Vegan Mushroom Menudo

Preparation

1. Chile base

   Step 1

   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add chiles and cook, turning constantly with tongs, until slightly darkened in color and fragrant, about 3 minutes. (Be careful not to burn chiles or they’ll become bitter.) Transfer chiles to a medium bowl, leaving oil behind in skillet; reserve skillet. Pour 3 cups hot water (6 cups if doubling base recipe) over chiles and weigh down chiles with a smaller bowl to keep submerged. Let soak until softened, about 10 minutes.

   Step 2

   Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, and salt in reserved skillet, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly softened, 12–15 minutes. Add oregano and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to a blender.

   Step 3

   Add chiles and 1 cup chile soaking liquid to blender and purée, adding more soaking liquid if needed, until smooth. (If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you may want to pass purée through a fine-mesh sieve.) You should have 2½ cups chile base. If you have less, add more chile soaking liquid and blend again to combine.

   Do ahead: Chile base can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool; transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.

2. Soup and assembly

   Step 4

   Drain hominy and place in a large pot; pour in fresh water to cover by 2". Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and partially cover. Simmer, adding more water as needed to keep hominy covered by 2", until hominy is tender and blooming (maize has burst), 1½–2 hours.

   Step 5

   Bring broth to a boil in a medium pot over medium-low heat; season with salt. Add mushrooms, remove from heat, and let sit until mushrooms are softened, 10–20 minutes.

   Step 6

   Using a slotted spoon, transfer, mushrooms to a cutting board. Cut mushrooms into bite-size pieces with a chef’s knife or kitchen shears and add to hominy along with broth, chile base, and 2 Tbsp. dried oregano. If the soup is very thick, add water to loosen. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, 20–30 minutes. Taste menudo and season with more salt if needed.

   Step 7

   Divide menudo among bowls. Top with onion, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and more oregano. Serve with tortillas and lime wedges for squeezing over.

   Do ahead: Menudo can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; transfer to an airtight container and chill. Hominy will continue to soak up liquid as it rests, so you may need to add more water or broth when reheating.