Mole Verde
Updated Feb. 16, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 cups (8 to 10 servings)
- 8medium tomatillos (about 1 pound), peeled and washed
- 1large poblano
- ½ medium yellow onion, quartered
- 2 to 3serrano chiles
- 2garlic cloves, peeled
- 1cup brown (unhulled) sesame seeds
- ½ cup raw pepitas
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 2dried bay leaves
- 2 to 3cloves
- 6large romaine lettuce leaves
- 1medium bunch cilantro, torn in half
- 8large fresh epazote leaves (optional)
- 1medium fresh or dried hoja santa leaf (optional)
- 2½ cups vegetable stock, plus more if needed
- ¼ cup neutral cooking oil (such as grapeseed)
- 1tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Seared mushrooms, tofu steaks, roasted cauliflower and/or Mexican rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
238 calories; 20 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 419 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Add the tomatillos, poblano, onion, serrano chiles and garlic to a large preheated comal or cast-iron skillet set over medium heat. Cook everything until lightly charred and soft on all sides, about 20 minutes. The poblano should take the longest to cook, while the garlic cloves will be done in about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a dry small to medium skillet over medium. Once warmed, toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the toasted seeds to a large bowl and set aside.
- Step 3
Toast the pepitas in the same skillet, stirring constantly, until golden, popped and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add them to the bowl with sesame seeds.
- Step 4
Toast the almonds in the same skillet, stirring constantly, until lightly seared and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add them to the bowl with the seeds.
- Step 5
Toast the bay leaves and cloves until the leaves lightly brown and the cloves become fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add to the same bowl with the seeds.
- Step 6
Stem and seed the charred chiles, and add them along with the remaining charred ingredients and the toasted ingredients to a blender. Add the romaine, cilantro, epazote and hoja santa (if using) and 2 ½ cups vegetable stock. Blend until almost smooth yet slightly lumpy and textured. Use more of the vegetable stock as needed to smooth out the mixture. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you may need to blend in two batches, adding equal amounts of the wet and dry ingredients to each batch.
- Step 7
Heat a large, deep pot over medium-low. Once warmed, add the oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully add the mole from the blender. There will be some splatter. Stir in the salt and simmer the mole for 15 to 20 minutes, until the flavors meld together, stirring occasionally to make sure the mole doesn't burn at the bottom of the pot.
- Step 8
Serve with seared mushrooms, tofu steaks or roasted cauliflower, paired with Mexican rice. Extra mole can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
KB
Can recommend: sear torn oyster and thickly sliced cremini mushrooms with some thinly sliced poblano; season with smoked paprika. Use to fill corn tortillas, enchilada style, with sharp cheddar and a bit of the mole; place in a baking dish. Pour mole over, sprinkle more cheese ( cotija if you have it) on top, and bake covered at 350-375F for 20 mins or so, then uncover for 10 mins.
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Roberto
If you use a spice grinder then just pulverize the bay and the cloves into dust. Sift this through a tea strainer because there will be stems. Use the sifted spices in your mole.
Miles
I used chicken stock instead of vegetable and served with shredded chicken. I just braise a couple chicken breasts in some stock with an onion and some garlic. Goes really well with mole.
Nancy L
The whole spice called cloves.
Abigail
Made this last night - looks more complicated than it is. Just have all your ingredients measured and together before you start. Used dried epazote (2 tsp), skipped the hoja santa but otherwise true to the recipe. Used a food processor then blitzed it til smooth in a NutriBullet and it is amazing! Served it with corn tortillas, layered with Monterey Jack topped with cotija - it really showed off the subtly and layered flavors of the sauce. Had it this morning with eggs and toast = perfection.
tar
I was surprised how quick it is to make. Delicious. Over eggs, chicken, even cottage cheese for breakfast. Epazote is terrific as an addition.
Jess
Despite so many flavorful ingredients I found this one pretty bland.
Aiminee
Same.
Roberto
If you use a spice grinder then just pulverize the bay and the cloves into dust. Sift this through a tea strainer because there will be stems. Use the sifted spices in your mole.
Rae
I'd recommend using ground clove and tearing up the bay leaves before blending - I have a strong blender and still got chunks of whole spices in some bites. I'd also recommend broiling the veg on a sheet pan if you don't have a cast iron skillet (it's faster, too). I personally love adding hominy (you can find it canned) in my mole verde, too.
KB
Can recommend: sear torn oyster and thickly sliced cremini mushrooms with some thinly sliced poblano; season with smoked paprika. Use to fill corn tortillas, enchilada style, with sharp cheddar and a bit of the mole; place in a baking dish. Pour mole over, sprinkle more cheese ( cotija if you have it) on top, and bake covered at 350-375F for 20 mins or so, then uncover for 10 mins.
KB
This turned out really delicious for me. I used dried epazote and hoja santa; broiled the vegetables instead of using a pan; and combined the nuts and seeds and toasted them in a large pan all together. A Ninja blender worked perfectly to get it to the desired, slightly rough texture.
Marlene Mickey
take out the bay leaves and cloves before blitzing....
KB
In that case there'd be no point to including them at all. A Ninja blender or similar will process them as needed.
Eightlb
I did not like this. I made as directed (minus the epazote leaves, which I could not find). I went with the mushroom option. It was edible. But that is the most praise I can spare. I won't be making it again.
K
2-3 cloves of what? Garlic?
Nancy L
The whole spice called cloves.
Miles
I used chicken stock instead of vegetable and served with shredded chicken. I just braise a couple chicken breasts in some stock with an onion and some garlic. Goes really well with mole.
Kevin Le Bon
Epazote leaves were not to be found, the local market had culantro (not the same as cilantro) which worked fine. We thought this was delicious, better the second day. Next time I would char a bit less. All these ingredients did,t fit in y big cast iron skillet, next time I will char the tomatillo last, because they leak liquids that would go better in the sauce if they weren’t subjected to all the het of the peppers, etc. We did not find it gritty, I did blend it quite a long time.
karen
This was excellent!
Annie A
Did not enjoy this and found the flavor a little bitter. We skipped the hoja Santa as we couldn’t find it. Used up leftovers in a chicken enchilada and it was a little better with tortillas and cheese added in.
Kymmore
We used the sauce as a topper for soft chicken tacos leaving enough sauce to make a batch of enchiladas this week.
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