Vegan Pozole Verde
If you’ve never tried vegan pozole verde you’re in for a treat. Wild mushrooms and hominy are stewed in a spicy tomatillo-pumpkin seed broth. Then topped with creamy avocado, crisp lettuce and fresh radishes.
Pozole is a dish of pre-hispanic origins, the name pozole comes from the Nahuatl word “pozolli” which means ‘frothy’. Which refers to the appearance of the white corn as it’s boiled. It was a dish reserved for special celebrations and religious ceremonies. Legend has it that it was made with human flesh, as an offering to the gods for a fruitful harvest. (Gross!)
Nowadays, there are actually 3 most common types of pozole: rojo, blanco and verde. Red pozole is seasoned with a mixture of dried chiles, white pozole is seasoned with herbs, and green pozole usually contains pumpkins seeds, tomatillos, and green chiles.
The recipe varies according to the state that you’re in. For pozole verde you can find a version from Jalisco, one from Guerrero, and one from Guanajuato. They are all very similar with small variations like adding poblano peppers, or the toppings change from state to state.
I loved the addition of pumpkin seeds to this vegan pozole verde, because it adds a touch of creaminess to the broth without using oil or cream. You can make this pozole anytime, but it would be a great addition to your Christmas or Thanksgiving menus.
I’m not going to lie, I enjoyed this so much I ate the whole batch myself in a couple of days! I hope you like it too.
The Recipe: Vegan Pozole Verde
- I think the mushrooms are perfect in this, but you can also use jackfruit.
- I used hen of the woods mushrooms (maitake), but if you can’t find those, you can also use oyster or shiitake mushrooms.
- You can increase or decrease the amount of Serrano peppers according to your heat tolerance.
- Chayote or zucchini would make a good addition to this.
- Enjoy
Vegan Pozole Verde
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. Vegetable oil (optional)
- 1 ½ lb. Maitake or oyster mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup Diced onion
- 6 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ cup Raw pumpkin seeds, pepitas
- 2 Poblano peppers
- 3-4 Serrano peppers
- 4 Tomatillos, medium
- ½ cup Chopped cilantro
- 1 cup Leafy greens, spinach, radish greens, swiss chard
- 1 sprig Epazote
- ¼ tsp. Cumin, ground
- ¼ tsp. Mexican oregano, dried
- 2 qts. Vegetable stock
- 1 can (29oz) White hominy 29 oz, drained, and rinsed
Garnishes:
- 1 Avocado, pitted and diced
- 4 Red radishes, sliced
- ½ Head Romaine or iceberg lettuce, finely shredded (julienned)
- 4 Tostadas
Instructions
- In a large pot set to medium heat sauté the mushrooms in 1 tbsp. of oil until golden brown about 6-8 min.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, toast the pumpkin seeds lightly in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Remove the mushrooms from the pot, and add the onions. Turn heat down to medium-low and sweat onions until tender and transparent about 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for two more minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pot. Pour in the vegetable stock and hominy and simmer softly until you are ready to add the sauce.
- Turn oven broiler on to HI setting.
- Place the poblano peppers, serrano peppers, and tomatillos on a sheet tray lined with foil. Place under the broiler for 3 minutes or until the peppers have begun to get dark spots. Flip the peppers and tomatillos over and let cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Place the poblano peppers in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Peel poblano peppers and remove the stems and seeds.
- Place the poblano peppers, serrano peppers, pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, greens, epazote, cilantro, cumin, and oregano in a blender and process until smooth.
- 10. Strain the sauce into a medium sauce pot set to medium-low heat. Let sauce simmer for 5-6 minutes or until it changes to a darker green color.
- 11. Pour sauce into the pot with the mushrooms and hominy and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.
- 12. Serve with garnishes.
Video
Notes
- I think the mushrooms are perfect in this, but you can also use jackfruit.
- I used hen of the woods mushrooms (maitake), but if you can’t find those, you can also use oyster or shiitake mushrooms.
- You can increase or decrease the amount of serrano peppers according to your heat tolerance.
- Chayote or zucchini would make a good addition to this.
So outstanding! I followed the recipe exactly except I couldn’t find the epizote, even in a Mexican market. I can’t get enough of it. Made corn tortillas, added shredded cabbage, avocado, cilantro and green onions to the top. Nearly licking the bowl. Thank you so much!!!
So glad you liked it!
My son who doesn’t like anything, ate a bowl of this soup. I’ll be honest. I didn’t make it vegan because I added chicken. I also didn’t add any Serrano peppers because my 12 year old doesn’t like spicy food, so I added an extra poblano. This soup would be just as yummy with tofu, which I plan to do in the future. This soup is now on regular rotation! What can I make next from Dora?
Happy to hear!
I saw a vegan pozole recipe from Forks Over Knives that just did not seem authentic enough for my liking. I remembered I follow you on TikTok, found your website, and OMG my happiness when I saw you had this recipe!!
I made this last night for my parents and siblings! Funny enough, my parents had JUST gotten back from spending two weeks in Mexico xD My parents are not plant-based, so it made me so happy they liked it. I don’t usually cook (like, ever), but your instructions were so clear and helpful.
I printed out a ton of your recipes. Can’t wait to try more!! Thank you!
can’t wait !!will report i use dried hominy from Rancho Gordo -amazing broth from it as well that adds to any dish..
Can I make this recipe with jackfruit instead of mushrooms?? My family loves your red pozole recipe, it only uses jackfruit.
Yes, you can make this with jackfruit
Made this for new year’s! Knew it wouldn’t match my girlfriend’s abuela’s pozole but she said it came remarkably close which is HIGH praise for your recipe! we’ll definitely be having this again (especially bc the market was sold out of all hominy in cans smaller than 109 oz lol)
Does this truly have 2000+ mg of sodium per serving? Where does it come from?
Probably not. I’ll have to check the nutrition info and get back to you.
I make this recipe all the time! I love it.
I usually sub a 16oz block of firm tofu (diced) for the mushrooms cause I’m not big on mushrooms but I like the chunks.
Do I have use the pumpkin seeds?
They are an important part of the recipe
Thank you for sharing your vegan green pozole recipe. It was delicious.
BTW I skipped the pepitas and epazote because I couldn’t find at grocery
store. My non vegan Mexican family still loved it!
I’m happy it worked out even though you couldn’t epazote!
I’ve been craving some pozole
and was so glad I found a vegan recipe. I had a feeling it was going to be delicious so I doubled the recipe. so glad I did, because it was really yummy! I used shiitake mushrooms.
So glad you enjoyed it!! It’s great with shiitakees or oyster mushrooms.
I loved this recipe!! It tastes delicious. I used better than bullion veg chicken broth, a combo of mushrooms, tofu, and jackfruit. :) I love the texture that all three of those bring.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I followed this recipe to a “T” aside from adding diced zucchini and the flavor and texture was amazing! I will definitely make this again! It’s so flavorful that you don’t even miss the meat!
How did would you add chayote to this? I’m not sure if it should also be roasted with the peppers and then blended or if it would better to cook it using a different method. Thank you for posting this! Since my husband and I switched to veganism, we’ve been searching for alternatives to the recipes we would normally eat and this is perfect.
Yes, chayote would be a good addition to this. I would just add it cubed to the broth when it’s simmering.
This is so good. It will definitely go on our meal rotation. Thank you so much for making it vegan.
Can I put tofu in this?
yes!
Tried this Portobellos and it was delicious! I also added squash and green beans and it was a nice addition.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’ll have to try adding squash and green beans next time.
Finally tried this – delicious! Made several substitutions and added chayote, but the big thing was the broiled peppers mmmmmmm. Honestly I think the mushrooms are really crucial. I used a mix of maitake and button mushrooms, and it was great.
What kind of Hominy do you recommend? I would like something that is non gmo.
That’s a hard one. Amazon has one called Natural Value organic hominy