Vegan Sopes With Refried Beans and Salsa Verde Recipe

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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Crispy homemade sope shells stuffed with refried beans and drizzled with salsa verde and crunchy pepitas. A satisfying, completely vegan meal.

Recipe Details

Vegan Sopes With Refried Beans and Salsa Verde Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 30 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 quarts vegetable or canola oil, divided

  • 1 jalapeño pepper, split in half and thinly sliced

  • 1 small white onion, finely sliced (about 3/4 cup)

  • 1 (29-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 tablespoon juice from about 1 lime

  • 1 small handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 cups instant masa (such as Maseca)

  • Lukewarm water

  • 1 recipe Basic Salsa Verde (or store-bought salsa verde)

  • 1/4 cup roasted pepitas

Directions

  1. For The Refried Beans: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add half of onions and half of jalapeños and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add beans and 1/2 cup water. Cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the beans until desired consistency is reached, adding water as necessary. Add lime juice and half of cilantro. Season to taste with salt cover, and set aside in a warm place. Combine remaining onions, jalapeño, and cilantro in a small bowl and set aside.

  2. For the Sope Shells: Combine instant masa with 1 teaspoon salt and lukewarm water according to package directions. Knead until a smooth dough is formed. Divide dough into 8 balls. Using your fingertips against a wooden board, gently flatten one ball into a disk about 1/4-inch thick and 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Carefully form a little lip around the edge of the disks with your fingertips. Repeat with remaining balls.

  3. Heat remaining 1 1/2 quarts oil in a large wok or deep cast iron skillet to 350°F. Add the sope shells one at a time until they are all in the oil. Cook, carefully turning occasionally, until shells are golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted metal spider. Season with salt immediately.

  4. To serve, divide bean mixture evenly on top of sope shells and drizzle with salsa verde. Sprinkle with toasted pepitas, then top with remaining onions, cilantro, and jalapeño. Serve immediately with extra lemon or lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Store-bought sope shells or tostada shells can be used in place of the homemade shells in step 2. Vegetarian refried beans can be used in place of making your own in step 1.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
621 Calories
34g Fat
68g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 621
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 990mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 68g 25%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 15mg 76%
Calcium 142mg 11%
Iron 5mg 29%
Potassium 728mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)