Posole is traditionally made primarily of pork (as in this recipe), so a vegetarian version made sound slightly deranged. Yet a happy accident led me to create this cabbage, hominy, and chile stew really is quite like a posole – and like the original is particularly tasty when topped with sliced avocado, minced cilantro, and crumbled cotija or other dry, salty cheese and served with warm tortillas or tortilla chips.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 - 3 dried New Mexican chiles or other mild-hot dry red chiles
- 1 small head green cabbage or Savoy cabbage
- 6 cups vegetarian broth or water
- 15 oz. or about 3 cups cooked hominy or posole
- Salt to taste
- Avocados for garnish (optional)
- Cilantro for garnish (optional)
- Cotija cheese for garnish (optional)
- Fried tortilla strips or chips for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
- Halve, peel, and thinly slice the onion. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat, add onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and mince the garlic. Add the garlic to the pot and stir to combine.
- Remove the stems from the chiles, pull them open and remove their seeds. Tear the chiles into pieces and add them to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Halve the cabbage, cut out the core for each half, and thinly slice the cabbage. Add cabbage to the pot and stir to combine. Add stock or water, increase the heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring now and again, until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes. Add hominy or cooked posole and cook until heated through.
- Serve bowls of vegetarian posole hot, topped with slices of avocado, chopped cilantro, crumbled cotija, and tortilla strips or chips as you like.
