Vegan Verde Pozole (GF, Oil-Free, Spicy!!)

Hola bebes!

Now, I’m sure I’ve shown my hands a dozen or more times in my previous posts, but I love spicy flavors, and being Mexico adjacent, my heart belongs to the song of the many regional chile peppers and the dishes they inspire.

For that reason, I recently became transfixed by pozole.

Now, full disclosure as always, I had never had pozole before. My entire life, my relatives all told me how awful and disgusting hominy was, so I avoided any recipe that included it. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered I like the textures they deemed unacceptable. A little chewy, a little gritty was how it was described to me. The thing is though, I like those textures. Corn tortillas can be chewy when not fried, and I love them. Polenta, amaranthe, and grits are, well, a little gritty, and they’re fantastic. So I took the plunge. I would master pozole.

When I become determined to “veganize” a traditional recipe, I don’t start by looking at other vegans. I look for the most authentic, well-reviewed versions of the original. Going off of other people’s adaptations feels like a game of telephone, and I wanted to know what made the original so iconic. So I scoured the internet for authentic recipes.

Turns out, there are two prominent versions of pozole: rojo (red) and verde (green). Green relies heavily on tomatillos and peppers more common in my region, so I went that direction, having used a lot of the ingredients in previous summers to make delicious salsa verde.

Pozole verde traditionally gets its color and taste from three primary sources: tomatillos, a variety of peppers (in my case, Anaheim, also known as hatch chilis, serrano, and the good ol’ Jalapeno), and fresh cilantro). Even at a big box store, I can get all of these ingredients for less than $5, remembering that there are TWENTY CUPS in this recipe. But just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s good for you. What does the science say?

Tomatillo para Ti

Tomatillo is a great addition to lots of dishes, but it is the real rock star here. Not only does it lend that beautiful sour, acidic taste to the dish, but it also packs a punch of fiber, vitamin A, and C, all in a low-calorie, cholesterol-free package. It is a little sticky in the leaves, so just make sure you hull and rinse thoroughly. Additionally, tomatillos have been studies for reducing risks of cancers and vision loss, and improving arthritis symptoms and weight loss.

Now, I’m sure I’ve already introduced you to the many benefits of my friends, spicy peppers, soy curls, and cilantro, as well as the many beans and legumes you should both use and love. So, instead, how about we talk about hominy.

Hominy Harmony

So, in case you’re unfamiliar with what the heck hominy even is, here’s the breakdown. Field corn is soaked in an alkaline solution in a process called nixtamalization. This process dates back to the Aztecs and involves a combination of water and limewater solution. This increases the bioavailability of B vitamins and gives a mega boost of calcium. Additionally, hominy is a good source of fiber, omega-6 fatty acids, and zinc, so if you like that delicious chewy texture, give it a chance. It’s totally worth it.

How to Start?

So, how do you jump into this long, daunting recipe. Well let’s break it down so it’s nice and easy to understand.

First, set your oven to 400 degrees F and cover a large baking sheet with foil. Next, rinse and place your peppers on the pan. If I have extra room I’ll add a few more than I need to the pan to save for the freezer. After that, hull and rinse the tomatillos. Place them stem down on the sheet. Cut a large onion into 8ths and throw that on there too, then follow up with 7-10 garlic cloves.

Once everything is ready and the oven is nice and hot, bake those bad boys for 30-40 minutes, or until the skins are starting to brown. Pull them out and let them cool.

I always complete this step before anything else, since it takes the most time, though you could start the broth about 15 minutes in since it will take time for the soy curls to rehydrate and the broth to build flavor. But from here, I’ll leave you with the recipe. Feel free to reach out with any questions, and don’t forget the avocado, lime, and radishes at the end. They are worth the money and time!