I am still reeling over here from our Day of the Dead feast with our friends Kate and Aida! The flowers, the food, the drinks – everything was SO good I had a hard time deciding what to share first, but seeing as though I have already made this vegan green pozole twice since the party I’m thinking this has to be the one!
You guys, I think soup is sort of my thing now – I always seem to have a pot simmering on the stove during the fall and winter months and now it has been my key contribution to at least 3 of the past year’s holiday feasts with family and friends. It’s obviously my thing and I am just going to embrace it – just call me the soup lady!
Since this was my star dish of the feast and Todd’s vegetarian main dish I decided that cooking dried hominy was the only way to go. The process of cooking dried hominy is a lot like cooking dried beans. You soak, you rinse, you add an onion and some water then you cook the heck out of it over low heat for about an hour. Look, you could use canned hominy in a pinch, but I promise once you take the time to cook hominy this way you will never go back! Fresh cooked hominy will bloom to perfection on your stove top lending a tender slightly chewy bite.
Now obviously this isn’t your traditional pozole made with pork, but don’t sell this plant based version short either, because it is packed with an intense flavor punch from lots of roasted peppers, homemade tomatillo salsa and a variety of herbs and greens. Trust me between that and the chewy bite of the slow cooked hominy you are going to be hooked on this one too!
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried hominy, rinsed
- 2 large white onions, peeled & quartered, divided
- kosher salt
- 4 poblano peppers,
- 2 serrano peppers
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 red onion, peeled & quartered
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
- 3 packed cups baby spinach leaves
- 2 cups cilantro, leaves and stems roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 5 cups vegan chicken broth, I use Massel
- juice of 1–2 limes depending on taste
Garnish:
- sliced radishes
- chopped onions
- avocado
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Soak the pozole overnight in water to cover generously, the same amount as you would dried beans. Drain the pozole and place it in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 large white onion cut into quarters. Cover with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer. Cover partially and cook until the kernels are tender and have bloomed—this can take anywhere from 75 minutes to 2 hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If there is excess liquid left drain it, but I have never had to drain mine.
- Meanwhile preheat the broiler and line a sheet pan with foil. Roast the peppers on the pan under the broiler, turning occasionally until blackened and charred all over. Transfer the peppers to a paper bag and seal tight. (You could also place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.) Once the peppers have cooled enough to handle remove and discard the papery skins, seeds and ribs. Transfer the pepper to a blender and set aside.
- In a large skillet heat a tablespoon of oil over medium high – high heat. Immediately add the remaining white onion wedges, red onion, garlic and tomatillos. Turn the vegetables often, cooking for 8-10 minutes until completely softened and charred. Transfer to the blender with the peppers and puree until smooth.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the blended tomatillo salsa and season with a generous pinch of salt. Simmer for 10 – 12 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat – add the cilantro, oregano and 1 cup of broth. Transfer in batches to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Return to the soup pot and add the remaining 4 cups of broth, the cooked hominy and lime juice.
- Serve immediately with desired garnishes.
Notes
Inspired by Heidi Swanson’s Green Pozole
