Baja Trek's Vegetarian Pozole Recipe

Photo Credit: Eliza Wilmott

I'm posting this recipe by popular request from our recent trekkers! As I always say, the beauty is in the garnishes... Enjoy!

Vegetarian Pozole (serves 20)

Soup base:
-4 pounds cooked hominy
-2 cans pinto beans (or other kinds!)
-8 quarts water (with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes)
-1 whole head garlic
-1 whole onion, sliced
-4-8 dried red chilies (pasilla, ancho, guajillo, or any combination)
-4 Tbsp olive oil
-2 tsp oregano
-Two 14-oz cans of chopped tomatoes
-coriander, cumin, salt & pepper to taste

Garnishes:
-2 red onions, chopped
-1 pound radishes, sliced
-1 head of cabbage
-60 tostadas
-½ cup dried oregano
-½ cup chile pequin
-10 limes in wedges
-1/2 lb cotija cheese (or queso fresco)

Instructions:
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.
Add the water/broth as well as the hominy, pinto beans, chile peppers (remove seeds and stems when soft) and tomatoes and simmer for 2 hours in large pot.
Add oregano and other spices and cook another hour.
Prepare garnishes. Serve soup in individual bowls & invite guests to add their own garnishes.

Excellent with freshly-picked mussels and grilled cheese sandwiches on the side!

"You're listening to... Radiolab"

If you aren't already listening to Radiolab, you probably should be.

We like to play installments of this fantastic and enlightening radio show in podcast-form through Gus's speakers as the sun sets over one of our favorite beaches and just before the air temperature drops so that cooking dinner doesn't seem like a chore.

Self-described: "Radiolab believes your ears are a portal to another world. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Big questions are investigated, tinkered with, and encouraged to grow. Bring your curiosity, and we'll feed it with possibility."

For your digestion, here's a short video that they just put out to supplement their most recent episode, called "Words":



Seriously, we're in love with Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the hosts.

To listen to (or download) their podcasts, new and old, go to their website here. Don't forget to click on the "Shorts" tab for all the little supplementary goodies that belong to each episode. They add something new about once every two weeks, so you'll have to keep checking back. Or you can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and have it update automatically on your computer/gadgety thing.

Some of our favorites:
-New Normal
-Emergence
-Time
-Memory and Forgetting

Happy listening!

(And if you need more listening material, check out our other favorite podcasts of radio shows: This American Life and Car Talk...)