Pozole is a soup or thin stew made all over Mexico, dating back to pre-Columbian times. Vegetarian pozole is almost a non-sequitur, because the original is heavy on the pig, but this version is delicious and filling so I don't think you will miss the meat. It makes a terrific one-pot meal on a cold day. The broth is mildly spicy and sour, which whets your appetite for the hearty beans and hominy corn.
There are more variations of pozole rojo than you can count, but as long as it has hominy and some kind of red chile in it, you are in the ballpark. (There is another version, pozole verde which includes ground pumpkin seeds.)
Much of the fun comes with the accompaniments, which you can put out on a big platter and let everyone choose for themselves. Popular options include: avocado slices, cilantro, lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cabbage or lettuce, onions and radishes
The recipe below calls for canned hominy and beans for simplicity. Made this way, it can even be a weeknight supper. If you want a more leisurely and even better soup, you can cook them both from scratch. Hominy corn is available dried, in which case you would soak it overnight and boil it for several hours, very much like with dried beans.
Pozole Rojo de Frijol
- 1 or 2 (or more, if you like a lot of heat) dried chiles de Arbol, ancho, or guajillo chiles
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups mild, clear vegetable broth or water
- one half 15 ounce can diced tomatoes - those "fire roasted" ones would be good if you have them
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 15-ounce cans hominy, drained and rinsed
- salt
- juice of 2 limes
- some or all of for garnish: avocado slices, cilantro, lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cabbage or lettuce, onions and radishes
- Soak the chiles in just enough boiling water to cover, for 20 minutes or so, then puree in a mini food processor.
- Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of salt if using plain water, the oregano, and 6 cups of vegetable broth or water and bring to a simmer.
- Add the pinto beans and hominy and bring back to a simmer. Allow to simmer for ten minutes.
- Add half of the pureed chiles and all of the lime juice and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and more lime juice or tomatoes as needed to produce a piquant broth. Add more of the chile paste to reach your preferred heat level and pass the rest as a condiment.
- Serve it forth, with a good selection of garnishes.
