Vegan Pozole Rojo
This plant-based take on pozole rojo delivers a deeply rich chile-infused broth, tender chewy hominy, and a toppings spread that makes every bowl feel like a celebration.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot (at least 6-quart / 5.7-liter)
- High-powered blender or immersion blender
- Large heat-safe bowl - for soaking chiles
- Fine-mesh strainer or sieve
- Cutting board
- Sharp chef's knife
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Ladle - for serving
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Can opener
Ingredients
- 4 dried guajillo chiles - stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles - stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried chiles de arbol - optional, for extra heat, stems removed
- 2 cups hot water - 480 ml, for soaking
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - 30 ml
- 1 large white onion - roughly chopped, about 2 cups or 300 g
- 6 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste - 30 g
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms - 225 g, sliced
- 8 oz oyster mushrooms - 225 g, torn into pieces
- 2 cans white hominy - 25 oz or 710 g each, drained and rinsed
- 1 can pinto beans or red kidney beans - 15 oz or 425 g, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth - 1.4 liters
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice - 30 ml
- salt - to taste
- black pepper - to taste
Toppings (for serving)
- shredded green cabbage
- thinly sliced radishes
- diced white onion
- fresh cilantro leaves
- sliced avocado - or cubed
- lime wedges
- dried Mexican oregano - for finishing
- tostadas - or corn tortillas, on the side
Instructions
- Toast guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20-30 seconds per side until fragrant. Transfer to a heat-safe bowl.
- Pour hot water over toasted chiles and soak for 25-30 minutes until softened. Transfer chiles and 1 cup soaking liquid to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion for 6-8 minutes until soft. Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano; cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until they release liquid and start to turn golden.
- Strain chile puree into the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Add bay leaves and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add drained hominy and beans to the simmering pot. Cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaves, stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cabbage, radishes, onion, cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, and oregano on the side. Enjoy with tostadas or tortillas.
Notes
- Don't skip toasting: Dry-toasting chiles before soaking activates their oils and creates deep roasted flavor. Just 30 seconds per side makes a huge difference.
- Watch for burning: If chiles blacken or smell acrid, they've burned and will make broth bitter. Remove from heat a few seconds early if needed.
- Strain for silkiness: Running the blended chiles through a fine-mesh strainer removes tough skins and creates a smooth, restaurant-quality broth.
- Use Mexican oregano: It has an earthy, citrusy flavor that's traditional in pozole. Italian oregano has a different profile and isn't a suitable substitute.
- Let it simmer: The 25-30 minutes after adding hominy allows the corn to absorb the chile broth and flavors to meld together fully.
- Adjust salt at the end: Broth saltiness varies by brand. Always taste and adjust right before serving.
- Make ahead: This pozole tastes even better the next day as flavors deepen overnight. Perfect for batch cooking.
- Freezer friendly: Freeze cooled pozole for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of broth.
- Topping bar: Set up bowls of all toppings so everyone can build their own bowl. Traditional and makes the meal festive.
- Spice level: With only guajillo and ancho, this is mild to medium. Add chiles de arbol for extra heat or skip them for very mild.