Mole is a traditional sauce used in Mexican cuisine made with roasted chilies and an assortment of spices. Once combined, you’ll taste a layered flavor of sweet, salty, spicy, and smoky. Use this mole sauce to top your protein like chicken, as an enchilada sauce, or over rice.

Ingredients

• 6Pasilla Peppers, dried
• 3Tomato – small
• 1Onion, raw – small
• 1Plantain – small
• ¹/₄ cupSesame Seeds
• ¹/₄ cupAlmonds
• 6Garlic, clove
• 3Dates, pitted
• ¹/₂ tspCinnamon, ground – or two 2" cinnamon sticks
• ¹/₄ cupPumpkin Seeds, unsalted
• ¹/₂ tbspOlive Oil – or as much as needed
• ¹/₄ cupCacao Powder
• ¹/₈ tspClove, ground
• ¹/₈ tspCumin, ground
• 3 cupVegetable Broth, low-sodium – with two additional cubes of vegetable bouillon

Directions

1. De-stem and de-seed chili peppers. Tip: use gloves and kitchen shears to trim off the stem and remove all seeds.
2. In a medium nonstick pan on low heat, add oil then add chilies to toast till soft and aromatic. Do not over-toast the peppers as they will burn and become bitter.
3. Set chilies aside in the blender pitcher to cool.
4. In the same pan, add halved tomatoes and quartered onions.
5. Sear all sides on medium heat and add to the blender pitcher with the toasted peppers to cool.
6. Toast the plantain, sesame seeds, almonds, garlic, dates, cinnamon stick, and pumpkin seeds (pepitas) separately in a pan with olive oil as needed. Once done, add each ingredient to the blender pitcher to cool.
7. Add cacao, clove, cumin, 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock, and the bouillon cubes to the blender pitcher and blend on medium for one minute and then high for another 30 seconds.
8. Pour mixture in a medium saucepan on medium heat and bring to a simmer.
9. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of stock to thin out mixture and adjust to reach the desired level of flavor (sweet or savory).
10. Enjoy the mole on tacos or over chicken or your favorite vegetables (we like cauliflower steaks).
11. Save the remaining mole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Warm in a saucepan when ready to use.