Ingredients

Pozole Base

• 1 lb king oyster (king trumpet) mushrooms (≈ 500 g)
• 4 C vegetable broth (home-made or store bought) or plain water
• 10 medium tomatillos
• 6 poblano peppers
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers (optional)
• 2 C water (for step 3)
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 tsp oregano (optional, but recommended)
• Salt to taste
• 2 cans hominy

Garnish

• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers (optional)
• 1 onion
• 1 sliced avocado
• Lemon to taste
• Home-made corn tostadas or store bought

Equipment

• Instant Pot or stove pot
• Measuring cups + spoons
• Fork
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Food processor or high speed blender
• Oven (if making home-made tostadas)

Preparation

1. Shred the mushrooms with a fork and set aside.
2. Rinse and drain the hominy, set aside.
3. Remove seeds and stems from the poblanos and cut in half. Add poblanos, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeños to the Instant Pot with 2 C water. After cooking, drain the liquid, save it if you’re not using vegetable broth and plan to use it later.
   • Pressure cook for 5 minutes
   • OR stove-top cook for ~15 minutes, until soft
4. Blend the cooked mixture with cilantro, salt, and oregano (without the cooking water) until smooth.
5. Add blended mixture back to the pot with shredded mushrooms and vegetable broth.
   • Simmer on stove for 10 minutes
   • OR keep warm in Instant Pot for 10 minutes
6. Add hominy and cook/warm for another 5 minutes.
7. Chop cilantro, onion, and peppers. Slice avocado and lemon.

Serve in a bowl. Garnish generously. Add tostadas on the side.

Tips & Tricks

• King oyster mushrooms are easiest to find at Asian grocery stores, usually fresh, affordable, and stocked year-round.
• Swap mushrooms for soy curls, TVP, or jackfruit (same amount).
• Shredding mushrooms with a fork is faster than it sounds… and oddly satisfying.
• No vegetable broth? Use the pepper cooking water + 2 more cups of plain water.
• Love thick pozole? Use less liquid. Love soup vibes? Add more.
• Oregano is optional… but also kind of the secret weapon.
• Love hominy? Add more.
• Love mushrooms? Add more.
• Cooking for one? Make half.
• No tostadas? Warm corn tortillas work perfectly.
• Flavors get even better overnight.
• Keeps 5 days in the fridge or 1–2 months frozen (airtight container).

Serving Suggestions

• Serve hot in a bowl, topped with the garnish.

https://plantbasedtimes.substack.com/p/plant-based-pozole-verde?r=48n1nx