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–+ servings
Mexican mole de olla recipe.

Traditional Mole de Olla Recipe

author Maricruz Avalos
6
Mole de Olla is a rich and hearty beef soup very popular in central Mexico. A broth made with beef meat and bones, chilies, and vegetables. So flavored and nutritious!
prep 20 minutes
cook 3 hours
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Ingredients 
Cups (US) - Metric

  • 2.2 lb beef shank
  • 2 lb marrow bones
  • 2 fresh corn on the cob (cut in 3 pieces)
  • 2 large zucchini (cut into chunks)
  • 2 large carrots (cut into chunks)
  • 2 medium potatoes (cut into chunks)
  • 6 oz green beans
  • 2 Xoconostles (see notes)
  • 1 epazote sprig (or 1 tsp. of dried epazote)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 garlic clove (skin on)
  • 1 medium onion (halved)
  • salt (to taste)

For the sauce:

  • 4 guajillo peppers (stem and seeds removed)
  • 2 ancho peppers (stem and seeds removed)
  • 2 small tomatoes (quartered)
  • 1 small onion (cut into chunks)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 garlic clove (peeled)
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp oregano

For serving

Instructions
 

  • Place meat and bones in a large pot with a halved onion, garlic, 2 bay leaves, and a tablespoon of salt.
  • Cover with about 2-inches (5cm) of water and bring to a boil.
  • Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.

Make the sauce

  • Place chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water, allow soaking for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer soaked chilies to a blender and add tomatoes, onion chunks, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, and oregano.
  • Add 2 cups of water and blend until smooth.

Make mole

  • After one hour the meat is cooking, place a strainer over the pot and pour in the chili sauce.
  • Keep cooking until the meat is cooked through and tender (read notes).
  • Now, add the vegetables and make sure there is enough liquid to cook them. You can also add epazote or cilantro at this point.
  • After 5 minutes, add corn dumplings if you want, and cook everything for another 15 minutes.
  • Adjust salt to taste and turn off the heat.
  • Serve with chopped onion and green chilies, a squeeze of lime, and corn tortillas.

Notes

  • The cooking time will depend on the type of meat you are using, so sometimes it is necessary to cook between two and three hours.
  • You can test the meat by inserting a fork in a chunk, if you notice that there is a lot of resistance the meat still lacks cooking, on the contrary, if the fork is easily inserted, the meat is ready.
  • Some people replace Xoconostle with tomatillos to give a slightly sour taste to the stew. You can use 6 halved tomatillos instead xoconostle.
  • Want to make it spicer? Blend 2-3 arbol chilies with the other ingredients for the sauce.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1bowl w/u garnishes | Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 1665mg | Potassium: 1672mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 8557IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 6mg
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