Vegan Miso Mole

GLUTEN-FREE | DAIRY-FREE | EGG-FREE | REFINED SUGAR-FREE | VEGAN

Serves 4

Mole. Not the small furry animal, not the geeky cartoon character in Danger Mouse, but the delicious Mexican sauce which rhymes with ‘olé’ and which is said to originate from Puebla, Oaxaca, and Tlaxcala (there doesn’t seem to be an agreement on this). Except this vegan miso mole is a modern twist on the traditional recipe. 

No one story as to how this was first invented has been settled on but legend has it, it was prepared in a rush by panicked nuns when an archbishop came to visit. Being poor, they added what they had to a pot, including chilli peppers, spices, old bread, nuts, chocolate and a hastily killed turkey. When the archbishop asked what it was, the nun replied that is was a ‘mole’, which meant a ‘mix’.

This is my modern take on the traditional mole, using miso for the all important umami. Whilst mole is often served over meats, this is great on it’s own, served over grains. It’s rich and I’d advise to use organic, high quality ingredients where you can; the Artisan du Chocolat I’ve mentioned really does make all the difference so don’t skimp!

Ingredients (all organic where possible)

• 8 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 carrots, finely sliced
• 1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 bag spinach
• 2tbsp grated ginger
• I head broccoli, grated
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1tbsp oregano leaves
• 1tsp thyme leaves
• 1tsp cayenne
• 1tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1tbsp coconut palm sugar
• 1 lime (juiced)
• 1tbsp chopped parsley
• 3tbsp rapeseed/hemp oil
• 1tbsp Artisan du Chocolat cacao stick grated
• 100g Miso Tasty raw unpasteurised red miso
• Himalayan salt & black pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Put the plum tomatoes, salt, black pepper & 1tbsp oil in a roasting tin and roast 15 minutes until soft and juicy.
3. Heat remaining oil in a pan and sweat onions until soft. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add carrots, fennel, broccoli, ginger and herbs (retaining the parsley) with the spices.
4. Cook until slightly softened, add the roasted tomatoes with their juices ,chopped tomatoes and spinach.
5. Simmer until reduced by 1/4 and add miso and cacao.
6. Taste and adjust with lime, sugar, salt & pepper.
7. Cook for a further 5 minutes to infuse flavours.
8. Serve with ancient grains or rice.

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