5 Plant-Based Mexican Recipes

Prepare the ceviche:

1. Bring ½ gallon of water to boil in a medium pot.
2. Grate the cauliflower through the large holes of a box grater, yielding approximately 4 cups of “rice.” Add the cauliflower rice to the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for four to five minutes, until al dente.
3. Drain in a fine colander and rinse briefly with cold water to stop the cooking. Let the rice sit in the colander for a few minutes to dry.
4. In a large bowl, combine all of the remaining ceviche ingredients, excluding the tostadas.
5. Stir in the drained cauliflower rice. Allow to marinate while preparing the salsa.

Prepare the salsa:

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan.
2. Add the pineapple, habanero, garlic, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth. If needed, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help the ingredients break down in the blender.
3. Add the salsa to the saucepan and simmer for five minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the sauce has thickened. Cool in a small bowl for another five minutes, then add the lime juice and cilantro.
4. To serve, top each corn tostada with ½ cup of the ceviche and a desired amount of salsa.

Prepare the pozole base:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the quartered mushrooms and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown, adding the pepper and a pinch of salt halfway through cooking.
3. Add the hominy, vegetable stock, and remaining salt. Bring to a simmer while preparing the green sauce.

Prepare the green sauce:

1. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. In a blender, combine all of the remaining sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for five minutes, until slightly thickened.
4. Add the reduced sauce to the pozole base and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. To serve, ladle the pozole into bowls and garnish with the radish, onion, avocado, and lime juice. Use the tostadas as scoops or break them into bite-sized pieces directly over the soup.

Prepare the slaw:

1. Combine the slaw ingredients in a large mixing bowl. ­Allow them to pickle at room temperature while you continue cooking.

Prepare the taco filling:

1. Roast the poblano peppers directly over a gas-stove flame at medium heat, turning often to completely char and blister all sides of the peppers, for a total of eight to 10 minutes.
2. Alternatively, spray or coat the peppers lightly with oil and place under a broiler for the same amount of time, turning once or twice during cooking. Enclose peppers in a paper bag, with the top folded, to soften while you prepare the beans.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat.
4. Add the onion, garlic, and spices. Cook for five minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
5. Add the beans, reserved bean liquid, and salt. Simmer for eight to 10 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated.
6. As the beans simmer, peel the poblanos by scraping down their sides with a knife or paper towel. Cut in half, seed, and slice each poblano into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Add them to the bean mixture.

Prepare the salsa and assembly:

1. Add all salsa ingredients except the olive oil to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed. With the blender running, add the oil to emulsify.
2. Heat the corn tortillas three or four at a time in a large skillet over medium heat until soft and pliable, about 30 seconds per side. Keep tortillas warm by wrapping them with a large kitchen towel.
3. Assemble each taco with ¼ cup of the filling and some slaw. Top with salsa to taste.

Prepare the tofu mixture:

1. Slice the tofu block in half and press each half firmly between a thick kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Tear the tofu into dime-size chunks and add to a large bowl with the spices and salt. Stir to evenly coat the tofu in the spice mixture.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Turn heat to medium-high and add tofu mixture. Stir quickly, then allow tofu to thoroughly brown for a total of 18 to 20 minutes, stirring only once halfway through cooking.
3. Add the onions and cook for an additional five minutes.

While onions are cooking, prepare the tinga sauce:

1. Blend all sauce ingredients until smooth.
2. Add the sauce to the tofu mixture and cook down for eight to 10 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are fully cooked. Adjust the salt if needed.

Prepare the tortillas and assembly:

1. Warm the tortillas in a heated pan for about one minute per side.
2. Fill with about ½ cup of tinga mixture, ¼ cup queso fresco, a fourth of the avocado slices, and fresh cilantro to your liking. Pair with The Only Salsa You’ll Ever Need (below).

1. Bring water to boil in a tea kettle or small pot. Heat a cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottom pan over medium heat until it begins to smoke slightly.
2. Briefly toast each side of the guajillo pepper for about five seconds, pressing it against the pan with a utensil. It should be aromatic but not have any black, blistered spots. (If this occurs, it will be bitter, so repeat with another pepper.)
3. Transfer the toasted chili to a small bowl and submerge it completely in hot water. Cover and allow to sit while preparing the rest of the salsa.
4. Add the tomatillos, tomatoes, unpeeled garlic cloves, and serrano pepper to the hot pan. Cook, flipping the ingredients every two to three minutes, or until all sides are black and blistered. The garlic and serrano pepper should be done after about eight minutes; the rest of the ingredients should take approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Peel the garlic, then add all ingredients from the pan to the blender with the guajillo chili and the salt. Blend until smooth.
6. To serve, pour into a bowl and stir in the onion and cilantro, adjusting salt if needed.