Vegetarian Pozole

Halloween at the three-decker. We drove to Southie Sunday afternoon. Liam in his firefighter gear. Nora in her ladybug suit. Maureen had the chili on. The neighborhood kids were out. Engine 7 was at the corner, as always. Sal was on shift. He saw Liam in the gear and saluted him, the way he had the first year. He said "Chief." Liam said "Sal." Sal said "how are you, Liam." Liam said "Dad died." He said it factually, the way a five-year-old says a true thing. Sal knelt down. He said "I know, Liam. I am so sorry. I think about him." Liam said "okay." Sal said "you want me to take you around the truck." Liam said "yes." Sal took him around the rig for twenty minutes. He showed him the cab. He showed him the ladder. He let him put on a spare helmet. He took a picture with my phone. He handed me my phone back. He said "Kate. Anything. Anything you need, anytime." I said "Sal. Thank you." I hugged him. He went back to the rig.

My mother's chili was the chili. Liam had two bowls. Nora had the bread. My father held Nora on his lap for an hour while the older kids ran around. Patrick's son Sean III is now seventeen months and walking with great commitment. He crashed into a chair. He got up. He crashed into another chair. He laughed. Patrick took him home by 7 PM.

We drove home at 8. The kids were both asleep in the car. I carried Nora in. Liam walked in half-asleep. I put them to bed. I sat on the couch. I ate a bowl of my mother's chili she had sent home with me. The chili tasted like October of my whole life. I cried a little. Not long. Then I watched a movie and went to bed.

My mother’s chili is irreplaceable — I know that. But when I want to bring that same October feeling into my own kitchen, this vegetarian pozole is what I make. It has the same depth, the same low simmer, the same way of filling a room with something that says you are okay, you are home. After a night like that one — Sal kneeling in the street, Liam saying “Dad died” like a fact of weather, and me driving home with two sleeping kids in the back — this is the recipe I reach for. It keeps well. It travels well. And it is just as good alone on the couch at 9 PM as it is in a crowded three-decker full of kids in costume.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
2 (15 oz) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen corn
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 lime
For serving: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, warm tortillas or crusty bread

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic, poblano, and jalapeño and cook another 3 minutes until fragrant.
Bloom the spices. Add the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and chipotle chili powder directly to the pot. Stir constantly for 60 seconds until the spices are fragrant and coating the vegetables.
Build the broth. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a gentle boil.
Add the hominy and beans. Stir in the hominy and black beans. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the broth to reduce slightly.
Finish with corn and lime. Add the frozen corn and simmer another 5 minutes. Squeeze in the lime juice and season generously with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, avocado, and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and warm tortillas or crusty bread alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vegetarian Pozole — The Chili That Tastes Like October My Whole Life