Cozy up to this comforting bowl of delicious spicy stew! This Vegan Pozole Rojo is filled with all the bold flavors of the traditional Mexican favorite! Jackfruit and hominy are simmered in a homemade chile broth and then topped with fresh veggies. Yum!

This is it! This right here is the pozole recipe you've been looking for. The taste and texture are exactly as they should be.

This hearty soup is just like the classic, but veganized! It's easy to make and perfect for Sundays, Christmas, New Year’s, or cold days!

Pozole is a brothy chile soup with lots of hominy in it, very similar to menudo. It’s also called “posole” with an “s” or “pozole rojo” because it's cooked in a savory red sauce.

The original recipe is made with pork, but I find jackfruit is a perfect substitute. Although, mushrooms would work as well!

If you are in love with authentic Mexican food like me, you might also check out my Jackfruit Birria, Enchilada Soup, and Vegan Chiles Rellenos!

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Dried Chile Peppers - A combination of dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilies make the red sauce taste just right. These are usually found in the Mexican food section of the grocery store in clear bags sealed with cardboard labels. You can also order them online! Omit the chiles de arbol if you want to bring down the spiciness.
Onions & Garlic - White onions and fresh garlic are so good here.
Oil - Any cooking oil works. I like olive oil.
Jackfruit - Canned works best because the fresh version can be extra tough and too sweet.
Broth - Use low-sodium vegetable broth or a mixture of bouillon with water.
Hominy - Find this in the canned food section near the corn.
Herbs - Dried bay leaves and dried oregano are the chef’s kiss in this broth!
Seasoning - Season the pozole with salt, pepper, and cumin.
Topping Ideas: radish, cabbage, jalapeños, diced white onion, cilantro, and avocado

How to Make Jackfruit Vegan Pozole Rojo

Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.
While the water heats, peel and quarter the onion and peel the garlic cloves. Wipe the chilies clean and cut their stems off. Deseed them by shaking the seeds out or by breaking them apart.
Add the onions, garlic, and chilies to the boiling water. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pot. Let it cook for 10 minutes until everything has softened. Let it cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse the jackfruit really well. Remove any seeds that you see. It's okay if you don't get all of them.
Put a large pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil to it. Add the jackfruit and sauté it for 10 minutes until the edges are crispy and browned. Mash the jackfruit into smaller pieces as it cooks.
Transfer the onion, garlic, and chilies to a blender along with 1 cup of the water they were boiled in. Blend it into a smooth, velvety sauce.

Put It All Together

Pour the chile sauce through a mesh strainer into the large pot with the jackfruit. Use a spoon and 1 cup of the chili-onion water to push the sauce through. Discard any pulp collected by the strainer and another cup of water used for boiling. You can skip the strainer step if your blender is very powerful.
Note - Use up to 2 cups of the water that the chilies were boiled in. One cup is added to the blender and another is used to push the sauce through the strainer. This helps preserve the balance of flavors in the pozole rojo. If you want a thinner soup, you can add more vegetable broth later.
Stir in the remaining ingredients (dried herbs, seasoning, hominy, and broth). Turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer the jackfruit pozole for 30-40 minutes or until the hominy is soft.
Prepare the toppings as the posole cooks. Discard the bay leaves from the soup, serve it in bowls, add toppings, and enjoy!

No-Waste Idea

Make a Tofu Poke Bowl with leftover radishes.
Use your remaining dried chilies and cilantro for these Vegan Birria Tacos.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate the pozole for 5 days or freeze it for 3 months. The leftovers are so delicious! Reheat it over the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.

More Mexican Food Recipes

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