Vegetarian Pozole Verde (Hominy Soup)

This recipe is my vegetarian adaptation of Pozole Verde: Hominy and Meat Soup with Green Herbs from 'A Cook's Tour of Mexico' by Nancy Zaslavsky. It's a great way to use up all the tomatillos and greens that we tend to get in our CSA boxes in the Pacific Northwest. This soup is great topped with a quick red onion pickle and crumbled cotija cheese.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 31 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 1 mins
• Calories: 563 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• ½ cup vegetable oil, divided
• ½ pound dried pinto beans
• 8 ounces raw shelled pumpkin seeds
• 1 pound tomatillos - husked, cored, chopped
• 10 serrano peppers, chopped
• 1 bunch arugula leaves, chopped
• 10 leaves fresh spinach, chopped
• 10 leaves Boston lettuce, chopped
• 2 quarts vegetable stock, or more as needed
• 2 (29 ounce) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place pinto beans in a large stock pot with water to cover; let soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain.

Step 2

Cover the beans with about 3 inches water and cook over medium-low heat until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain.

Step 3

Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin seeds; cook and stir until light brown and popping, about 6 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Pour pumpkin seeds and oil into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add 1/2 the tomatillos, serrano peppers, arugula, spinach, lettuce, parsley, and cilantro into the blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat with remaining tomatillos, serrano peppers, arugula, spinach, lettuce, parsley, and cilantro.

Step 5

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a deep pot. Add the tomatillo sauce carefully. Simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Step 6

Pour pinto beans, vegetable stock, and hominy into the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Let simmer, uncovered, until flavors are thoroughly blended, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.