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Made with simple ingredients, this vegan pozole verde recipe is the easiest comfort food in a bowl! It’s made with mushrooms, canned beans, and tomatillos, so it’s bursting with flavor and packed with protein. You can easily make pozole without meat and have all the traditional flavors!
save this recipe!Pozole, but make it vegan! If you’re asking yourself, “What is pozole?” I’ve got it all right here. Traditionally, pozole is a soup made with hominy and pork. I’ve added those classic flavors to mushrooms and beans to get that same chew (without the meat). Pozole verde takes it a step further by using tomatillos to add a rich green color.
This soup is great for serving a crowd. It can be a main dish or the perfect small bowl starter for a multi-course feast. It would be wonderful served with tacos and salad. Everyone can customize their bowl with toppings and up the spice if that’s what they’re after! Pull up a bowl and join me.
Reader rating
“Delicious! I just made this and it’s so good. Only changes I made were used half cremini and half button mushrooms and I also blistered my tomatillos under the broiler before cutting them up. Highly recommend!” —Margaret
here’s what you’ll need
This vegan pozole requires a bunch of pantry staple flavors and adds some flair with hominy and tomatillos. Head over to your local Mexican mercado to get the freshest ingredients! Jump to the recipe card for the quantities.
- Flavor Base: Onions, garlic, and jalapeños are the base for our soup.
- Cumin and Oregano: These add richness and further build our flavor.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms often substitute for meat because they can have a meaty texture. Keep the slices thick enough so they retain some chew. I love using button mushrooms here, but you could use any mushroom variety.
- Hominy: This de-germed corn is a staple in Mexican cuisine. You can find it canned next to beans.
- Pinto Beans: Add protein here (plus, I love the texture in soup)! Kidney beans work too.
- Tomatillos: This fun ingredient adds green color and subtle chew to the pozole.
- Veggie Broth: Any soup needs broth! Feel free to use plain vegetable broth or amp it up with a vegan “pork” broth base if you can find it in-store.
- Lime Juice: This finishes everything off and ties it all together.
Tomatillo Tip
While tomatillo might seem to mean “little tomato,” it isn’t a tomato! They are related but have a more acidic and less sweet taste than tomatoes. Unlike most produce, tomatillos are most flavorful when unripe, hence the green color. Remove the paper husk before using, and rinse the stickiness with warm water before dicing.
How to Make Pozole Without Meat
There’s lots of dicing, draining, and sautéing here, but it’s all quick and easy! In no time, you’ll have the full pot on simmer. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions. This is just an overview.
Step 1: Make the Flavor Base
Add your diced onion, jalapeño, and garlic and season it up. This is the first layer to making just about any soup!
Step 2: Add Mushrooms
This step takes a good five minutes. You want the mushrooms to let all their water out and begin to brown. This ensures the flavor isn’t watered down.
Step 3: Add Fillings
Add the prepared tomatillos, beans, hominy, and broth. Cover and let simmer for at least 20 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Step 4: Finish
Just before serving, quickly squeeze a lime on and add salt and pepper to taste.
Top it off
Serve with sliced radish and avocado! Chopped fresh cilantro is also always a great idea.
Create a Flavor Fiesta
Serve this pozole verde with our other vegetarian Mexican recipes for a real feast!
- Homemade Tortilla Chips, but make them strips instead! The perfect crunch on top.
- Mexican Street Corn Salad is a nice cool side to this hot soup.
- Mexican Paletas, because no feast is complete without the perfect dessert.
Easiest Vegan Pozole Verde Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp oil, 15 mL
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
- 1 jalapeño, deseeded and finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 8 oz sliced button mushrooms, 226 g
- 1 15-oz can hominy, drained, 425 g
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained, 425 g
- 1 lb tomatillos, diced, 450 g
- 4 cups vegetable broth, 950 mL
- 2 Tbsp lime juice, 30 mL
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Garnishes: sliced radish, avocado, cilantro
Instructions
- Flavor Base: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
- Mushrooms: Stir in mushrooms, cooking until they release their moisture, about 5 minutes.
- Fillings: Stir in hominy, beans, tomatillos, and broth. Cover and let gently simmer for 20 minutes.
- Finish: Right before serving, add lime juice and a pinch of salt and pepper (taste and add more as needed). Serve hot with garnishes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Delicious! I just made this and it’s so good. Only changes I made were used half cremini and half button mushrooms and I also blistered my tomatillos under the broiler before cutting them up. Highly recommend!
YUM! So trying the blistered tomatillos next time. Happy you liked it, Margaret! 😀
I really want to try this, but my husband won’t touch mushrooms most of the time. What can I sub for them?
You could try subbing it with seasoned and sautéed eggplant or zucchini!
This was amazing- and yes, good enough for a company gathering and a perfect addition to a taco bar. Especially when some guests are plant based. I followed the recipe line by line- the only ‘enhancement’ was I also blistered the tomatillo’s and added a zucchini for extra texture/color. Served with radish, cilantro, avocado and extra lime. Amazing! Thank you!
I’m so thrilled to hear that you loved it, Jenny! Thanks so much for dropping in to let us know how it went. Happy eating!