Pozole Blanco is a traditional Mexican soup similar to green pozole and red pozole but with a clear broth. This vegan version is made with hominy, caramelized mushrooms, and a rich vegetable broth. Top with sliced radishes, cabbage, and fresh lime juice. Ready in an hour! Video included.
A few weeks ago I headed north to Monterey, California on a beautiful two-day adventure through a few farms surrounding Monterey with my friends from California Grown.
If you’ve been a reader of this blog for a while you will know this is the third California Grown farm tour (officially called agritours) that I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to. The first was touring the agricultural area in my own neck of the woods of Santa Barbara and the second was a virtual tour of the San Joaquin Valley.
The biggest takeaway from this trip? California never ceases to amaze me.
Keep reading to find out more about my trip to Monterey and how to make a delicious vegetarian pozole with the mushrooms from one of our farm stops!
More To Explore
Artichokes, Mushrooms, and Lettuce…Oh My!
Have you ever walked through a field of artichokes? It’s pretty spectacular. We visited Ocean Mist Farms which is the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America. In fact, California grows 100% of the commercial artichoke crop in the United States.
If you are new to cooking fresh artichokes check out my step-by-step guide (it’s easier than you think).
We also were guests of Dick Peixoto, the Farmer and Owner of Lakeside Organic Gardens, the largest organic grower in the United States. There we visited a Romaine lettuce field in mid-harvest and learned about their innovative methods to organically fertilize and fight pests—ever heard of a bug vacuum?
Finally we took a tour of one of the most unique “farms” I’ve ever visited—Far West Fungi. I put farm in quotations because it was unlike any agricultural operation I have seen. The mushrooms are grown inside in warehouses that are more like science labs than vegetables-in-a-field farm. Truly incredible.
Far West Fungi grows 12 varieties of mushrooms (two of which you will find in the recipe below) but they also forage for over 70 other types that cannot be grown but only can be found in the wild. Mushrooms are mysterious things, friends.
Let’s Make Pozole Blanco!
I was so inspired by all the interesting mushroom varieties at Far West Fungi that I wanted to use a couple of them to make a large pot of White Pozole or Pozole Blanco.
What Is Pozole?
Pozole (or Posole) is an ancient soup that has been made in Mexico since the Aztec times. There are three different types of Pozole that represent the Mexican flag: Green, White, and Red. The green pozole has a sauce made from tomatillos mixed into the broth. The red pozole has a dried chile sauce (usually ancho chiles and/or guajillo chiles) mixed into the broth. And you guessed it, white pozole or Pozole Blanco, has no sauce mixed in, just a fortifying clear broth.
The one ingredient all pozole recipes have in common is well, pozole, a type of field corn used to make the soup. This variety of corn kernels is almost impossible to find here in the US so we use hominy to make our pozole recipes.
Ingredients to make White Pozole
- Canned hominy
- Olive oil
- 1 pound 12 ounces fresh mushrooms. I used 6 ounces of Far West Fungi Lion’s Mane mushrooms, 6 ounces of their Shiitake mushrooms and 1 pound of organic Crimini mushrooms. Look for Far West Fungi mushrooms at your local Whole Foods or specialty grocery store.
- Salt and pepper
- White onion
- Garlic
- Bay leaves
- Mushroom bouillon or vegetable broth
- Radishes, Mexican oregano, shredded cabbage, lime wedges, chiltepin chiles, for garnish. Other garnishes could include avocado, cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeños, and/or minced onion.
How To Make Pozole Blanco
step one
Blanch hominy. The first step is to blanch the hominy. You don’t have to do this but it is a tip I learned from Chef Rodolfo Castellanos and I always do it when I’m working with canned hominy. It gets rid of that funk that is pervasive with hominy straight from the can.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain and rinse the hominy then add it to the boiled water. Bring to a boil again then drain and rinse the hominy one more time with cold water. Set aside.
step two
Prep the mushrooms. Wipe any dirt off the mushrooms with a paper towel—never rinse mushrooms with water. Trim the stems then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. With the Lion’s Mane mushrooms, tear into smaller pieces, then slice those pieces.
step three
Caramelize the mushrooms. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once it is hot add just enough mushrooms to cover the bottom of the pan, don’t crowd. Let cook, undisturbed for 3 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Stir and let caramelize on the other side, another 3 minutes.
Transfer to a heatproof bowl and repeat with remaining oil and mushrooms (I did three batches). Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper as you add them to the bowl.
step four
Sauté the onions and garlic. Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in a large pot (you can use the one you blanched the hominy in if it is 6 quarts or larger). Add onions and 3 cloves garlic, chopped. Season with salt and pepper and sauté just until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
step five
Finish the stew. Add the water and bouillon or vegetable broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add blanched hominy and caramelized mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until onions are tender, about 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt as needed.
step six
Prepare garnishes and serve. Prepare all the garnishes then serve in big bowls with warm corn tortillas or tortilla chips and set all the garnishes on the table so everyone can top their bowl any way they please.
More Recipes With California Grown Ingredients To Try!
- California Kir Royale Pomegranate Cocktail
- Vegan Ceviche with Avocado and Lime
- Grape-Roasted Beet Salad with Serrano Pepper Dressing
- Fresh Kiwi Caipirinha
- Charred Poblano Guacamole
- Grilled Asparagus Salad with Olive-Chile Dressing
- Fresh Peach Slab Pie with Buttery Nutmeg Crust
Take Your Own Agritour In Your Kitchen
Pick up some mushrooms you’ve never tried before and experiment with something new by making this gluten free Pozole Blanco. Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Pozole Blanco
Pozole Blanco is a traditional Mexican soup similar to green pozole and red pozole but with a clear broth. This vegan version is made with hominy, caramelized mushrooms, and a rich vegetable broth. Top with sliced radishes, cabbage, and fresh lime juice. Ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- 2 (29-ounce) cans hominy
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound Crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 6 ounces Lion's Mane (or other type) mushrooms, large lobes pulled apart and sliced
- 6 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups water
- 3 tablespoons mushroom bouillon
For Garnishes
- Sliced radishes
- Lime wedges, for squeezing
- Shredded green cabbage
- Fresh or dried Mexican oregano
- Dried crushed Chiltepin chiles
Instructions
- Blanch hominy. Fill a 6 quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain and rinse the hominy. Once the water is boiling add the hominy and let the water return to a boil. Drain and rinse once more with cold water. Set aside. Save pot for cooking pozole.
- Caramelize mushrooms. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat in the largest frying pan you own. Once hot, add just enough mushrooms to cover the bottom of the pan. Let cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Stir and let caramelize on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Remove to a heatproof bowl and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with another 2 tablespoons of oil and another batch of mushrooms until all the mushrooms have been caramelized (I did 3 batches in my 14-inch pan).
- Saute onions. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the large pot you used to blanch the hominy. Set over medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Season with salt and let cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add water. Add water, bouillon (or vegetable broth), and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add blanched hominy and caramelized mushrooms and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until onions are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
- Prep garnishes. While soup is simmering, prep all your garnishes and arrange on the table.
- Serve. Taste soup and add more salt if needed. Ladle into big bowls and let everyone top their bowl with whatever garnishes they like.
Notes
If you don't want to use the mushroom bouillon, substitute 8 cups of vegetable broth for the water.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 2Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
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This recipe is so freaking delicious! I just made it and am on my 2nd bowl. Just spot on. The mushrooms are bit tedious, but it is WELL worth it.
Thank you so much Daniel! That makes me so happy!