AUSTIN, TEXAS — Kind Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky is teaming up with two former executives from the healthy snacking brand to launch SOMOS, a Mexican food brand.

The food entrepreneur partnered with Miguel Leal, former chief marketing officer of Kind Snacks, and Rodrigo Zuloaga, former head of product innovation at Kind Snacks, to create a range of shelf-stable, slow cooked Mexican foods that may be mixed and matched to create homemade meals. The brand offers a variety of rices, beans, tortilla chips, salsas and plant-based entrees, including smoky chipotle mushrooms, cauliflower tinga and two kinds of pea-cadillo, a plant-based alternative to ground beef.

The trio launched SOMOS to replace the “fake” Mexican food that dominates American pantries, Mr. Lubetzky said. All three founders were born and raised in Mexico.

“Until now, Americans have had to dine out to enjoy a real Mexican meal,” he said. “At home, options have been limited to foods that don’t actually exist in Mexico like fluorescent molded hard-shell yellow corn tortillas. SOMOS was created using inspiration from family recipes that have been passed down through generations and will introduce people to true Mexican cocina staples.”

SOMOS produces all of its products in Mexico and sources the majority of its ingredients from local Mexican family farms. Its portfolio is plant-based, gluten-free and non-GMO. The brand’s pouches are microwavable and ready to heat and eat in 90 seconds, leaving more room for enjoying time together post-dinner, a tradition that Mexicans call “sombremesa.”

SOMOS’ initial lineup includes Mexican brown rice and cilantro lime white rice, available for a suggested retail price of $2.99 per 8.8-oz package, and Mexican black beans and spicy refried beans, available for a suggested retail price of $3.79 per 10-oz package.

The brand’s plant-based entrees are available for a suggested retail price of $5.29 per 10-oz package. Its smoky chipotle mushrooms are cooked in a traditional Mexican chipotle with Adobo sauce of roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic and ground bay leaves. The cauliflower tinga entree features cauliflower in a traditional Puebla Mexico Tinga sauce made with fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers and onion. SOMOS’ Mexican pea-cadillo is a plant-based twist on traditional picadillo made with pea protein. The pea-cadillo in salsa verde entree combines the meatless take on picadillo with a green tomatillo salsa and potatoes, serrano pepper and cilantro.  

SOMOS is accepting wholesale orders from retailers and expects its products will hit shelves in January 2022.

The brand also offers blue and white corn tortilla chips as well as a line of salsas, which are available direct-to-consumer through its e-commerce platform. The salsas come in flavors such as roasted tomatillo jalapeño, roasted tomatillo and pasilla pepper, cuatro chiles taqueria and smoky chipotle. The chips are available for $4.99 per 6-oz bag, and the salsas are available for $3.99 per 12-oz jar.

“While Americans often think of Mexican as being heavy on meat, cheese and greasy sauces, real Mexican food celebrates the natural vegetables, grains and legumes of its diverse geographies,” Mr. Leal said. “SOMOS is committed to preserving the integrity of these ingredients and preparing our foods as close to the traditional way as possible, helping consumers make and enjoy delicious meals that are clean, sophisticated and full of flavor.”