Mole de Olla. – Recipe

Here’s a traditional and heartwarming recipe for Mole de Olla — a beloved Mexican beef and vegetable stew that’s rich in flavor, deeply comforting, and brimming with color. Despite the name, this isn’t a chocolate mole, but rather a rustic broth-based dish, lightly spiced with dried chiles and packed with corn, squash, and hearty chunks of meat.

🇲🇽 Mole de Olla (Traditional Mexican Beef & Vegetable Stew)

🕒 Total Time: 2 to 2½ hours

Serves: 6–8
Level: Intermediate (but very doable!)

🧾 Ingredients:

For the meat:

2 lbs beef shank or short ribs (with bone)
10 cups water
2 garlic cloves
½ onion
Salt to taste

For the chile sauce:

3 dried guajillo chiles (seeded and deveined)
2 dried pasilla or ancho chiles (optional, for deeper flavor)
1 tomato (or 2 Roma tomatoes)
1 garlic clove
¼ onion
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cumin
Salt to taste

Vegetables (adjust to taste):

2 ears corn, cut into rounds
2 chayotes, peeled and cut into chunks
2–3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 small cabbage, cut into wedges
Green beans (a handful, trimmed)
Optional: potatoes or xoconostle (sour cactus fruit)

🔪 Instructions:

1. Cook the beef:

In a large stockpot, combine beef, water, onion, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt.
Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for about 1½ hours, or until meat is tender.

2. Make the chile sauce:

Toast chiles briefly on a dry skillet until fragrant (do not burn).
Soak in hot water for 10–15 minutes until softened.
Blend soaked chiles with tomato, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, and a bit of the soaking water. Blend until smooth.
Strain if desired for a smoother sauce.

3. Add chile sauce to broth:

Once meat is tender, stir in the chile sauce.
Simmer together for 15–20 minutes to let flavors combine.

4. Add the vegetables:

Add corn and carrots first (they take the longest to cook). Simmer 10 minutes.
Then add chayote and green beans. Simmer another 10 minutes.
Finally, add zucchini and cabbage wedges. Simmer just until tender (about 5–7 minutes more).

5. Adjust seasoning & serve:

Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed.
Serve hot with fresh lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and warm corn tortillas.

🍴 Serving Suggestions:

Lime juice over each bowl brightens the flavors beautifully
Fresh tortillas for dipping
Sliced avocado or onion on the side if desired

💡 Tips:

Don’t overcook zucchini — add it last to keep it from getting mushy.
Make it heartier: Add garbanzo beans or small potatoes.
Next-day bonus: Like most stews, it’s even better the next day.