Vegan Pozole Rojo with Mushrooms and Beans

Ingredients

For 6 portions

• 🍄 500g oyster mushrooms
• 🏺 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 🧅 2 medium onions
• 🧄 6 cloves garlic
• 🌿 2 leaves bay leaf
• 🌶️ 40g ancho chillies (dried)
• 🌿 1 Tsp cumin powder
• 🌿 2 Tsp oregano
• 🥕 2,000ml vegetable broth (rehydrated stock cube)
• 🌽 800g hominy, canned
• 🫘 400g brown beans, canned
• 🧂 1 Tsp salt
• 🥬 250g green cabbage
• 🪴 150g radish
• 🍋 3 pieces lime
• 🌿 1 Tsp chilli flakes

Method

1. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chillies (ancho, or guajillo if you can find them). Toast them in a dry pan for 30 seconds a side, then soak in boiling water for 20 minutes.
2. Tear the oyster mushrooms into large strips. Heat the olive oil in a big pot over a high heat and fry them for 8 minutes until browned and slightly chewy. Add one chopped onion and 3 sliced garlic cloves and fry for 5 minutes more.
3. Blend the drained chillies with the remaining garlic, the cumin, half the oregano and a ladle of the stock until very smooth. Push through a sieve into the pot.
4. Fry the chilli paste with the mushrooms for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the stock, the bay leaves, the drained hominy and beans, and the salt.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for salt.
6. Finely shred the cabbage, thinly slice the radishes and the remaining onion, and cut the limes into wedges.
7. Serve in deep bowls, with the cabbage, radish, onion, lime, chilli flakes and remaining oregano for everyone to add at the table.