Eat Your Fruit and Veggies Mole
Delight your taste buds and boost your nutrient intake with this vibrant and flavorful "Eat Your Fruit and Veggies Mole" recipe. This plant-based twist on the traditional Mexican mole sauce combines the smoky heat of dried ancho and guajillo chiles with an unexpected sweetness from ripe banana and maple syrup. Packed with wholesome ingredients like zucchini, carrots, almonds, and pumpkin seeds, this rich and velvety sauce gets an earthy depth from unsweetened cocoa and warm spices like cinnamon and cumin. Simmered to perfection, this mole is the ultimate harmony of sweet, smoky, and savory flavors. Perfectly versatile, it pairs beautifully with rice, tortillas, or roasted veggies, making it a mouthwatering option for both weeknight dinners and special occasions. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and you'll have a stunning dish that's as nutritious as it is delicious. Keywords: fruit and veggie mole, vegan mole recipe, plant-based mole, healthy mole sauce, smoky sweet mole.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 3 pieces dried ancho chiles
- 2 pieces dried guajillo chiles
- 1 piece ripe banana
- 1 piece ripe tomato
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 piece large carrot
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 pieces garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup almonds
- 0.5 cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho and guajillo chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then pour 1 cup of hot water over them and let soak for 10 minutes.
While the chiles soak, dice the zucchini and carrot into small cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, zucchini, and carrot. Sauté until softened, about 7-8 minutes.
Add the almonds and pumpkin seeds to the skillet. Toast for 2-3 minutes until aromatic, then remove from heat.
In a blender, combine the soaked chiles (including the soaking liquid), sautéed vegetables and seeds, tomato, banana, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Blend until smooth. Depending on your blender, you may need to do this in batches.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Pour the blended sauce into the pot. Add the remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth to adjust the consistency as needed. Bring the mole to a simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld.
Stir in the maple syrup and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve the mole warm over rice, with tortillas, or drizzled over roasted vegetables. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2440 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 150.0 g | 192% | |
| Saturated Fat | 18.7 g | 94% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 20.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 6584 mg | 286% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 229.4 g | 83% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 64.1 g | 229% | |
| Total Sugars | 85.8 g | ||
| Protein | 81.9 g | 164% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 756 mg | 58% | |
| Iron | 25.3 mg | 141% | |
| Potassium | 5058 mg | 108% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
