Vegan Pozole Rojo
My easy vegan pozole rojo with pinto beans, spinach, and bell peppers is a classic Mexican stew full of rich flavor. It's the perfect comforting Instant Pot recipe that I make in just 30 minutes with a bunch of spices and veggies for a hearty family meal.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 207kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 3 yellow bell peppers diced
- 6 oz fresh baby spinach chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1-1½ tbsp ground cumin note: use less if you are sensitive to spice
- 1-1½ tbsp mild chili powder note: use less if you are sensitive to spice
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt more to taste - I added about ½ tsp more
- ½ cup tomato paste (4 ounces)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15oz can hominy, rinsed and drained
- 32 oz vegetable broth (4 cups)
- optional toppings: ¼ cup chopped cilantro, divided, squeeze of lime juice, diced avocado or guacamole, chopped radishes, shredded mexican cheese blend, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
To Make In The Instant Pot
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute on low. Add olive oil through garlic, saute 5-10 minutes.
- Add the cumin, chili powder, ancho chili powder, coconut sugar and salt. Saute another 2-3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, bay leaf, pinto beans, hominy and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Secure lid of the instant pot. Press "pressure cook" and set timer to 15 minutes. Natural release.
To Make On The Stove Top
- Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers, spinach, garlic, tomato paste and spices. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions have caramelized slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, simmer for about 30 minutes until all of the flavors have combined. Serve this delicious meal with warm corn tortillas or any other toppings you like!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this vegan pozole rojo recipe is not overcook the pinto beans. When I cook this recipe on the stovetop, it takes roughly 30 minutes to make the beans soft and tender. Overcooking them will result in mushy beans, which will make the soup really thick. We do not want that, right?
- Where To Buy Hominy: If you don't have ready-to-eat Hominy, you can cook it yourself. I recommend following the same process as for dried beans.
- If You Want To Use Dried Beans: Dried beans will also work in this Pozole recipe. Soaking the dried pinto beans in plain water overnight, rinsing well, and discarding the soaking liquid first before cooking them. For the instant pot, 15 minutes, and for the stovetop method, cook them for 2 hours covered on simmer.
- Vegan Pozole For Kids: For kids that don't like veggies, I recommend cooking and adding them to a blender and making a puree. Then, pour it into the broth. This will add the flavor of the veggies and still keep the nutrition.
- Make it Mild: Also, I recommend adjusting the chili powders or removing them completely if your kids can't stand spicy food.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1667mg | Potassium: 827mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g