Vegetarian Pozole with Mexican Oregano and Porcinis

Slofoodgroup Team July 06, 2022

Pozole is a popular Mexican dish with a rich, yet controversial history. It dates back to the time of the Aztecs and was supposedly made with human flesh that was obtained through sacrificial ceremonies—whoa. Thankfully, the dish evolved into one that contained pork once cannibalism was banned and it still remains in frequent rotation in many Mexican households.

We wanted to continue this evolution so that anyone can enjoy it, whether they eat meat or not. So we replaced the meat stock with mushroom broth and the juices from the canned hominy and we replaced the pork with a combination of dried porcini mushrooms, fresh button mushrooms, and black beans.

How to Make Pozole with Mushrooms and Beans

This recipe for our meatless pozole is so easy-to-make and ingredients can be swapped out to include only your favorites. The hands-on time is minimal and the end-result is a fantastic comfort food that will warm Try a roasted tomato salsa in place of the salsa verde for a pozole rojo; replace button mushrooms with oysters, shitakes, or portobello; stir in bit of chipotle powder to intensify the heat. The options with this one are endless!

Vegan Mushroom Pozole

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 1 cup water with broth reserved
• Olive oil for sautéing 
• 1 small white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 16-ounce can of beans (black or pinto), drained
• 2 15-ounce  cans of hominy (one white, one golden), with liquid
• 3  cups green tomato salsa or tomatillo salsa (choose mild, medium, or hot based on your preferred spice level).
• 4 ounces of sliced baby bella or white button mushrooms.
• ¾  cup fresh, chopped radishes
• ½ cup fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1-2 limes, sliced into wedges
• 1 avocado, chopped

Procedure

1. Once your mushrooms have been rehydrated, drain off the broth and reserve it. 
2. Chop the onion and set half aside for topping.
3. In a soup pot, heat the oil over low and toss in the remaining half of the chopped onion, sprinkle with salt, and cook until the onions are translucent. 
4. Slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic while the onions are cooking. 
5. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the onions and turn the heat up. Sauté until the onions have slightly browned on the edges. 
6. Once the mushrooms and onions are slightly caramelized on the edges, turn the heat to low and stir in the Mexican oregano and cumin and cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Stir in the mushroom broth, hominy liquid, and green salsa, simmer for 20 minutes.
8. In a separate pan, add some oil and sauté your button or baby bella mushrooms. 
9. Add the sautéed mushrooms, hominy, and beans and simmer  for about 3 more minutes, or until all ingredients have warmed through.
10. Season to your liking with salt and pepper. 
11. Serve with a plethora of toppings, including (but not limited to) radishes, cilantro, avocado, and limes.