Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with hominy, meat (usually pork or chicken) and lots of delicious seasonings.

As anyone who regularly follows my blog knows, I’m always looking for ways to sneak more wholesome stuff like vegetables and fiber into my diet while ditching the bad stuff like added salt and sugar.

So I’ve created a variation on this favorite that reduces both calories and carbs, features extra veggies and eliminates added salt without sacrificing a bit of the flavor. It’s also gluten-free (be sure to check the label on the hominy). If you omit the chicken and substitute low-sodium vegetable broth for the chicken broth, it can even be made vegetarian.

This recipe makes about 10-12 cups of soup and is perfect for batch cooking. The soup can be frozen for up to three months.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 whole cloves
• 2½ teaspoons chopped garlic cloves
• 2 small zucchini or yellow squash, sliced and quartered 
• 4-5 stalks of celery, sliced
• 4-5 carrots, sliced
• Medium green pepper, quartered and sliced
• Medium onion, quartered and sliced
• 1 16-ounce can white or golden hominy (pozole)

Directions

Stir together the oregano, cumin, basil and black pepper in a small bowl.

Add the chicken, blended spices, lime juice, bay leaves, garlic and cloves to the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.

While the soup is simmering, chop/slice the squash, celery, carrots, onion and pepper and add to the mixture.

Add 4-5 cups of water, or until the soup is of desired thickness.

Continue to simmer for about a half hour, or until vegetables reach desired softness (slightly al dente) and chicken is completely cooked.

Add the hominy when the vegetables are nearly cooked through.

Nutrition information

Serving size: 1 cup | Calories: 75 | Carbohydrates: 8 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 25 mg | Sodium: 130 mg | Potassium: 372 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 85% | Vitamin C: 30% | Calcium: 2% | Iron: 3% 

One of my best-loved comfort foods is homemade soup, and vegetable beef barley is one of my favorites. 

As I almost always do with home-cooked meals, I’ve tweaked the traditional recipe to make it healthier. I leave out the teaspoon or so of salt the recipe usually calls for, use reduced-salt or no-added-salt ingredients, and substitute a bit more spice to retain flavor. I also cut the amount of meat in half to lower both the calorie count and the cholesterol/saturated fat levels and double the veggies. The result is nutritious as well as delicious.  

The soup is super easy to make. As a bonus, it freezes well for up to three months, and therefore lends itself to batch cooking. This recipe makes approximately 10 one-cup servings.

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef cubes or crumbled ground beef, browned and drained
• 2 32-ounce cartons unsalted beef broth
• 2-3 cups water, as needed
• 16-ounce can no-added-salt diced tomatoes with juice
• 16-ounce can no-added-salt whole kernel corn, drained
• 6 carrots, peeled and diced
• 6 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup quick pearled barley
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2-3 small bay leaves

Directions

Cut beef into 1/2-inch cubes, or crumble and brown ground beef, and drain well.

Peel and dice carrots, celery and onion.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot or dutch oven and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately a half hour, or until the meat, barley and vegetables are tender.

If the soup begins to get too thick, add water a cup at a time, as needed, to achieve desired consistency.

Nutrition information

Serving size: 1 cup | Calories: 168 | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Protein: 12 g | Fat: 4 g | Saturated fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 28 mg | Sodium: 78 mg | Potassium: 475 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 128% | Vitamin C: 24% | Calcium: 3% | Iron: 6% 

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with hominy, meat (usually pork or chicken) and lots of delicious seasonings.

As anyone who regularly follows my blog knows, I’m always looking for ways to sneak more wholesome stuff like vegetables and fiber into my diet while ditching the bad stuff like added salt and sugar.

So I’ve created a variation on this favorite that reduces both calories and carbs, features extra veggies and eliminates added salt without sacrificing a bit of the flavor. It’s also gluten-free (be sure to check the label on the hominy). If you omit the chicken and substitute low-sodium vegetable broth for the chicken broth, it can even be made vegetarian.

This recipe makes about 10-12 cups of soup and is perfect for batch cooking. The soup can be frozen for up to three months.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 whole cloves
• 2½ teaspoons chopped garlic cloves
• 2 small zucchini or yellow squash, sliced and quartered 
• 4-5 stalks of celery, sliced
• 4-5 carrots, sliced
• Medium green pepper, quartered and sliced
• Medium onion, quartered and sliced
• 1 16-ounce can white or golden hominy (pozole)

Directions

Stir together the oregano, cumin, basil and black pepper in a small bowl.

Add the chicken, blended spices, lime juice, bay leaves, garlic and cloves to the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.

While the soup is simmering, chop/slice the squash, celery, carrots, onion and pepper and add to the mixture.

Add 4-5 cups of water, or until the soup is of desired thickness.

Continue to simmer for about a half hour, or until vegetables reach desired softness (slightly al dente) and chicken is completely cooked.

Add the hominy when the vegetables are nearly cooked through.

Nutrition information

Serving size: 1 cup | Calories: 75 | Carbohydrates: 8 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 25 mg | Sodium: 130 mg | Potassium: 372 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 85% | Vitamin C: 30% | Calcium: 2% | Iron: 3% 

Note: This is my original recipe, which I used for years. A newer version which eliminates most of the sodium content and adds some spice is posted on March 28, 2025.

One of my best-loved comfort foods is homemade soup, and vegetable beef barley is one of my favorites. 

As I almost always do with home-cooked meals, I’ve tweaked the traditional recipe to make it healthier. I leave out the teaspoon or so of salt the recipe usually calls for, use reduced-sodium broth and no-added-salt tomatoes, and substitute a bit more spice to retain flavor. I also cut the amount of meat in half to lower both the calorie count and the cholesterol/saturated fat levels and double the veggies. The result is nutritious as well as delicious.  

The soup is super easy to make. As a bonus, it freezes well, and therefore lends itself to batch cooking. This recipe makes approximately 10 one-cup servings.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean beef, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 32-ounce carton reduced-sodium beef broth
• 3-4 cups water
• 28-ounce can no-added-salt diced tomatoes
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 6 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup barley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2-3 small bay leaves

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat, barley and vegetables are tender. If the soup begins to get too thick, add a cup or two of water.

Enjoy!

Nutrition information

Serving size: 1 cup | Calories: 168 | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 12 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 31 mg | Sodium: 244 mg | Potassium: 477 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 128% | Vitamin C: 24% | Calcium: 3% | Iron: 6%