Coseppi Kitchen

Inclusive Vegetarian Cooking by Taylor Cook & James Seppi

Vegan Pozole Rojo

V GF

Pozole (sometimes spelled posole) is a rich, brothy soup from Central Mexico.  While it can be made with a variety of ingredients, hominy (a type of maize) is always a key component.  Pozole is garnished with lots of fresh vegetables, like cabbage, radishes, onion, and avocado.  The dried guajillo chilies in this vegan pozole rojo give it a deep red color and great flavor.

Pozole Rojo

Pozole Rojo

Ingredients

  • 5-6 dried guajillo peppers
  • 5 cups vegetable broth, divided
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 29-ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
  • Salt

Garnish

  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
  • One bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 2 limes, quartered
  • A bunch of radishes, thinly sliced (or pickled radishes)
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • Corn tortillas

Preparation

  1. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and arrange tortillas on the sheet. Bake in an oven at 350 degrees until crisp, about 30 minutes. Prepare other ingredients while the tortillas bake.
  2. Discard the stems and seeds from the dried peppers. Roast in a large pot over medium heat until they begin to soften, about three minutes. Add two cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and continue soaking for 10 minutes.
  3. Puree the chilies in a blender with the soaking liquid 2 1/2 cups or so of their soaking liquid, a pinch of salt, and of garlic. Blend until smooth and set aside.
  4. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ground cumin and continue cooking for another minute.
  5. Add oregano, bay leaf, and remaining broth. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to a simmer.
  6. Strain pureed peppers through a sieve and pour into the soup. Add hominy and return to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes and season with salt to taste.
  7. Serve the pozole with prepared garnishes and crisped tortillas.


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