the chiles as soon as they smell fragrant. A bland soup may need salt, more lime, or a little more time for the broth to simmer with the chile sauce. Adjust in small increments and taste after each addition, since broth brands differ in saltiness.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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