Instant Pot Menudo Made Vegan
If you love vegan menudo and want a quicker way to cook it, you’ll love this Instant Pot menudo recipe! Same awesome taste, just quicker to get on the table.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot brand you can use any brand of electric pressure cooker with this recipe.
Mexican Menudo
Menudo in Mexico refers a tripe soup (yuck) slowly simmered with a red chile sauce, herbs and spices. It’s one of the most classic Mexican recipe. People either love it or hate it.
In my previous recipe for making vegan menudo on the stovetop, I talked all about my hate and disgust of menudo. I liked the taste of the broth but was disgusted by the tripe.
The smell, taste and texture of tripe was and is so gross to me!
Well of course after going meatless, menudo was one of the foods I knew I could veganize and knew would be better than the classic recipe.
Instant Pot Menudo
Making vegan menudo is WAY easier than the tripe version. It also takes a lot less time to cook it.
Then when you make vegan menudo in an Instant Pot or an electric pressure cooker, it’s even quicker. Isn’t that great?
My vegan stovetop menudo takes about an hour and ten minutes and
How to Cook Vegan Menudo in an Electric Pressure Cooker
As I mentioned before you don’t need to have an Instant Pot brand, you can use any type you have. The recipe instructions are for manual settings.
Steps to Make Pressure Cooker Menudo
- First the chile sauce needs to be made. You boil some water then add the seeded and rinsed chiles. Also add the onion and garlic. Simmer until soft. Then blend with some of the boiling liquid. Set aside.
- While the chiles are simmering you can cook the faux tripe, aka the oyster mushrooms. Set the pressure cooker to “Saute” heat the oil then add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to crisp up. Use a colander to strain the chile sauce into the pot. Discard any leftover bits.
- Add the epazote and dried spices and salt, then the hominy and the the broth.
- Put the lid on the pressure cooker. Move valve to “sealing”, select Pressure Cook and set to High Pressure then set time to 15 minutes. Allow to come to pressure and cook. Allow the steam to naturally release and wait for the float valve to drop. Move valve to “Venting” and very carefully remove the lid.
- Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve with chopped onion and cilantro, sprinkle with Mexican oregano and plenty of lime juice. Enjoy
Instant Pot Menudo Made Vegan
Ingredients
- 4 cups water to cook the chiles
- 5 whole guajillo chiles stem removed, seeded and rinsed
- 3 whole chiles de arbol stem removed, seeded and rinsed
- 1/2 large white onion quartered
- 6 whole garlic cloves
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups oyster mushrooms roughly chopped into medium pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 leaves fresh epazote or 1 Tablespoon dried (if you love epazote add up to 5 leaves)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 small bay leaves (or one large one)
- 15 oz can of hominy drained and rinsed (optional)
- 4 cups vegetable broth use your favorite brand or homemade
- 1/2 cup white onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 4 whole limes cut into 1/2 or 1/4
- Mexican oregano
Instructions
- Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil, then add the chiles, onion and garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the onion is soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before blending with once cup of the boiling broth. Blend until you have a smooth sauce, add more broth if necessary. Set aside.
- (You can cook the mushrooms while the chiles are cooking.) Select "Saute" function on your pressure cooker or Instant Pot, set for 20 minutes. Add the olive oil and once hot add the mushrooms sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon of salt over them. Saute until they begin to crisp up a bit. Place a colander over the pot and strain the chile sauce over the mushrooms. Discard leftover bits.
- Next add the epazote and salt, cumin, oregano and bay leaves. Stir until well combined and saute for 5 minutes. Then mix in the hominy, then pour in the vegetable broth and mix well.
- Cancel the "Saute" function. Place the lid on your pressure cooker and lock into place. Move valve to "Sealing", select "Pressure Cook" setting then "High Pressure" and set time to 15 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally, my took about 10 minutes. IF you don't want to wait you can do a quick release by carefully switching the valve to "Venting". Wait until the float valve drops and all the steam is release before you carefully remove the lid —facing away from you!
- TO SERVE
- Before you serve the menudo, taste it and adjust any seasoning you'd like. Serve with chopped cilantro and white onion, a sprinkle of Mexican oregano and plenty of lime juice. People also like to serve and eat with some warm corn tortillas and a spicy salsa on the side.
Video
Notes
- My pressure cooker took 8 minutes to come to pressure and about 10 to fully release the steam. Yours may vary and if so the total time to make this recipe may vary slightly than my recipe states.
Nutrition
See wasn’t that super easy and with so little effort?
Now go on and enjoy this quick, easy, vegan menudo recipe. I grew up eating menudo on the weekends as a special treat. So even now I still make menudo for weekend meals or special occasions.
Enjoy amigos & remember to tag me on social media if you try this or any of my other recipes. I love to see your creations!
More Mexican Soups & Stews to Try
- Vegan Lentil Soup | Sopa de Lentejas
- Easy Sopa de Fideo
- Easy Mexican Fava Bean Soup
- The Best Vegetarian Mexican Albondigas Soup Recipe
- How to Make Vegan Pozole Rojo
- Vegan Pozole Verde Recipe (2 Ways)
- Vegan Mexican Menudo Recipe (stovetop version)
- Corn and Poblano Pepper Soup with a Touch of Curry Powder
- Veggie Loaded Miso and Sriracha Noodle Soup
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
Yes, I finally found a recipe for Vegan Menudo. one of the thing I really miss since going meatless is menudo. My dad would go buy us some every sunday mornings. I was so excited to try this and it hit the spot. the texture of the mushrooms is on point. Thank you never again will I miss eating menudo. know I can just make it when ever I crave it.
Yes, the vegan menudo is super easy to make and even easier in the instant pot. Enjoy
I made this for my sisters birthday and it was DELICIOUS!! it took a little bit for some of the guest to realize it wasn’t tripe, Even the non vegetarians ate it all up. Awesome recipe
Thank you Gaby, I’m so happy you all enjoyed it.