How to Make Vegan Pozole Rojo
Learn how to make vegan pozole rojo from a Mexican girl who’s been making it for over 10 years. The taste and recipe are authentic and they’ll satisfy your pozole cravings on a plant-based diet. There’s a reason this recipe has nearly30 five star reviews!
Pozole one of Mexico’s most iconic dish gets a vegan makeover!
Hola amigos! I’m super excited to be sharing one of my favorite Mexican dishes: pozole!
This is ultimate comfort food and it’s so perfect for cold weather, special occasions, and for the holiday season.
Vegan Pozole Rojo Just Like The Traditional One
This veganized pozole recipe makes a great substitute for the traditional meat versions. Of course, because there’s no meat in this, it’s not going to taste exactly like chicken or pork pozole.
But in the 7 years that I’ve been making it this way, I’m always fully satisfied every time the pozole craving strikes.
The authentic flavors of the soup broth are here. You’re simply swapping out the meat for a meat substitute.
I promise, you’re going to love it!
Is it Pozole or Posole?
Traditionally in Mexico we call it pozole.
In the border towns of the American Southwest, many will spell it posole.
Though the traditional recipes tend to be quite similar, some differences may exist.
Not to mention that different regions in Mexico may also have variations in their recipes.
Now having said that, if you want the true authentic flavors of Mexican pozole then stay away from recipes that call for corn or corn kernels – the only corn that belongs in pozole is the hominy!
Also ones that call for tortillas chips, tomato paste – which we don’t ever us in Mexican cooking.
Meat Substitutes for Pozole
The traditional meat for making Mexican pozole is pork. Though some people will also use chicken.
But let me show you some amazing plant-based alternatives that work perfectly.
What are some vegan substitutes for meatless pozole?
Mushrooms
Mushrooms make a fantastic meat substitute! They can be used in just about any meat dish that you want to make meatless.
Their texture and natural umami flavor makes them perfect.
I use mushrooms to make my pozole, menudo, tacos, and so much more.
For the pozole I like using cremini mushrooms, but portobello and oyster mushrooms both work quite well too.
Jackfruit
Jackfruit has become all the rage in the past few years. The reason being that it shreds just like meat, making it give the dish that “shredded meat” look.
Typically canned jackfruit is what’s used. You don’t want to use fresh jackfruit. The fresh is quite sweet and won’t work like the brined cans.
I’ve used it to make vegan tamales verdes, and sometime I’ll share my jackfruit pozole recipe with you. Stay tuned!
Other Meat Substitutes
You could also try using soy curls, TVP, or your favorite seitan faux meat. You could even use either pinto beans or black beans – there are some traditional pozoles that use this beans.
Ingredients Needed to Make Vegan Pozole Rojo
Pozole is a hearty stew with some very basic Mexican ingredients. But don’t worry you can find them pretty much anywhere nowadays. Do check out the Amazon links below.
Below are the basic and authentic ingredients Mexican pozole rojo needs to have!
Dried Chiles: Depending on the Mexican region, different dried chilies may be used. My family is from Jalisco and I use guajillo peppers, pasilla chiles, ancho chiles, and for a little heat I add chile de arbol.
Hominy: This is called “maiz pozolero” and you can find it canned just about anywhere.
Broth: You want to use your favorite, most flavorful veggie or “beef” bouillon cubes, powder, or paste. I use the Origen Sano brand but you could also use Not Beef or Better Than Bouillon brands.
Plant Protein: My recipe uses cremini mushrooms.
Onion and Garlic
Spices: You’ll need bay leaf, Mexican oregano, and salt. Some people like to add a bit of ground cumin, I don’t.
Oil: I use olive oil to sauté the mushrooms.
See, super simple and short ingredients list.
Pozole Topping Suggestions
Toppings are completely a personal choice, but below are some of the more common ones:
Shredded lettuce or shredded cabbage, sliced or chopped radishes, lime wedges, chopped avocado, tostadas (which are crispy corn tortillas), and crema, salsa.
Dusting freshly crushed dried oregano over your bowl is also a Mexican must! If you don’t like oregano you could add a little bit of chopped cilantro.
How to Make Authentic Vegan Pozole Rojo at Home
Making vegan pozole is so much quicker than making meat based one.
Step 1: Prepping The Chiles
To start you remove the stems and seeds from the chiles, then thoroughly rinse under cool water.
Step 2: Boil The Sauce Ingredients
Add the prepped dried chiles, the onion and garlic into a medium pot and pour in enough water to cover them. Boil over medium-high heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Blend The Sauce Ingredients
Place the boiled chiles, onion and garlic into the blender. Pour in 3/4 cups of the boiling broth into the blender. Blend until you achieve a smooth sauce and add more boiling broth if necessary.
Step 4: Cook The Mushrooms for the Pozole
In a large pot, where you’ll be cooking the pozole, heat the oil over medium heat, once hot add the mushrooms.
Sauté until they have released their liquid and softened. You can cook them a few minutes more after this.
(You can also cook the mushrooms while the chiles boil.)
Step 5: Strain The Sauce Ingredients into the Pot
Next place a colander over the pot and strain the chile sauce over the mushrooms. Discard any little bits left over.
Step 6: Add The Spices, Hominy, and Broth
Add the seasonings and give the ingredients a stir. Next add the drained and rinsed hominy to the pot. Then very carefully pour in the vegetable broth and give the ingredients a good stir
Step 7: Simmer and Cook the Vegan Menudo Rojo
Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the hominy is tender. Allow the ingredients to really come together to create a flavorful pozole.
Step 8: Taste
The last step is to taste the pozole after it’s simmered for 30 to 40 minutes. At this time you can add more salt if needed.
The best and very last step is to serve and enjoy!
How to Serve Vegan Pozole Rojo
The traditionally way to serve pozole is super delicious!
You can top with either shredded cabbage or lettuce. Some sliced radishes, some lightly sauteed chiles (see recipe below), a good drizzle of lime juice.
Also with some freshly crushed dried Mexican oregano.
Many people also like to add a little dollop of sour cream and some salsa. On the side you can serve tostadas. These are enjoyed in between spoonfuls of the yummy pozole.
How to Store and Reheat Vegan Pozole
Allow leftovers to come to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. Place in the fridge. Vegan pozole will keep for about a week.
Or you could also freeze it by pouring into freezer safe containers or a freezer Ziploc bag. It will keep fresh for up to 4 months.
To reheat leftover pozole just put it on the stovetop and simmer until warm. You could also reheat it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
For frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight then put in a pot and simmer until warm.
Recipe For How to Make Vegan Pozole Rojo
Pozole, like so many other dishes, is something that every family adds their special touch to.
The ingredients will often vary from family to family.
This is how I make my pozole, but feel free to adjust to your own personal taste. You can find the ingredients in the Hispanic food isle of most grocery stores, and if not there’s always Amazon — check the links in the recipe card.
Pozole is a Special Occasions Meal
Pozole has always been a special occasion meal in Mexico. People will serve it for birthdays and all sorts of celebrations.
It’s very popular during the holiday season. It’s quite common to see pozole on offer at the Christmas dinner table.
Whether you make it for Christmas or just to enjoy on a chilly day, I hope you warm your belly with a big pot of pozole.
Like we say in Mexico, “Barriga llena, corazón contento”, or a full belly and a happy heart.
Green Pozole or Red Pozole
As I previously mentioned, there are variations of pozole depending on the Mexican region. But perhaps the two most famous ones are red and green pozole.
While the red is made with dried red chiles, the green one uses fresh ingredients to make the pozole base. For example fresh cilantro, tomatillos, poblano peppers and other green peppers are used…like making a salsa verde. Another ingredient added is pepitas.
Make sure to give my vegan pozole verde recipe a try – it’s super delicious!
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
More Recipes to Try
How to Make Vegan Pozole Rojo
Video
Ingredients
Pozole Ingredients:
- 31 oz or 900gm hominy drained and rinsed
- 3 whole dried guajillos chiles
- 2 whole dried ancho chiles
- 2 whole dried pasilla chiles optional
- 3 whole dried chiles de arbol optional
- 8.5 cups 2 lt. of vegetable broth
- 16 oz container of crimini mushrooms sliced
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 whole large garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano adjust to taste
- 1 large dried bay leaf or 2 small ones
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Topping Choices:
- 8 oz shredded iceberg lettuce or cabbage
- 6 whole radishes
- pinch dried Mexican oregano
- 4 Tablespoons Sour cream optional
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil, while we wait for that we can deseed and devein the chiles. You can use scissors to cut open the chilies to remove the hard stems, seeds and veins.
- Once the water has boiled, place the deseeded chiles, the onion and garlic into the pot. Allow to simmer under low heat until the chiles have rehydrated and the onion and garlic have softened.
- Once softened, carefully place boiled ingredients into the blender, then add about half a cup of the boiling broth, or plain water. Blend until you have a smooth, thickish sauce — if needed add more of the boiling broth to help achieve the smooth consistency. Strain the sauce now or do so in the next step. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot, and over medium heat, drizzle in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, then add the mushrooms and sauté for about 8 minutes or until soft. Next, place a colander over the pot and carefully strain the chile sauce into it. Then add 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt and stir, then add 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano and stir. Next we add the hominy and mix until well combined. Lastly pour in the vegetable broth and bay leaves, stir until well combined.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the hominy is very tender. After about 30 minutes, taste the pozole to see if it can use more salt or a little more oregano — but don’t overdo it on the oregano because if there’s too much, it can turn the pozole sour.
- While we wait for the pozole to cook, we can prepare the toppings. Slice and chop the toppings you'd like to include.
- Once the pozole is ready, allow to cool slightly before serving. Top with any or all of the mentioned topping choice, or you can let everyone choose how they’d like to eat their pozole. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Nutrition
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Looking for a Barro Plate Like Mine
Amigos so many of you ask me where I get my beautiful Mexican pottery from. The answer is Mexico. I know many of you can’t travel so I’ve put together a gorgeous collection from Amazon. Click the image below to go check it out.
Thanks for stopping by, happy cooking, and adios amigos!
Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
