Pozole Verde

Recipe adapted from Provecho by Edgar Castrejon

This pozole verde was the first recipe I made from Edgar Castrejon’s terrific new cookbook, Provecho. His recipes are all made with real, whole food, plant-based ingredients. Through roasting and relying heavily on aromatic herbs and spices, he achieves completely authentic, totally scrumptious flavors without the use of any animal products. If you like Mexican food, you will love his creations.

This pozole is packed with beautiful fresh ingredients and brimming with fiber, heart-healthy fats, and antioxidants. It has an entire bunch of fresh cilantro, serrano chilis, garlic, onion, two different kinds of seeds, lime juice, and hominy. The base of this spicy soup is made from pepitas and sesame seeds, giving it a creamy tahini-like taste.

Special Equipment Needed: High speed blender

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw pepitas

• 1/3 cup raw white sesame seeds

• 1-3 serrano chilis

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1/2 large onion, finely diced
  (I used chives because this is what I had on hand. Use the alliums of your choice).

• 1 large bunch of cilantro

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2 cups water

• 2 25-ounce cans of hominy, drained
  (I like Juanita’s hominy as it contains only hominy, water, and salt.)

• 6 cups vegetable stock
  (I used six cups of water and 6 Massel-7’s stock cubes.)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon tamari

• (Optional for added protein - 2 packages firm tofu cut into cubes. I have made this recipe both with and without the tofu. It is excellent both ways.)

• Juice of 1 lime (or more)
  
  For serving (optional):

• Lime wedges

• Tortilla strips or chips

• Thinly sliced radishes

• Cubed avocado

Method:

• Roast your pepitas and sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until they are nicely browned.

• Watch them carefully, as they will burn easily.

• Remove the roasted seeds and place them in the container of a high speed blender.

• Using the same pan, roast the whole serrano chilis until they are slightly charred.

• Remove the serrano stems and seeds, and roughly chop.

• Add one roasted serrano chili to the high speed blender along with the garlic, onion, cilantro, vinegar, and 2 cups of water.

• Blend on high until smooth.

• Taste this mixture and add more chilis if additional spice is desired. Remember the heat will build during the cooking process.

• Pour this mixture into a large stock pot and add the hominy, vegetable stock, salt, tamari, and optional tofu cubes.

• Simmer on medium high until the hominy is well cooked, approximately 45 minutes.

• Remove from heat and squeeze in the juice of one lime. Stir to incorporate.

• Taste and adjust your seasonings, adding additional lime juice for acid or an extra splash of tamari, if more umami is needed.

• Although not part of the recipe, we enjoy our pozole with oven-roasted crispy corn tortilla strips. To make these, simply slice the tortillas, place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, salt liberally, and bake at 450 until crispy. Watch them carefully as they burn easily.

• If desired, serve with cubed avocado, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.

The depth of flavor in this soup is remarkable, and it makes the whole house smell amazing!

I can’t wait to cook my way through Provecho.
You can also find Edgar’s work on instagram @edgarraw.
www.instagram.com/edgarraw/
He has tons of recipes and cooking videos there for your enjoyment.

Wishing you abundant good health and happy eating.
🌱💕