Serves 6

FOR THE CHILE SAUCE:

• 1½ onions, white or red, peeled and halved
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 15 to 20 tomatillos, papery husks removed
• 2 poblano chiles
• 1 serrano chile
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup roasted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), ground
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano or Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio
• 5 to 6 cups vegetable broth 

TO FINISH:

• 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 fresh epazote sprigs (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked Rancho Gordo prepared hominy, plus 2 cups of reserved cooking liquid (see below or click here for cooking directions)

GARNISHES:

• Lettuce, sliced very thin
• Red onion, finely chopped
• Dried Mexican oregano or Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio
• Radishes, sliced thin
• Mexican limes or key limes, quartered
• Tostadas

FOR THE CHILE SAUCE:

1. Warm a dry comal or skillet over medium heat. Roast the onions, garlic, tomatillos, and chiles, turning occasionally, until charred and slightly softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Work in batches, if necessary.
2. Steam the serrano chile, but don’t skin or seed it. Place the poblano chiles in a large bowl; cover with a plate and rest for about 30 minutes. Transfer the other vegetables to a bowl and let cool, collecting their juices. Remove chiles from the bowl; remove and discard the charred skin. Halve each chile, removing stems, ribs, and seeds.
3. In a blender, working in batches if necessary, combine the roasted chiles, vegetables and their juices, and enough of the hominy-cooking liquid to allow the blender blades to move. Blend well, scraping down blender as needed.
4. In a large stockpot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the vegetable puree; adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the ground pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring, for another 10 minutes.
5. In the blender, combine the cilantro, oregano, and 1 cup of broth; blend well. Add to the vegetable mixture along with 4 additional cups of broth.

TO FINISH:

1. In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms with the epazote (if using), olive oil, and a bit of salt. In a medium skillet over high heat, cook the mushroom mixture until just browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook for another 5 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
2. Add the hominy to the vegetable-puree pot. Cook until warm, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture and adjust seasoning, then return to a simmer. Thin with additional broth, if necessary.
3. Ladle into bowls and serve with your preferred garnishes.

How to cook dried hominy: Sort and rinse hominy. Soak for 8 hours in cold water, then drain. Add to a large pot with 1 roughly chopped onion and cover with 2 inches of fresh water. Bring to a hard boil over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook hominy uncovered until chewy and tender but not chalky, approximately 2 hours. Hominy usually flowers, like popcorn, when finished. Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid for later use, then drain. One pound (or 2 cups) dried hominy yields about 7 cups when cooked, and substitutes for canned hominy in recipes with none of the rubbery texture.