Vegetarian Red Mole with Beans
This recipe guides you in crafting a rich and complex vegetarian red mole, featuring a blend of dried chilies, roasted aromatics, and a touch of Mexican chocolate, all simmered to perfection with hearty beans. It’s a deeply flavorful and satisfying dish that embodies the essence of traditional Mexican cuisine, perfect as a main course.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For cooking beans and simmering mole
- 1 Heavy-bottomed Skillet or Comal For toasting chilies, sesame seeds, and roasting aromatics
- 1 High-Speed Blender Essential for achieving a smooth mole paste
- 1 Fine-mesh Sieve For straining the mole sauce to remove solids for a silky texture
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For accurate ingredient measurements
Ingredients
Main
- 12 ounces about 2 cups dry scarlet or black runner beans
- 2 to 2½ teaspoons salt to taste, divided
- 5 medium dried ancho chilies 2½ ounces, stemmed and seeded
- 6 medium dried guajillo chilies 1¼ ounces, stemmed and seeded
- 1 morita chipotle chile, stemmed and seeded
- 6 ounces 1 medium to small or 2 small plum tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 generous teaspoon dried oregano preferably Mexican
- Scant ½ teaspoon black pepper preferably freshly ground
- 3 tablespoons about ¾ ounces coarsely chopped Mexican chocolate
- 3 to 3½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 2½ teaspoons sugar to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and soak dry beans overnight, or for at least 6-8 hours. Drain, then place in a large pot with fresh water, cover, and simmer with 1 teaspoon of salt until tender, about 1-2 hours. Set aside.
- Stem and seed all dried chilies. Lightly toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and rehydrate for 20-30 minutes until soft.
- While chilies rehydrate, lightly toast sesame seeds in the same dry skillet until golden. Set aside. In the same skillet, dry-roast unpeeled garlic cloves and tomatoes until softened and slightly charred, about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the rehydrated chilies, reserving the soaking liquid. In a blender, combine the rehydrated chilies, roasted tomatoes, peeled roasted garlic, toasted sesame seeds, ground cinnamon, dried oregano, black pepper, and coarsely chopped Mexican chocolate.
- Add 3 cups of broth to the blender. Blend on high until a very smooth paste forms, adding more reserved chili soaking liquid or broth if needed to aid blending. This may take several minutes.
- Pass the blended mole paste through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on the solids with a spoon to extract all liquid and flavor. Discard the remaining solids.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Carefully pour in the strained mole sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
- Stir in the cooked beans and remaining 1 to 1½ cups of broth, or enough to reach desired consistency. Bring back to a gentle simmer.
- Season the mole with the remaining 1 to 1½ teaspoons of salt and 2 to 2½ teaspoons of sugar, tasting and adjusting until the flavors are balanced. Continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to deepen.
- Serve the Vegetarian Red Mole with Beans warm, optionally garnished with fresh cilantro or extra toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
For an authentic mole, ensure chilies are lightly toasted before rehydration; this deepens their flavor. Be careful not to burn them, as this will lead to bitterness. Straining the blended mole sauce through a fine-mesh sieve is crucial for achieving the characteristic velvety texture; don't skip this step. The Mexican chocolate adds depth and balances the heat and earthiness of the chilies; adjust sugar to taste, aiming for a harmonious sweet-savory profile. This mole can be made ahead; flavors often deepen overnight. Serve with warm tortillas or rice, and consider garnishing with toasted sesame seeds or fresh cilantro for added texture and freshness.