Pinto bean pozole verde with toasted pepitas
Pinto bean pozole verde is a tangy, brothy Mexican-inspired soup where jarred salsa verde, hominy and canned pinto beans simmer for 20 minutes, then get piled high with cabbage, radish, lime and toasted pepitas.
Published .
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Protein
- ~17 g
- The vegan swap
- Pozole is usually built on slow-cooked pork. Here pinto beans step in, and mashing a scoop of them into the pot gives the broth the body that pork shoulder normally would.
- Make ahead
- The soup keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months. Store toppings separately and add them fresh when you reheat.
Ingredients
Pozole
Toppings
How to make it
Toast the pepitas
Toast the pepitas in a dry soup pot over medium heat, stirring often, until they puff and pop, about 3 minutes. Tip them into a bowl with a pinch of salt and set aside.
Soften the vegetables
Add the oil, onion and poblano to the same pot with a pinch of salt. Cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Build the broth
Pour in the salsa verde and broth. Add the pinto beans and hominy. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer for 15 minutes so the flavors meld.
Thicken it
Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to smash about a cup of beans against the side of the pot. Stir them in. The broth turns silky and a little thicker.
Finish and serve
Stir in the spinach until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and pile on cabbage, radishes, cilantro and toasted pepitas. Serve with lime wedges and warm tortillas.
Why this works
Jarred salsa verde already has roasted tomatillos, chiles, onion and garlic cooked down together, so it gives you a deep, tangy broth base in minutes. Sweating the poblano and blooming the cumin and oregano in oil adds the toasty, earthy notes that make it taste slow-simmered.
Mashing some of the pinto beans releases their starch into the broth, giving it body without any cream. Hominy brings the chewy, corny bite that defines pozole, and the cold, crunchy toppings play against the hot soup so every spoonful stays interesting.
Tips
- Taste your salsa verde first. Some jars are mild, some are fiery, and that sets the heat for the whole pot.
- Rinse the hominy well. It washes off the starchy canning liquid and keeps the broth bright.
- Want it hotter? Add a minced jalapeño with the poblano, or a spoonful of chipotle in adobo with the broth.
- The crunchy toppings are not optional. They make the bowl.
Questions about this recipe
Where do I find hominy?
Look in the canned vegetable aisle or the Latin foods section of most US grocery stores. White or yellow both work. If you cannot find it, use 2 cups of frozen corn, though the texture will be softer and sweeter.
Can I use homemade salsa verde instead of a jar?
Yes. Use about 2 cups of your favorite tomatillo salsa. If it is chunky, blend it smooth first so the broth stays even.