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.

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.

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.

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.

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.