Vegetarian Pozole Verde

Pozole Verde is a delicious choice if you like Mexican food and are in the mood for a Mexican soup. This is a vegetarian green pozole made with pinto beans and hominy. 

Our version of pozole verde is meatless, but just as warming and hearty. It’s a vibrant twist on the classic Mexican soup. This plant-based version features a green broth made from tomatillos, poblano peppers and jalapenos. Pinto beans and hominy provide hearty bites, complimented by plenty of toppings. 

What is Pozole? 

Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup or stew that is often made with hominy and meat (usually pork or chicken), and seasoned with various peppers and spices.

The dish is typically garnished with shredded lettuce or cabbage, radishes, onions, avocado, sour cream, and lime. Pozole is known for its rich and flavorful broth, and it holds cultural significance in Mexican cuisine. There are different regional variations of pozole, with distinct styles and ingredients.

What Does Pozole Verde Taste Like? 

Pozole Verde tastes a lot like Salsa Verde, as the ingredients are very similar. It has a tomatillo base made with peppers, onions, and cilantro. Hominy gives the soup chewy corn tortilla-like hearty bites. In this way, pozole verde is reminiscent of green enchiladas. This pozole verde is not spicy, though you can easily add heat if desired. 

What is Hominy? 

Hominy is dried maize (corn) that has undergone a process called nixtamalization, involving soaking the corn in an alkaline solution, often limewater. This process not only imparts a unique flavor but also results in a distinctive texture. Hominy can be found in two primary forms: dried and canned.

Similar to beans, dried hominy requires soaking before cooking, allowing it to absorb moisture and become tender during the cooking process. Hominy needs to be cooked before using in recipes such as pozole. 

Canned hominy is pre-cooked and ready to use, making it a convenient option for a quick and easy pozole. 

How to Make Vegetarian or Vegan Pozole

Pozole is traditionally made with shredded chicken or pork, however, it’s even easier to make vegetarian or vegan. We used beans here for plant-based protein. Pinto beans work well and we often use the cranberry bean variety if we happen to have cooked some for the week. 

Pozole Verde broth is easy to make vegan using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Other than that, the main ingredients are unchanged, so the flavor is close to the original. 

Swapping a plant-based option for traditional meat is easy. Beans work very well but aren’t the only option. You could also use extra vegetables such as zucchini and mushrooms.  

Mexican Soup Garnish Ideas 

Pozole is just as much about the toppings as the soup, so be sure to load it up! Here’s a list of traditional and creative toppings that you can consider for your pozole:

1. Shredded Lettuce or Cabbage
2. Radishes, thinly sliced
3. Diced White Onions
4. Avocado slices or chunks
5. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
6. Lime wedges
7. Salsa or Pico de Gallo
8. Mexican Crema or sour cream
9. Queso Fresco
10. Sliced Jalapeños or other chili peppers for spice
11. Diced tomatoes
12. Chopped green onions
13. Tortilla strips or tortilla chips for crunch
14. Cilantro-lime crema (blend cilantro, lime juice, and sour cream)
15. Pickled red onions

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Yield: Serves 4

Vegetarian Pozole Verde with Pinto Beans

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

This vegetarian pozole (posole) verde is a wholesome Mexican soup made with a tomatillo base. Pinto beans provide hearty plant-based protein in place of meat while white hominy lends a classic chewy texture. Don't forget to load up your green pozole with plenty of toppings!

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Ingredients

Soup

• 1 white onion, peeled and halved
• 1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed
• 2 poblano peppers
• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup toasted pepitas
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 (15 oz.) can hominy, drained
• 2-3 cups cooked pinto beans, drained
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or 1 quart broth plus 2 cups of water)

Toppings

• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 cup shredded cabbage or Iceberg lettuce
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1/3 cup sour cream (vegan if desired)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the onion, tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, and garlic on a large pan. Roast for 20 minutes.
2. Immediately transfer the poblanos to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 5-10 minutes. Cut off the stems, remove the seeds, and peel the peppers. You may not be able to remove all of the skin.
3. Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapenos. If you want your soup to be spicy, consider using some of the seeds. Peel the roasted garlic and discard the skin. Add the onion, tomatillos, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, oregano, pepitas, spinach, and poblanos to a blender. Add about 1 cup of the vegetable broth, so that the ingredients can blend.
4. Blend until as smooth as possible. This may take a few minutes.
5. Strain the soup base if desired (we do not strain). Pour into a large pot on the stove and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. There may be some foam.
6. Stir in the hominy and pinto beans.

Notes

This is a mild recipe. If you would more heat, consider adding 3 serrano peppers or adding a splash of hot sauce along with the other garnishes.

Pozole reheats very well and may be even tastier on the second day. It works well for meal prep and can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and garnish just before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350