In her new book Comida Casera, Culinary Institute of America-trained, Mexico-born chef Dora Ramírez (@dorastable) presents over 100 plant-based Mexican recipes, from traditional and Indigenous to modern. Her jackfruit pozole recipe caught our attention, and we couldn’t wait to give it a try.

About the recipe she says: 

"Every Christmas for as long as I can remember my güeli (grandmother) would make the biggest pots of pozole and menudo I have ever seen. As a child, I didn’t understand why the adults made such a big deal about it, probably because one time I dared to stir the pot of pozole and was horrified to see half of a pig's head and several feet simmering in a red chile broth with hominy.
As a teenager, I asked my grandmother to teach me how to make it, and I’m glad I did because now I get to share it with you, without the pig of course. I make my version with jackfruit, but it will also work with soy curls, mushrooms, or just veggies. There’s quite a bit of dried chiles involved in this recipe, but don’t let that scare you, if you would like a milder version just omit the chile de árbol, or increase it for a spicier version."

• 2 (20oz) (565g) cans young green jackfruit in brine, drained
• 5 dried guajillo chiles, stems, and seeds removed (32g)
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stems, and seeds removed  (38g)
• 5 dried chile de árbol, stems, and seeds removed (4g)
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled (18g)
• 1/2 large white onion, roughly chopped (152g) ( about 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 10 cups vegetable broth (2.3L)
• 3 (15oz) (425g) cans white hominy, drained, rinsed, or 4 1/2 cups cooked Rancho Gordo White Corn Posole/Hominy
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil 
  
  To serve:
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped (232g) (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 small red radishes, thinly sliced (60g)
• 2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 small green cabbage, cored, thinly sliced (397g)
• 4 limes cut into quarters (268g)
• 1 bag corn chips or 4 tostadas

1. Place the jackfruit in a colander and rinse it with cold water. Cut off the core of the jackfruit (the hard tip of the triangle pieces), remove the seed pods, and shred the jackfruit pieces with your hands. Transfer it to a medium pot and add enough water to cover it by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the jackfruit and let it cool slightly. Using your hands squeeze all the water out of the jackfruit.
2. To make the chile sauce, place the guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles in a medium pot and add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, turn the heat off, and let the chiles soak for 15 minutes or until they are soft and pliable, drain them, but reserve 1 1/2 cups (354 ml) of the chile soaking liquid. Transfer the chiles, garlic, onion, and oregano to the blender, add the chile-soaking liquid, and puree until completely smooth. Pass the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl. This should yield about 2 1/4 cups (532 ml) of sauce.
3. Add the vegetable broth, hominy, salt, and pepper to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, take 1 cup of the broth-hominy and place it in the blender, puree until completely smooth, and pour it back into the pot. This will help thicken the soup. Continue to simmer at very low heat while you cook the jackfruit.
4. To cook the jackfruit, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the jackfruit and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until it begins to brown. Reduce heat to low, and pour the chile sauce over the jackfruit, be careful, as it may splash. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
5. Add the jackfruit in sauce to the pot with the broth, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Serve your pozole very hot and place all of your garnishes on the table so that every person can add them to their liking. Store your pozole in an air-tight container for up to five days in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer. 

Variation
Oil-free: Omit the oil and cook your jackfruit in a non-stick pan.
Soy Curls: Use 4 oz (1/2 bag) soy curls. Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water with your hands. Jump to step 4 and cook it as you would the jackfruit.