A traditional Mexican dish made vegan-friendly in a tasty chili sauce!
Traditionally, my culture has pozole on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas Eve and Christmas day. When I became vegan, I didn’t want to have an alternative meal during our family’s Christmas Eve dinner – I wanted to have pozole and tamales like everyone else. So with the help of mom, she taught me a very simple way of making a delicious vegan-friendly pozole – which comes to this exact recipe.
Pozole is a traditional stew that originates from Mexico and most commonly made with pork and hominy (Mexican corn). This delicious stew is so sacred to the Mexican culture that it’s more than simply a delicious meal. It’s this beautifully flavored bowl that is shared with family and friends over a special occasion. It’s what brings everyone together over a social activity to create memories.
This recipe mimics the flavor of an authentic Mexican pozole without many of the complex steps. Traditionally, the chili sauce is made into a puree consistency and then strained, but I find that using a high speed blender can prevent you from having to take this step. Also, having a few pieces of chilies in your stew isn’t all that bad.
Pozole is often served with tostadas (crunchy corn tortilla) and crema (similar to sour cream). I like having mine with corn tortillas on the side and adding all the amazing toppings for extra crunch and flavor, such as cabbage, radishes, raw onion, and dry oregano.
This simple, flavorful, and hearty dish makes me proud of my culture - and its one I intend to continue sharing with family.
Be sure to share your re-creation with me by tagging @nutritiousvida or using the #nutritiousvida hashtag.
Mexican Vegan Pozole
Serves: 4 - 5 servings
Total Time: 35 - 40 minutes
Ingredients
3 red potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized bites
1.5 quarts of water (or 6 cups)
3 bay leaves
½ medium onion, chopped in big chunks
2 whole garlic cloves
3 California chiles, stems removed
3 Arbol chiles, stems removed
1-25oz can Mexican-Style hominy, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
Shredded cabbage
Chopped red radishes
Finely diced raw onion
Dry oregano
Lime wedges
Directions
In a large pot, add water and place peeled potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for about 18 – 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Drain and set aside once done.
While potatoes are cooking, in a medium-sized pot or dutch oven add water, bay leaves, chunks of onion, and garlic. Bring to a simmer.
In the meantime, soak California and arbol chiles in hot water for about 3-4 minutes. Then blend with 1 cup of water, salt and pepper until smooth.
Add the chili sauce to the simmered water, then add the hominy, and cook for about 15 minutes. Adjust taste and season with salt as needed.
Before serving, remove the garlic and bay leaves from your broth. You may leave the onion if you’d like.
To serve, add some potatoes to a bowl, hominy with broth, and garnish with your desired toppings. Sprinkle some oregano and squeeze some lime juice for added flavor.
Enjoy with corn tortillas, tostadas or favorite tortilla chips.
