Mexican · main

Vegetarian Pozole Verde

Vegetarian Pozole Verde reads sourness 5.0, citrus 4.7 and umami 4.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican main, about 52 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 5.0 · Citrus 4.7 · Umami 4.0 · Richness 3.8 · Salinity 3.8 · Allium 3.6 · Herbaceous 3.0 · Fruity 3.0 · Sweetness 3.0 · Nutty 2.9 · Earthy 2.3 · Heat 2.3 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Floral 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1

What's in it (16)

• tomatillo — 680 g
• poblano chiles — 200 g
• jalapeo peppers — 100 g
• white onion — 110 g
• garlic — 15 g
• spanish style peanuts — 79 g
• cumin seeds — 5 g
• cilantro leaves — 59 g
• vegetable broth — 1420 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• yellow hominy — 851 g
• salt — 6 g
• green cabbage — 473 g
• radishes — 400 g
• avocado — 150 g
• limes — 130 g

Time & effort: about 52 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 34 kcal, 0.8 g protein, 1.2 g fat, 5.3 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Heat the broiler with a rack 6 inches from the element. Spread the tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeño, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until deeply charred in spots and softened, 8-10 minutes, then flip everything and broil the second side until softened and blistered, another 6-8 minutes.
2. While the vegetables broil, toast the pepitas and cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and the pepitas begin to pop, 3-4 minutes; transfer to a blender.
3. Let the roasted vegetables cool slightly, then slip the skins off the garlic cloves.
4. Add the roasted vegetables, peeled garlic, toasted pepitas and cumin, cilantro, and 2 cups of the vegetable broth to the blender; puree until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
5. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Carefully pour in the green puree (it will splatter) and cook, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and thickens to the consistency of a loose paste, about 8 minutes — this step deepens and rounds out the sauce's flavor.
6. Stir in the remaining 4 cups broth, the hominy, and the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the broth is lightly thickened and the flavors meld, 20-25 minutes.
7. Taste and add more salt if needed.
8. Ladle the pozole into bowls and top each with cabbage, radishes, avocado, a squeeze of lime, and a scattering of extra pepitas; serve the remaining lime wedges alongside.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Coconut Lentil Dal with Rice — Indian
• Coconut Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry — Indian
• Refried Bean and Cheese Enchiladas — Mexican
• Moroccan Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Stew — Moroccan
• Crispy Fried Halloumi with Lemon-Herb Chickpeas — Greek

Keep reading: what sourness, citrus, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.