No-Oil Black Bean and Hominy Stew with Chipotle and Lime

General Fast Without Oil Published August 02, 2026

Hominy — dried corn treated with lime, sold canned as pozole corn — has a chew and a toasted-corn flavor that nothing else provides. Paired with black beans in a smoky chipotle broth, it makes a strict-day stew with far more character than the ingredient list suggests.

All the depth comes from two moves that need no fat: charring the aromatics dry in the pot, and using the adobo sauce from a can of chipotles. That adobo is concentrated smoke, vinegar, and chili — a tablespoon does what an hour of browning would.

The garnishes matter as much as the pot. Raw radish, shredded cabbage, cilantro, and a hard squeeze of lime over the top give the crunch and brightness that a no-oil stew otherwise lacks.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast Without Oil (strict days)
SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the stew:
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2-3 chipotles in adobo, minced, plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 x 400g cans black beans, undrained
- 2 x 400g cans hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 x 400g can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups (960ml) vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- Juice of 2 limes
- Salt

To serve:
- 1/4 small cabbage, finely shredded
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- Lime wedges
- Dried oregano, for sprinkling

METHOD

1. Heat a large dry heavy pot over medium-high. Add the onions and poblano and let them sit undisturbed 3-4 minutes to char in spots, then stir. Add a splash of water and cook 8 minutes more, deglazing with water whenever they stick.

2. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander. Cook 1 minute with another splash of water.

3. Stir in the minced chipotles, adobo sauce, and tomato paste. Cook 2-3 minutes until dark and thick.

4. Add the black beans with their liquid, the hominy, tomatoes, broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 25 minutes.

5. Mash about a cup of the beans against the side of the pot and stir in — this is what thickens the stew without fat.

6. Remove the bay leaves. Add the lime juice and salt to taste. It should be smoky, sour, and well salted.

7. Set out the cabbage, radish, cilantro, red onion, lime wedges, and a small bowl of oregano, and let everyone build their own bowl. The raw garnishes are not optional — they make the dish.

NOTES

- On oil days: start the aromatics in 3 tablespoons of oil, and add sliced avocado to the garnish tray.
- Canned hominy is widely sold as "pozole" or "mote." Chickpeas are a passable substitute if you cannot find it, though the chew is different.
- Chipotles freeze well — portion the can into tablespoons on a plate, freeze, and bag them.
- Serve with corn tortillas warmed dry in a skillet, which keeps the whole meal oil-free.