Light Pozole (As Delicious As The Original But Healthier! )

Pozole is a hearty and brothy Mexican soup with deep Aztec roots. Made with hominy and meat, seafood, or vegetables, this flavorful dish is well-seasoned with dried oregano and fresh or dried chiles, and often garnished with fresh ingredients. 

This is a lighter version of traditional pozole, which is often made with fatty bone-in cuts that add flavor but make this soup unsuitable for Weight Watchers. Here we use chicken breast, cubed pork loin, chilies, hominy corn, and flavorful spices for a healthy and delicious soup. 

Why You Should Try Light Pozole

Light pozole is a comforting, filling, and unique soup. The recipe isn’t the quickest, but it’s not overly difficult to make. Plus, it freezes very well, making it perfect for meal prep. 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Serving Size: 2 cups pozole (500 ml)

2 WW Points Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)

Ingredients

For the Broth and Cooking Meat and Hominy:

• 2 chicken breasts (500 g)
• 1 lb pork loin (450 g), cubed
• 1 cup hominy corn (180 g), soaked overnight
• 8 cups chicken broth (1.9 liters)
• ½ onion (70 g.)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Pozole Sauce:

• 4 dried chilies of your choice (e.g., guajillo, ancho)
• ½  onion, chopped (70 g.)
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (any color) (150 g.)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon oil (5 ml)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For Garnishing:

• Radishes, thinly sliced
• Fresh chilies, sliced
• Shredded white cabbage

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Broth and Cook the Meat and Hominy

1. Soak the Hominy: Soak 1 cup of hominy corn (180 g) in water overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking.
2. Cook the Meat and Hominy: In a large pot or Instant Pot, add the chicken breasts, cubed pork loin, soaked hominy, 8 cups of chicken broth (1.9 liters), 1/2 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes in the Instant Pot or simmer on the stove for about 1 hour, until the meat is tender and the hominy is soft.
3. Skim the Broth: Once cooked, open the pot and skim off any foam or impurities from the surface.

Step 2: Make the Pozole Sauce

1. Rehydrate the Chilies: Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chilies. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes until they are softened.
2. Sauté the Vegetables: In a skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil (5 ml) over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, rehydrated chilies, and 4 chopped garlic cloves. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Blend the Sauce: In a blender, combine, sautéed vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the soaking water from the chilies to achieve a smooth consistency.

Step 3: Combine and Cook

1. Add the Sauce to the Broth: Open the pot with the cooked meat and hominy. Remove the 1/2 onion and any large pieces of fat or bone. Pour the blended pozole sauce into the pot and stir to combine.
2. Simmer: Let the pozole simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

Step 4: Serve

1. Garnish: Ladle the pozole into bowls. Garnish with thinly sliced radishes, fresh chilies, and shredded white cabbage.
2. Optional: Serve with lime wedges and tostadas for added flavor and texture.

Variations and Substitutions

1. Types of Pozole: There are many varieties of pozole: white, red, and even green. White pozole is the simplest, focusing on the pure flavor of the hominy and meat. Red pozole gets its color from red chilies like guajillo or ancho, and green pozole includes ingredients like tomatillos, cilantro, and green chilies.
2. Meat Choices: You can make pozole with just pork, just chicken, or a mix of both. 
3. Toppings: The toppings for pozole are incredibly diverse. While I prefer it with shredded cabbage, I’ve seen it topped with various greens, even lettuce. You can also add diced tomatoes, a bit of Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese.

Tips and Tricks for Making Light Pozole

1. Cooking Time: Pozole requires long cooking, especially the hominy corn, which thickens the soup deliciously when cooked slowly. For those in a hurry, once the hominy is cooked, you can blend a couple of ladlefuls of the soup and return it to the pot to instantly thicken it.
2. Adjusting Spiciness: Adjust the spice level to your taste; if you’re not used to spicy food, start with less. Mexican dried chilies, such as ancho, guajillo, and habanero, vary in heat level. Ancho chilies are mild, guajillo chilies have a medium heat, and habanero chilies are very hot. 
3. For a red hue, I added a bit of tomato paste, but traditional recipes use only chilies, making the soup quite spicy.

Flavor Boost: A squeeze of lime on top enhances the flavor of pozole. And though it may sound odd, pozole tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had time to meld.