I’m going to show you how to make a vegan pozole rojo recipe (also spelled posole rojo) in under 60 minutes! This vegan version of pozole is a smokey and savoury soup recipe that’s easy and full of flavour! The soup is also gluten-free!
This soup recipe makes a large batch and can be frozen or kept in the fridge and later warmed up for cozy healthy meals all week. It’s also perfect for meal prep on colder weeks. This soup is warm and full of spices and peppers that give it a rich flavour, and mushrooms to give the meaty flavour while keeping this meal whole-foods plant-based.Â
Related Recipe: Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Vegan Pozole Rojo
This recipe is inspired by traditional pozole rojo but made vegan. It uses dried chiles which add a rich, deep flavour and slight spice and smokiness. I remove the seeds to keep this posole from being too spicy. I like to top my soup bowl with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, cubed avocado and tortilla chips on the side.Â
Hominy is an ingredient I love but rarely get to use. You’ll find it in a can and is made from dried corn kernels. It is a key ingredient in this soup, as well as the chiles and pinto beans. Typically, pozole rojo includes chunks of meat, so to make this vegan I swapped it for chunks of thick mushrooms like portabello which provides a meaty texture. If you can get your hands on it, Mexican oregano is the best oregano for this recipe, but the Italian version will also work. You can also make a quick batch of my homemade vegan sour cream which really adds a nice touch to the final dish.Â
Related Post: Vegan Potato Leek Soup
INGREDIENTS FOR POZOLE ROJO (VEGAN):
- Dried Guajillo Chiles / chilies
- Dried Pasilla Chiles / chilies
- Dried Arbol Chiles / chilies
- Onion
- Garlic
- CilantroÂ
- White Vinegar
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Sea Salt
- Vegetable Oil or Avocado Oil
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Pinto Beans
- Hominy
- Vegetable Broth
- Bay Leaf
- Optional Toppings:
- Cabbage
- Radish
- Avocado
- Lime
- Cilantro
- Tortilla Chips
- Vegan Cream or Sour Cream
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT:
Full Recipe Down Below!
- 2 dried guajillo Chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 2 dried Arbol chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 1 cooking onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped + extra to garnish
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ½ tbsp sea salt
- ¼ cup vegetable or avocado oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1½ lb (24 oz) mushrooms of choice, sliced
- 1 14oz can pinto beans
- 1-28 oz can hominy, rinsed
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Shredded cabbage
- thinly sliced radishes
- diced avocados
- lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
- tortilla chips
- vegan cream or sour cream
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add the dried chiles and onion and enough water to cover completely. Cover and bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 mins, or until chiles are soft.
- When chiles are softened, add them to a blender along with ½ cup of the liquid the chiles were cooked in, garlic, cilantro, vinegar. oregano. cumin, and salt, and blend until smooth. Add more chile cooking liquid as needed to get a tomato paste consistency.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot heat vegetable oil of choice over medium-high heat. Add carrots and mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and are browned slightly (about 10 minutes).
- Add blended chiles and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to turn darker in colour.
- Add pinto beans, hominy, vegetable broth and bay leaves, and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to medium, and partially cover the pot. Simmer for about 30-40 mins or until hominy is tender, and soup has reduced slightly.
- Taste and season with salt to taste.
- To serve, add pozole to bowls and top with your favourite optional toppings.
- NOTE: add more peppers if you want it spicy
Hey I’m Candice aka The Edgy Veg – I veganize popular food recipes for vegans, plant-based diets, eco-conscious eaters & people who are trying to eat more plants over… y’know animals or their by-products. I hope you enjoy this tasty vegan recipe!
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Beatrice says:
I went and picked up some chilis for this in Kensington Market and they were super perfect. I love mexican dishes.