Spicy Mexican Pozole (Vegan Pozole)

A bowl of vegan pozole with avocado, a lime wedge, radishes, and tortilla strips.

Spicy Mexican Pozole (Vegan Pozole)

The next time you’re sick and need a warm, comforting soup, give this quick pozole recipe a try! It’s a spicy Mexican soup made with hominy—delightfully plump, chewy corn kernels that have a mild nutty flavor. Hominy is sold in most grocery stores, but if you aren’t able to find it see Fresh Tips! below.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword corn, hominy, Mexican soup, pozole, vegan pozole

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 621kcal

Author Megan Sadd

Ingredients

2 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil avocado oil
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or rice flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican if you can find it
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon cayenne optional, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
½ 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 4-ounce can green chiles
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans
4 cups vegetable broth vegan chicken broth if possible
1 25-ounce can hominy

For Serving

handful of cilantro
2 avocados
2-3 radishes
Purple cabbage
2-3 corn tortillas
2 limes

Instructions

Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.
Put the oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onion and peppers to the pot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, flour, and chili powder. Stir well to combine and then add the cumin, oregano, bay leaf, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Open the tomato paste and chiles. Drain and rinse the kidney beans. Add the tomato paste, chiles, and 1 cup (240 ml) of broth to the pot to dissolve the tomato paste. Drain the hominy.
Stir well and then add the kidney beans, hominy, and remaining broth. Reduce the heat to medium and bring the soup to a rolling boil for 10 minutes or so, or until the peppers have softened. Taste then add another pinch of salt and cayenne, if desired.
Chop the cilantro and avocados. Slice the radishes and cabbage. Cut the tortillas into thin strips. Remove the bay leaf.
Toast the tortilla strips in a small oiled pan over medium-high heat until crispy and golden brown. Serve the pozole with avocado, cilantro, radish, cabbage, tortillas strips, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Notes

FRESH TIPS!

This soup is on the spicy side! Omit the cayenne if you prefer mild spice.
If you don’t want to make your own tortillas strips, which I highly recommend, you can also break up a few tortilla chips.
Swap 1 cup of frozen corn and 1 can of chickpeas for hominy if needed.

Nutrition