Authentic Mexican vegan pozole verde! This comforting soup is hearty, savory and nutritious. One of the most popular Mexican dishes on the blog! Make sure to make the full batch because you’ll want seconds.
What is Vegan Pozole Verde?
Pozole is an authentic Mexican soup dish made with hominy, pork or chicken and a blend of savory peppers. There are two main types of Pozoles: green and red. The red pozole is delicious as well but my all-time favorite is pozole verde!
Vegan Pozole Verde is made with a lot of the same ingredients that salsa verde is made with. If you’re a fan of salsa verde (green salsa), you will love this hearty soup! This recipe will vary depending on the part of Mexico that you get it from. However, there are 3 main parts to pozole verde:
The Broth: In my opinion, the best part! This is where all the flavor comes from. A blend of tomatillos, pepita (pumpkin) seeds, cilantro, onion, garlic and peppers. Let’s not forget the vegetable broth. I recommend making your own using Better Than Bouillon and water.
The hominy: Hominy is made from whole corn kernels that have been soaked and processed to be more available for cooking. They have a mild taste, slightly earthly and slightly similar to corn. I personally love the texture!
The Jackfruit: Jackfruit is a great substitute for chicken or pork. I highly recommend buying the canned jackfruit from Trader Joe’s or any of your local grocery stores. Make sure to drain, rinse well and pat dry before using.
Nutritious Pozole Verde Ingredients
This recipe is one of the most nutritious Mexican dishes around! It has lots of vitamins and antioxidants making it perfect for sick days. The pumpkin seeds, spinach, peppers, herbs contribute to all of these wonderful benefits. Check out the ingredients used for the broth:
Tips and Substitutes
Roasting the tomatillos, peppers and onion is optional but makes for a great vegan pozole verde. It adds a nice roasted flavor but is not necessary if you are in a rush. You can simply blend all the broth ingredients and simmer with the broth to cook.
Adding 2-3 jalapeno or serrano peppers makes a mild-medium spicy broth. If you want it mild, use 1 pepper and if you want it spicer use 4+. If using less peppers, i highly recommend using 2 pasilla peppers to make up for the flavor. Pasilla peppers are extremely mild in spice but huge in flavor.
I add spinach for extra nutrients and to get a nice green color broth. It is optional but I highly recommend it.
Jackfruit is a great meat alternative but you can also use shredded king oyster mushroom, portobella mushroom slices, vegan chicken, seitan or soy curls.
Other Authentic Vegan Mexican Recipes:
PrintPozole Verde
- Total Time: 45
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The best pozole verde you will ever have. Savory, cozy, satisfying, authentic, and nutritious! Make this delicious soup for a special occasion or batch-cook it for the entire week.
Ingredients
- 6-8 green tomatillos
- 1 cup of spinach
- 2 handfuls of cilantro
- 1 medium onion
- 2-3 jalapeno or serrano peppers
- 1 medium pasilla pepper
- 10 cups vegetable broth or 10 cups water with vegan bouillon- low sodium
- 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 large can of Hominy (32 oz)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 cups mushrooms of choice (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Jackfruit:
- 2 cans of jackfruit from Trader Joe’s (20 oz cans)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- Shredded cabbage
- Sliced radishes
- Chopped onion
- Dried oregano
- Pepitas
Instructions
- Turn a griddle on medium-high heat and roast tomatillos, peppers, and onion for 10-12 minutes or until black roasted spots begin to appear on all sides.
- Heat a small pan on medium heat to toast your pepitas. Toast on medium heat for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly to avoid burning seeds.
- Add pepitas, tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro, spinach, and onion to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add to pot and continue to simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add salt, cumin, and pepper to taste.
- Fill a large pot with the remaining 8-9 cups of vegetable broth and boil on high. After the water begins to boil, turn it down to simmer and add the green mixture from the blender.
- Open can of hominy, drain and rinse. Add to pot of simmering broth.
- Open the cans of jackfruit, drain, rinse well and then pat dry with a towel. Shred the jackfruit with your hands or two forks.
- Add jackfruit to a pan and saute (or air fry) with 1 tbsp of oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and a tsp of garlic powder until golden/slightly crispy. Set aside.
- Prepare your toppings. Shred cabbage, sliced radishes, limes, and onions for toppings.
- Serve in a bowl, add toppings and enjoy!
Notes
*great for leftovers, refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for 4 months.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Mexican
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
This recipe is packed full of flavor and is so equally balanced. Even my friends who swore they’d never eat vegan loved it!
Flavorful + balanced is exactly how I would describe this pozole 🙂 thanks for trying Jenn
Pingback: Vegan Pozole (Authentic Family Recipe!)
Pingback: Vegan Tamales Recipe (Grandma's Authentic Mexican Recipe)
Best pozole I’ve ever had! Making it for Christmas to share with my entire family.
I love this way better than the red!
Loved it! I couldn’t find pasilla peppers but did a poblano and it was yummy.
I added about 1.5 cups of broth to my peppers in the blender so it blended smoother.