Vegetarian Bean And Cheese Sopes Recipe
One of Mexico's tastiest street snacks is sopes — a thick, tortilla-like shell that is loaded with savory toppings. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Mexican food is one of my favorite foods for entertaining. I love to make a big batch of sopes with lots of toppings, and have everyone [top] them however they like. You can make these fried or baked. The baked version is not only healthier, but quicker because you bake them all at once, and they only take 5 minutes."
So, what kind of toppings are good on sopes you ask? We like using refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and avocado, but the options are endless. You can use include pico de gallo, corn, tomatillos, black beans, queso dip, or cooked peppers, and if you don't want to keep them vegetarian, top with shredded chicken, carne asada, or shrimp.
Gather the ingredients for vegetarian bean and cheese sopes
To make this recipe, the main ingredient is masa harina, so pick up some of that in the dry goods aisle. You'll also need salt, olive oil, water, and refried beans. "To keep this vegetarian, check the ingredients on the refried beans to make sure they don't contain animal fat," Hahn tells us, or you can make homemade refried beans. In the produce aisle, pick up some shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and finally, some shredded cheese from the dairy section. "To make [this] vegan, just use dairy-free cheese," Hahn remarks.
Make the sopes dough
Take out a large bowl, and combine the masa harina and salt. Then, add the hot water, along with the olive oil. Stir to combine, then work in the ingredients with your hands, and form the dough into a ball. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, and preheat the oven to 400 F.
Form and bake the sopes
After the dough has rested, divide it into 12 equal parts, roll each part into a ball, and flatten each ball into a 5-inch-wide circle. You can do this by hand, or with a tortilla press. "If you are using a tortilla press, be careful not to press down too hard. The sopes are much thicker than a standard tortilla. We want them to be at least ¼-inch [thick]," Hahn remarks. After you flatten the sopes, pinch the outer edges up to create a rimmed border. Lay them out on 2 large baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper, and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
Prepare the toppings, and serve
While the sopes are in the oven, prepare the toppings. Warm up the refried beans in a small pot or microwave oven. Dice the tomato, onion, and avocado. When the sopes are done baking, spread a layer of beans on top, and then add the toppings. Alternatively, set up the toppings, taco-bar style, and let your guests create their own dish for sopes Saturday.
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 15-ounce can refried beans
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 tomato, diced
- ¼ red onion, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- In a large bowl, combine the masa harina and salt. Then, add the hot water and olive oil. Stir to combine, then shape it into a ball with your hands. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Divide the dough into 12 sections, and roll each one into a ball. Flatten them out into 5-inch-wide circles with your hands, or with a tortilla press. They should be at least ¼-inch thick.
- After you flatten the sopes, pinch the outer edges up to create a rimmed border. Put the sopes on 2 large baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper, and bake for 5 minutes.
- While they are cooking, warm the refried beans on the stovetop or microwave oven. When the sopes are done cooking, top with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and avocado, and serve.
| Calories per Serving | 173 |
| Total Fat | 7.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.6 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 9.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 21.7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.8 g |
| Sodium | 286.3 mg |
| Protein | 6.2 g |
