Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles (Easy Southwestern Soup)
Sneak Preview: This ground pork stew with green chiles and tomatoes is a mildly spicy Southwestern-style soup that comes together in about an hour using mostly pantry ingredients and is especially good with warm flour tortillas.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
One Christmas, my sister sent me a bag of frozen roasted Hatch green chiles straight from Colorado—plus a recipe for something I’d never heard of: “Christmas Chile.”
The name comes from the red tomatoes and green chiles, not the season. Turns out, it’s perfect comfort food on any blustery day, especially served with warm flour tortillas.
Since then, this simple pork stew has become a favorite in our house. It’s quick to make and endlessly adaptable based on what’s in your pantry.
Is this a stew or a soup?
This recipe lands somewhere between a stew and a soup, depending on how much water you add and how long you simmer it. Let it cook longer for a thicker stew, or keep it brothy for a lighter Southwestern-style ground pork soup.
Ingredients & Substitutions
• GROUND PORK: Substitute ground turkey or beef; avoid seasoned sausage.
• ONIONS: Yellow or white; frozen chopped onions work too.
• GARLIC: Use fresh or jarred minced garlic.
• CUMIN: Adds depth and traditional Southwest flavor; adjust to taste.
• SALT & PEPPER: Use table or sea salt; adjust to taste.
• TOMATOES: Fire-roasted or regular canned diced tomatoes.
• GREEN CHILES: Canned chopped green chiles are convenient; fresh-roasted Hatch chiles add deeper smoky flavor when available.
Step-by-Step for Making Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles and Tomatoes
⬇️ Jump to the recipe below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles (Easy Southwestern Soup)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) ground pork
- ½ cup (80 g) chopped onions
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon table or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14.5-ounce (439 g) can diced tomatoes
- 1 4-oz. (141 g) can chopped green chiles
- 3-4 cups (700-946 g) water
Instructions
- Brown Pork & Veggies: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook 1 pound (454 g) ground pork, 1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onions, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin until the meat is done and the vegetables are soft. Drain excess grease, leaving a little for flavor.
- Toast Flour: Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned and nutty. Season with 1 teaspoon table or sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Simmer Stew: Add 1 14.5-ounce (439 g) can diced tomatoes, 1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles, and 3-4 cups (700-946 g) water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 30–60 minutes, or until thickened to your liking.
- Serve: Ladle hot stew into bowls. Garnish with cilantro if desired, and serve with warm flour tortillas for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for SaladinaJar.com
Final Thoughts
Every time I make this stew, I think back to that gift of Hatch chiles from my sister—it’s where this recipe began. Whether you use fresh-roasted chiles or the canned kind from the pantry, this pork stew is proof that simple ingredients can bring big comfort. Don’t forget the warm tortillas on the side—they turn it into a meal you’ll want to make again and again.
— Paula, Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
Need help troubleshooting?
Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com — photos help!
If You Like Southwestern Food…
- Green Chile and Squash Dressing
- Cilantro and Green Chile Pesto
- Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers Without Rice
- Green Chile Enchiladas
I am going to do this recipe does it sounds really good however, picture is of a hamburger recipe with green beans? do you have this recipe also? and you need to know that you’re super recipe that you describe and have ingredients for is totally different than the picture you show I know you want to probably change it to make sure it matches the recipe on Pinterest. not a complaint I would just like both recipes they both look good and very interesting out of the ordinary! so if you could send me the email the green bean and hamburger soup recipe that you have pictured first I would appreciate it.
Hi Susan, I do not have a hamburger recipe with green beans on my website. It’s possible that Pinterest has mixed them up with somebody else’s site, or somebody has stolen my recipe. In either case, it’s difficult to impossible to get these things corrected.
HOWEVER, I DO have a ground pork soup with green chiles and that is the one you left this comment on. The picture kind of looks like hamburger but it is ground pork (note the lighter color). No harm in using hamburger instead if you prefer.
I just had a thought. I used to have a variation of this recipe where I added a can of drained green beans to the soup. I have removed that variation from that blog post, but you are welcome to add them to the finished soup. Sorry for the confusion.
I make a stew/soup (stewup) very much like this one only I use pork shoulder or butt brown it really well and then use chicken or vegetable stock and simmer until tender and I also add a couple potatoes and a can of pinto beans.y family really loves it and it is great on these frigid winter days.
Joy,
Your version sounds fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve also made this for a long time, and we love it! Wish I had those fresh green chiles! We only get them once a year…around Labor Day weekend. Never thought about freezing it, since it seems to all go away pretty quickly, no matter how large a pot I make.
In fact, we had this for Christmas Eve this year. mmmm!
I have made this stew for years, but instead of ground pork, I use the pork stew meat. Simmer for a few hrs and reap the rewards with warm flour tortillas. This has been one of my families favorite fall and winter dishes since my boys were just wee tots…
Hi Paula! Yeah I definitely love my foodsaver. As far as the tortillas, I’d love to show you! Truth be told though it’s more about the technique than the recipe. They are pretty simple to make and don’t need any fancy ingredients. I was actually talking to my husband about the tortillas because most people who make homemade tortillas, make the smaller thicker ones because the big thin wrapping ones are too hard to make – the gluten wants to spring back and they get wrinkled, messy, etc. I figured out how to make them perfectly but it’s nearly impossible to describe. I’ve had a lot of people ask me, especially lately for some reason, so I think we’re going to put together a video here pretty soon showing how I do them. I can definitely shoot you an email when I’ve got it done!
Wow that looks awesome! I just made a big batch of homemade tortillas yesterday and my husband and I were discussing the wonderful green chili of the man who taught me to make the tortillas and how I need to get a good recipe. Your photos look so good… I am definitely trying this one out next week.
Hi Bethany, I visited your website. Very interesting. I would love for you to post about the homemade tortillas. I used to make my own before I discovered the raw ones at Costco. Enjoyed your post about the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer too.
Hi Paula,
This recipe looks great. Just some little factoids for accuracy’s sake.
1) The peppers are actually spelled green chiles in New Mexico, where they are grown. There are a number of different heats you can buy, but the most common is Hatch Green Chile. If you like more heat go for Sandia or Big Jim.
2) In New Mexico, if you mention that you want something Christmas you are telling the server that you want both green chile and red chile! Red chile is the same plant as green chile, just more mature. It is a fantastic flavor combo, though.
I love your blog and look forward to reading more!
This looks really good. I think I am going to make it tonight! Do the carbs in the nutritional analysis include tortillas?
I made this over the weekend and it was very yummy. I roasted my own green chili’s and it had much more flavor than the canned ones. I didn’t blacken my chili’s enough so some of the outer layer didn’t come off all the way. I will make sure to really char those suckers next time. Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it Sonya. Although I have roasted red and green bell peppers, I’ve never tried roasting the hatch peppers myself. The ones my sister sent were fabulous.
Looks delicious. I like the nutritional analysis.
Mimi
Congratulations Julie! And what a perfect dish for this cold, wet weather we’re having. I’ve roasted red peppers, but these looks wonderful…. I’ll take 2 pots please!
This is one of my favorite green chili recipes from my mom. We made it for Christmas Eve this year. I just buy the green chilis in a can, but I think they are a lot better roasted.
mmmmmmmmm….this recipe looks great to a cold Buckeye!
This is a really good soup to make. I have had a sample from someone who has made it before, and it was wonderful. This weekend I hope to make some for the family. Thanks for the recipe.
I never thought of roasting green chilis myself. I always see them in the grocery store and go right to the canned isle and buy them in a can. I roast bell peppers all the time, but never thought outside the can for chili. Thanks.
I’m just imagining the flavorful nibbles of pork and smoky green chili in this stew! Mouthwatering!