Pinto Posole

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Cookie + Kate

Total Time

55 minutes

Prep Time

22 minutes

Cook Time

33 minutes

Rating

(132)

Ingredients

4 servings

2 to 4 guajillo chili peppers*
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ cup (4 ounces) tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) hominy, rinsed and drained
32 ounces (4 cups) vegetable broth
2 cups water
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
¼ cup chopped cilantro, divided
1 lime, halved
Recommended garnishes: sliced avocado, shredded green cabbage, chopped radish, onion and/or jalapeño

Vegetarian Dinner Sautéing Intermediate ...

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Preparation

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Step 1

Cut off the stem ends of the chilis and shake/flick the chilis to remove as many seeds as possible (it’s ok if some remain). Rinse them and pat them dry.

Step 2

Heat an empty Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until a few drops of water evaporate quickly from the pan. Toast the chilis in the dry pan, pressing them flat with a spatula for a few seconds until fragrant, then flip them over and press them again for a few seconds. Remove the toasted chilis and set them aside for now.

Step 3

In the same pot (still over medium heat), warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant while stirring, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute.

Step 4

Add the toasted chili peppers, bay leaf, hominy, beans, vegetable broth, and water to the pot. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 25 minutes.

Step 5

Remove the chili peppers and bay leaf from the soup and discard them. Stir the cilantro and juice of ½ lime into the soup. Taste, and add more salt (I usually add at least ¼ teaspoon more) and/or lime juice if necessary. For extra richness, add a little splash of olive oil and stir it in.

Step 6

Cut the remaining lime into small wedges. Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with lime wedges and other garnishes of your choice.

Chef’s notes

*Pepper note:

Use 2 peppers for mild soup and 4 for spicy soup (I like my soup spicy). If you want extra-spicy soup, you could even reserve the pepper seeds to add after the soup is cooked, to taste. If you can’t find guajillo chili peppers, dried ancho chili peppers are a good alternative. Or, use 1 tablespoon mild chili powder instead—start the recipe with step 3 and add the chili powder with the garlic and cumin.

Change it up:

For more color and textural variation, substitute one can of black beans for one can of pinto beans. For extra pepper flavor and color, sauté a chopped red bell pepper and/or jalapeño with the onion.

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Skill Level

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Pinto Posole

Ingredients

Preparation

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Step 2

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Step 4

Step 5

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Chef’s notes

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