Delicious and bright, yet comforting and warming – my vegan Pozole Verde is one of the first recipes I make when the temperature start to drop!
what is pozole?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with pozole, it’s a traditional Mexican soup made from hominy, some type of meat (we’re using vegan chicken), and garnished with cabbage, onions, radishes, avocado, and lemon or lime. Known in Mesoamerica since the pre-Columbian era, today the stew is common across Mexico and neighboring countries, and is served both as a day-to-day meal and as a festive dish.
There are different variations of pozole such as rojo (made with rehydrated red chiles), blanco (made with onions and garlic), and verde (made with tomatillos, green chiles and cilantro). I love all versions, but Pozole verde might be my favorite! It’s bright and fresh, yet so comforting all at the same time.
NOTE: WHEN LOOKING UP RECIPES FROM OTHER CULTURES, I IMPLORE YOU TO DIVE DEEP INTO THE RECIPE’S HISTORY. I GOT INSPIRATION FOR MY VEGAN POZOLE FROM THE HUNDREDS OF AMAZING MEXICAN RESTAURANTS WE HAVE HERE IN THE Central Valley, AS WELL AS THIS VIDEO FROM Jauja Cocina Mexicana. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND CHECKING IT OUT!
Grab a drink and let’s get to cooking the best vegan pozole!!!
how to make pozole verde
Pozole is one of those dishes that is so easy, it’s hard to believe the flavors can develop in such a short amount of time! But that’s the beauty in simplicity, right? Simple, good ingredients are all you really need to make a delicious dish!
1. Roast and blend
We start buy broiling our peppers and tomatillos with onions they’re nicely roasted and slightly charred for a hint of smokiness. Blend that up with cilantro and a bit of broth and that’s your verde sauce base for the pozole!
2. Sauté
Meanwhile, sauté the vegan chick’n until it’s nice and crispy around the edges, then set those aside. I like to do this so it doesn’t get mushy while the pozole is simmering. Next sauté your garlic low and slow to really pull out its flavor.
3. Simmer
Now add in your broth, verde sauce and hominy, and simmer for awhile. Add the reserved chick’n back in and simmer a bit longer.
4. Enjoy!
Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
So easy, right?! I know it sounds too good to be true, but I promise, it’s THAT simple!
pozole verde ftw
I hope you all love the recipe for my vegan pozole verde as much as I do! If you give it a try, make sure to snap a photo, share it to Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs! We love seeing your recreations of our recipes!
Til next time, friends!
XOXO!
- 1 LB fresh tomatillos, husks removed, washed, drained, and quartered
- 2 pasilla peppers, cut in half
- 1 poblano pepper, cut in half
- 1 large white onion, quartered, plus more for garnish
- 1 jalapeño, halved, plus more for garnishing
- 1 serrano pepper, halved, optional
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 8 cups vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth, divided
- 1 packed cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
- 12 ounces vegan Chick'n Strips
- 2 tablespoons dried mexican oregano, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 - 25 oz cans hominy, drained and rinsed
- Diced onion
- Diced Jalapeno
- Chopped cilantro
- Thinly sliced radish
- Finely chopped cabbage
- Thinly sliced avocado
- Fresh lemon wedges
- Preheat oven to a medium or high broil
- Place tomatillos, pasilla peppers, poblano pepper, onion, jalapeño, and Serrano (if using) on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of salt, tossing to ensure the tomatillos, peppers and onions are well coated and seasoned. Broil on the middle rack of the oven until the vegetables are soft and charred, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer the roasted tomatillos, peppers, and onion to a high-powered blender along with 1 cup of the broth and the cilantro, and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add another 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large soup pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the vegan chick'n strips and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon oregano, and 1 teaspoon cumin. Cook, mixing every so often, until browned and slightly crisped around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove chick'n pieces from the pot and set aside.
- Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot that you cooked the vegan chick'n in over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and season with the remaining salt, oregano, and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes. You want to make sure you don't burn the garlic, so continue to stir while sautéing.
- Pour in the broth, verde sauce from the blender, and hominy. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat back down to medium low. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add the reserved chick'n pieces, and taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Cover and simmer an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with preferred garnishes and enjoy!
2. There are many varieties of vegan-friendly chicken bases and/or bouillon cubes. If buying bouillon instead of broth, simply mix with water according to the directions for 8 cups of broth. My favorite brands are Edward and Sons and Better Than Bouillon. You can also find imitation chicken bouillon powders at many Asian specialty markets. If you cannot find vegan chicken stock, you can substitute vegetable stock.
I can’t wait to make this! Thanks love for that amazing recipe!
Made this last night, and loved it! Full of flavor and amazed at how easy this was. Definitely going to be a got to meal in the winter. Lots left over for lunches. 🙂 I used the “not chik’n bullion cubes” from Sprouts for my broth.
Angelina, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for the feedback! 😊♥️
I just tried your recipe today and it was a huge success! My kids loved it! I just used jackfruit instead of the vegan chicken strips. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. You’re awesome! 😉❤
Adriana!! Thanks so much for trying it! So happy you and your family loved it! Jackfruit is such a great and healthy swap!!
My new favorite recipe! I am ecstatic that I found this vegan pozole verde recipe – and my hubby too! Easy recipe to follow. Packed full of flavor…brings back childhood memories! I am going to share this recipe with my non-vegan family members, as I know they will love it!! Thank you Ashley!
Thank you Andrea!!! So happy your hubby loves it, and I cannot wait to hear what the rest of your family thinks 😀
Why do you mention to have 8 cups of chicken stock in your ingredients but in your instructions you only mention one cup being used to simmer and 2 cus being used in the blender with the roasted veggies. What about the rest of the chicken stock? When does that come into play, especially with this being able to serve 4 people? Thank you so much, look forward to your response.
Hey Steven! In step 5, it states to first only add one cup of stock to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Once you have scraped up any of the bits AKA “deglazed it”, that is when you add the remaining stock.
You’ll then use some of the stock in the pot to blend the broiled veggies. Hope this helps 😀
I am a teacher in the Central Valley, so during the school year, I get sick A LOT. During my first cold of the school year, I decided I needed some delicious vegan soup with a little kick! I had very low energy, so I needed something easy- this was perfect! I left the vegan chicken out, and it was delicious. Every time I make one of your recipes, my boyfriend says, “This is the best meal you’ve ever made!”
Adriana,
I’m so happy you and your boyfriend love this recipe, and I am glad that the directions were easy for you to follow – even while you were under the weather 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes. I LOVE Pozole but have never found a recipe that matched up to what I could get at an authentic Mexican restaurant. This one does! My Fiance and I have added this in our regular dinner rotation.