Easy Vegetarian Posole with Pinto Beans
For many years my youngest son said he wanted to be a chef. He had a whole plan to open a series of restaurants. I’m not sure that’s still his plan–he’s thirteen now! But he does love to cook. Both by himself an with me. And this Easy Vegetarian Posole recipe is courtesy of Kyle.
We put a vegetarian twist on this classic Mexican dish because my daughter is a vegetarian. I must admit, I’ve never had the original version which uses slow-simmered pork as the base. But this Easy Vegetarian Posole pinto bean soup is hearty and filling. And delicious. We can’t forget delicious.
Trust me, none of the carnivores in my family missed the meat.
Why You’ll Love It:
Mexican posole, pronounced poh-sOH-lay, is a Mexican stew made with shredded pork, chilis, and hominy. Posole is a party dish, often served on Christmas, New Years, or other holidays. And it’s perfect for a big crowd. But, if you ask me, Easy Vegetarian Posole is perfect any day of the year. (And yes, I really do mean that. Although I definitely cook soups more in the winter months, I make soup and chili all year long).
This vegetarian version of posole use pinto beans instead of pork. So while not exactly traditional, it’s still a filling, protein-packed dish. It’s spicy, but not spicy. Although you could increase the chilis if you like your food to be a lot hotter. But the delicious flavors of onion, garlic, cumin, and chili powder are so comforting.
And, like so many soups and stews, this Easy Vegetarian Posole tastes even better the next day. So go ahead and make a big pot. You’re going to want lots of leftovers. I love when I cook once and eat multiple times.
How to Make Easy Vegetarian Posole
Easy Vegetarian Posole is easy to make and comes together in under an hour. Start by heating 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. (This is my favorite soup pot). When the oil is glistening add, the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent. This should take about 5 minutes.
Then add the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. You want to stir constantly so that garlic doesn’t burn. Add the tomato paste and cook while continuing to stir for 1 minute.
Finally, add the diced chili peppers, beans, vegetable broth and water to the pot. Add a d ash or salt and pepper and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the Easy Vegetarian Posole to a boil. Then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice. Taste, and add more salt and/or lime juice if necessary. I usually do add a little bit more salt. For extra richness, add a little splash of olive oil and stir it in.
While the soup is cooking, make the tortilla strips. Sure, you can buy tortilla chips. But it’s not the same. Trust me, there homemade tortilla strips are worth it. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the tortillas into thin strips. Then toss them in a medium bowl with olive oil and salt. Spread the tortilla strips out on a parchment lined baking sheet, so that they are not overlapping. Bake at 425 for about 12-15 minutes until crispy and lightly golden brown.
When the soup is done cooking, stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lime juice. Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with lime wedges, cheese, tortilla strips, and other garnishes of your choice.
Enjoy!
Easy Vegetarian Posole is perfect for a chilly evening. It’s great dish to make for a Christmas Even Open House or for a Soup Party or bonfire. But it’s also great for Cinco de Mayo or a random Tuesday night.
One of my favorites parts of this soup is how it is easy to customize. I love to garnish it with cheese, avocado, and tortilla strips. But you can really add whatever you like best: cilantro, green onions, yellow onions, radishes, cabbage slaw. Your imagination is the only limit.
You can also substitute a can of black beans or navy beans for one of the cans of pinto beans. Someone doesn’t like corn? No problem. Simply add it to individual bowls. Want to kick up the heat? Add some dried chilis, a dash of cayenne pepper, or even some sliced jalapeños. You really can’t go wrong with this Easy Vegetarian Posole recipe.
Happy Eating!
P.S. Find more soup recipes here.
Ingredients
Easy Vegetarian Posole
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic pressed or minced (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground chili powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 4 ozs. tomato paste
- 1 8 oz. can diced chili peppers rinsed and drained
- 3 cans 15 ozs. each pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cans 15 ozs corn, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 tsp salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 whole lime cut into wedges
- 8 ozs. shreds cheese cheddar or Monterey Jack
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro divided
Tortilla Strips
- 6 flour tortillas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Recommended garnishes: sliced avocado shredded green cabbage, chopped radish, onion, jalapeño, cilantro
Instructions
Easy Vegetarian Posole
- Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in an empty Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly so that garlic doesn’t burn, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook while continuing to stir for 1 minute.
- Add the diced chili peppers, beans, vegetable broth and water to the pot. Add ½ teaspoon salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and increase heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice. Taste, and add more salt and/or lime juice if necessary. I usually do add a little bit more salt. For extra richness, add a little splash of olive oil and stir it in.
- Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with lime wedges, cheese, tortilla strips, and other garnishes of your choice.
Tortilla Strips
- While soup is simmering, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut the tortillas into thin strips.
- In a medium bowl, combine tortilla strips, olive oil, and salt.
- Transfer tortilla strips to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.
