August 19, 2019

Vegan Posole with Tempeh and Mushrooms

Warming, a little spicy, filled with rich, umami flavor and comforting hominy, this homemade vegan posole (or vegan pozole) rojo is everything the soup should be. Brothy, but topped with fresh and bright shredded cabbage, avocado, radish, and more, it’s almost like the best of soup and salad came together for this filling and soul-nourishing meal. Although meat is traditionally a large part of this Mexican favorite, this vegan posole proves that no meat is needed for delicious, vibrant, and fulfilling flavor.

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Vegetarian Pozole- Taste the Love

The simmering broth of pozole takes time, to cook the hominy, and to develop the flavors in the broth. As the broth slowly cooks, the layers of flavors deepen, and the whole house warms, filling with the scent of warm maize, smoky New Mexico chilies, and flavorful mushrooms. The scent takes on a life of it’s own- while all those components are still there, the dish turns into more. It becomes love. It’s a little cliche, but they say that the secret ingredient of home cooking is love- I think it’s a little more than that. A slowly and deliberately cooked meal is an expression of love, and I think that can be tasted in the finished product. The broth of this pozole carried more than chili, garlic, tomato, mushroom, or hominy. It tastes homey and warm, like a gift to the eater.

What is Pozole?

Pozole (pronounced po-so-lay) is a Mexican soup, traditionally made with meat and featuring hominy. Hominy is maize that has been prepared with an alkaline solution, which removes the hulls. Hominy can also be ground into masa, or corn flour, such as that used in my recent pupusa recipe. Pork is most common for the meat component of pozole- since we’re vegan, we obviously went in a different direction. We used mixed mushrooms, a little soy sauce, and some fire roasted tomatoes to get the umami flavors in our soup. Another important quality of the posole is the broth- it can come in three colors: red, green, and white (the colors of the Mexican flag). Pozole verde uses fresh chilies, pozole blanco uses no chilies, and pozole rojo (like our vegan pozole rojo) uses dried chilies. Finally, you might have noticed I’ve been switching my spelling of posole- sometimes using a “s” and sometimes a “z”. Since the two letters are pronounced the same in Spanish, either spelling is correct, so use whichever one you prefer!

Why Dried Hominy?

Most recipes for pozole will use canned hominy, but we choose to use dried hominy for our vegan posole. Dried hominy is typically more flavorful than the cooked version, although it does make the cook time for this vegetarian pozole a lot longer. We actually think of this as a positive- it means that the broth has to be cooked longer, which allows more time for the flavors to develop. This makes that warm, tortilla-like smell (the same comforting smell you get when making pupusas) and flavor permeate the broth, giving a delicious, hominy layer of flavor to your rich, red broth. I got my hominy from my favorite bean distributor, Rancho Gordo, but you can also get them in some grocery stores (Goya is a common brand that sells it), or online.

Looking for Mexican-Inspired Recipes? Check out one of these!

How to Make Vegan Posole with Mushrooms and Tempeh

To make our vegan pozole rojo, it takes time. Firstly, make sure to soak your hominy overnight, so that it’s able to cook more quickly. Next, set up the broth by sauteing mushrooms and onions, and setting up your hominy to slowly cook in that broth. Next, move on to the rojo part of our vegan posole rojo, with the chilies. I roasted mine over an open flame, letting them blacken a little (you can also toast them in a skillet), and then re-hydrate them in hot water along with a few other components. After they’ve soaked for a while, blend it with other ingredients to create a chili sauce. Strain it through a mesh strainer, making sure to mix it and push as much of the liquid as possible right into the cooking hominy. Let the soup continue to cook with the chili sauce in it until the hominy is done, while you prepare the toppings (including cooking the tempeh for a topper). Serving the vegetarian pozole should be done by the individual- the amount of hominy, mushrooms, broth, and toppings everyone wants is up to them!

Vegan Posole with Tempeh and Mushrooms

Ingredients

8-ounces dried hominy
Olive or vegetable oil, for sautéing
12-ounce mixed mushrooms
1 large onion, divided
1 14 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
3 dried whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp + 1 tsp soy sauce, divided
4 dried New Mexico chilies
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
8-ounce package of tempeh
Salt, to taste
½ a small head of cabbage, sliced finely
Bunch of cilantro (or parsley), chopped
2 limes, sliced
1-2 avocados, sliced and covered with lime juice to prevent oxidizing
Small bunch of radishes, sliced

Instructions

Soak the hominy in water over night, at least 6 hours. Before cooking, drain the water from the corn.
Wash and chop the mushrooms, and ¼ of the large onion. Add some oil to the pot, and sauté the onion and mushrooms until softened slightly. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer for another minute, before adding the cloves, bay leaf, and drained hominy. Stir well to coat the hominy in flavor, and then add 6 cups of water (or vegetable stock, if preferred) and 1 tsp. soy sauce. Bring up to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for 1-2 hours, until the hominy is fully cooked.
In a large skillet, or over an open flame, toast your dried chilies until slightly blackened (if using an open flame, make sure not to let them completely burn). Remove the stems and seeds, and set aside. Bring 2 ½ cups of water to a boil and turn off the heat. Add chilies, ½ onion, roughly chopped, and garlic to the water. Let sit for 15 minutes. Place the chilies, onion, garlic, and 1 ½ cups of the soaking liquid in a blender, along with the cumin and oregano. Blend well, until fairly smooth. Pour through a fine mesh strainer, using a spoon to force as much of the flavorful liquid as possible through the strainer. Add to the chili liquid to the simmering hominy.
Chop your tempeh into small cubes, place in a container and top with the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Let sit, tossing once or twice, for about 10 minutes, or until most of the soy sauce has been absorbed. Heat a small skillet, and cook the tempeh, stirring occasionally, until it has developed some color. Remove from the heat and place in a small bowl.
Prep the rest of your veggies at this time- finely chop your cabbage, the remaining ¼ of onion, the cilantro, slice the radishes and avocado, and chop the limes into sections.
Once the hominy is well cooked (it should have just a little bite to it, and no chalkiness), season with salt to taste and serve the posole warm. Start with some of the soup, and let everyone fix their bowl with the tempeh and freshly chopped vegetables. Squeeze on lime juice as desired, and enjoy.

https://veryveganval.com/2019/08/19/vegan-posole-with-tempeh-and-mushrooms/

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