Vegan Posole Verde

By Nancy Eisman
This traditional thick Mexican soup, made healthier by going all-green, is bright, fresh, warm, and comforting on still cool Spring days. Originally prepared by the Aztecs on ceremonial occasions, posole is still served all over Mexico and in neighboring locales for special holidays (e.g., Cinco de Mayo) or as just an everyday pot of plant-based goodness.

Making posole is a process that takes some time, so be prepared to exercise your cooking muscles. The slightly thickened broth consists of charred, roasted chile peppers, onion, and tomatillos blended with fresh cilantro and toasted pepitas to form the soup’s base. This is added to sautéed garlic, cumin and oregano and is then cooked for 5 minutes to draw out all the wonderful, complex flavors that develop from the roasting and blending steps in the recipe.

Vegetable or plant-based “chicken” stock is added to the mixture, followed by the star of posole—hominy—and allowed to simmer until ready for some flavorful garnishes. Colorful shredded purple cabbage, gorgeous green avocado, and watermelon-hued radishes are what you want to see and taste with every spoonful. And while hominy is a must in this recipe, you can up the protein and fiber factor by also including a package of Melissa’s Six-Bean Medley.

You’re sure to elevate your international cuisine game by stirring up a pot of this version of a Mexican classic. Serve with warm corn tortillas or crusty bolillos for some delicious dunking.

Vegan Posole Verde
Ingredients
1 medium-large white onion, quartered
1-pound tomatillos, husks removed & halved
1 poblano pepper, stem & seeds removed & cut in half
2 jalapeno peppers, stem & seeds removed & cut in half
Vegetable oil for drizzling
Salt
½ cup pepitas, raw
2 cups fresh cilantro
1 cup vegetable or plant-based “chicken” broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
7 cups vegetable or plant-based “chicken” broth
2 (25 ounce) cans hominy, drained & rinsed

Garnishes:
Shredded purple cabbage
Sliced watermelon radishes
Diced avocado

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the onion, tomatillos, and peppers on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven about 20 minutes until everything is tender and slightly charred. Leave the pans in the oven but turn off the heat.
Place the raw pepitas on the tray of your toaster oven at 325 degrees and bake for about 2 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn. Set aside.
Place the roasted onion, tomatillos, and peppers, along with the toasted pepitas and 2 cups of fresh cilantro in a blender. Pour in 1 cup of the broth with a pinch of salt and process until smooth. Set aside.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Add in the garlic, cumin and oregano and sauté about 1 ½ minutes. Pour in the green soup base, raise the heat to medium, and stir the mixture for about 5 minutes. Add in the remaining 7 cups of broth along with the hominy and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt to taste. Ladle the posole into bowls and garnish with cabbage, radishes and avocado.