It’s still cold outside! Let’s cozy up with some soup and trust that warm spring weather is on its way. If you enjoy bean-based chili recipes and tortilla soup, you are going to love this pinto posole.

I traded pinto beans for the pork you’ll find in traditional posole recipes, so this stew is vegan. It’s also hearty, spicy and delicious.

You’ll just need one pot for this stew, and I opted to use canned beans to cut the cooking time down to about 30 minutes. Leftovers taste even better the next day, and this dairy-free recipe freezes great for later, too.

What is posole?

Posole, pronounced poh-sOH-lay, is a Mexican stew that typically features shredded pork, dried chilis, hominy and cumin. In Mexico and New Mexico, it’s often served on celebratory occasions like Christmas or New Years, but it’s great on any chilly day.

My variation with pinto beans instead of pork is not quite authentic, but it’s full of redeeming fiber and protein. It straddles the line between a soup and a stew, so I’m using those words interchangeably here.

What is hominy?

Hominy is a variety of dried corn (maize) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, such as lime juice, to improve digestibility. You buy it dried or in cans, in a well-stocked grocery store (check the international aisle or look near the canned corn) or Mexican grocery store. I used canned corn for this recipe but you could substitute freshly cooked hominy, too.

What about guajillo chilis?

I’ll never forget the first time I tried guajillo chili-based enchilada sauce. Life changing! Guajillos offer a deep, intriguing mild-to-medium spice factor, unlike fiery-hot cayenne. You’ll find dried chilis in a well-stocked grocery store (again, check the international aisle) or Mexican grocery store.

Use two chilis for mild soup, or four for spicy soup (I like my posole spicy). Since the seeds contain the most heat, you’ll remove those before briefly toasting the chilis against the pan. If you want extra-spicy soup, you could even reserve those seeds to add after the soup is cooked, to taste.

I simply cooked the soup with the chilis and then discarded the chilis at the end. I just read a Bon Appetit recipe that suggested puréeing the simmered chilis with some broth and pouring the mixture back into the soup. You could try that if you want extra-rich chili flavor and don’t mind busting out the blender, but add the purée to taste instead of pouring it all in at once.

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