Vegetarian Kale and Hominy Pozole

This recipe for a one-pot vegetarian kale and hominy poblano pepper pozole is packed with vegetables and flavor thanks to a delicious spice blend of chile powder, cumin, garlic, oregano and smoked paprika! It tastes great as leftovers as well, so feel free to double the recipe and reheat it for dinner or lunch throughout the week!

I have the most delicious one-pot dinner recipe coming your way today thanks to my friends at Blue Apron! It’s a vegetarian dish that’s incredibly satisfying and as a texture fiend, I love the mix of creamy avocado, crunchy tortilla strips and warm, comforting puffed kernels of corn (also known as hominy).

Ryan and I received all of the ingredients we needed to make this dish in our latest Blue Apron delivery.

As always, the ingredients were fresh and the recipe was easy to following thanks to the detailed recipe card that that accompanies every meal delivery.

Though we’ll occasionally order Blue Apron meals that incorporate chicken, beef and fish, the vegetarian meals are almost always our favorite! When Ryan first gifted a month of Blue Apron meals to me for Christmas a few years ago, we did all vegetarian meals because I wanted to branch out of my usual meat + veggies + starch rut and try my hand at cooking more flavorful meat-free meals. We have yet to be disappointed by a vegetarian Blue Apron recipe and this one is another winner!

Hominy & Poblano Pepper Pozole with Avocado and Crispy Tortilla Strips

Recipe from Blue Apron

Makes two large serving

Ingredients

• 2 corn tortillas
• 1 3/4 cups hominy
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons pozole spice blend (ancho chile powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, Mexican oregano and smoked paprika)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Stack the tortillas; cut in half, then into ¼-inch-wide strips. Peel and small dice the onion. Drain and rinse the hominy. Remove and discard the kale stems; roughly chop the leaves. Thinly slice the cilantro leaves and stems. Quarter the lime. Pit, peel and medium dice the avocado; top with the juice of 1 lime wedge to prevent browning. Remove and discard the stem, ribs and seeds of the poblano pepper; small dice. Thoroughly wash your hands and work surface immediately after handling the pepper.

2. Place the tortilla strips on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and toast in the oven 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt.

3. While the tortilla strips toast, in a large pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion, poblano pepper and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.

4. While the vegetables cook, in a bowl, combine the cornstarch and ¼ cup of water; whisk until smooth.

5. Add the tomato paste to the pot of vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until dark red and fragrant. Add the hominy, kale and 3 cups water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the slurry (whisking just before adding). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until the liquid is slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Stir in the juice of the remaining lime wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Divide the finished pozole between 2 bowls. Top with the toasted tortilla strips and avocado. Garnish with the cilantro. Enjoy!

A quick note: When Ryan and I made this dish, we actually omitted the cornstarch and still loved it! While the cornstarch is there for added thickness, we found it plenty thick without the cornstarch! Also, for the pozole spice blend, you can find it for sale on Amazon and at some specialty grocers.

If you’ve been reading PBF for a while now, you likely already know how Blue Apron works since we’ve been ordering Blue Apron meals for several years now, but just in case you aren’t familiar with the service, here’s a basic rundown: Blue Apron delivers all of the ingredients you need to make fresh, chef-designed recipes at home. Two-person and family plans are available and you can customize your deliveries to cater to your personal preferences, whether you prefer vegetarian meals or also want to incorporate meat and fish into your diet.

Blue Apron Discount + Giveaway

And just in case you’re itching to try out Blue Apron for yourself, they’re offering the first 50 PBF readers two free meals on their first Blue Apron order. Simply click here to get started!

I’m also pleased to be offering one PBF reader a free week of Blue Apron meals for two! To enter this giveaway, please click here and check out some of Blue Apron’s mouth-watering recipes and then leave a comment on this blog post, telling me which recipe appeals most to you! I will randomly select a winner next Friday.

Good luck!