Broke Bank Vegan highlights Mexican cuisine with a plant-based twist. Here, you’ll find food that is cheap, easy to make, and delicious for vegans and non-vegans alike. Below find a sample recipe for Sopes found on this blog. If you haven’t heard of sopes before, don’t worry.They also go by other names (like picaditas) and vary depending on which state of Mexico they’re made in. They’re not too common in North America unless you have Mexican roots or get a chance to eat at an authentic restaurant.

Sopes belong to the food family antojitos (or little cravings) and are usually found in street stalls or served as appetizers. These little bites are an essential part of Mexican culture. Broken down — what you have is a thick corn tortilla with ridges (to keep all the goods from falling off). It’s then lightly fried and topped with refried beans, vegetables, vegan meat, and different salsas.

Ingredients

2 cups masa harina

1 ½ cups warm water

¼ tsp salt

1 recipe refried beans

To serve optional

▢ Neutral oil for frying

▢ Vegan queso fresco

▢ Salsa fresca

▢ Vegan Mexican crema

▢ Pickled jalapeños

▢ Vegan chorizo

▢ Jackfruit carnitas

▢ Avocado cubes

▢ Lime wedges

Instructions

 Dough

• Add the masa harina and salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Then, add in 1½ cups of warm water to start and mix together using your hands.
• Begin kneading the dough to form a ball that’s sticky enough to stay together, but not coming off on your hands. Keep mixing and pressing with your palm for a few minutes.
• If the dough appears too crumbly, add a tbsp of water at a time until you are able to form a texture similar to play-dough. If it becomes too sticky, add in a little more masa harina.

Rolling

• Next, start breaking off pieces of the masa dough to form small balls (about the size of a golf ball). Roll each piece of dough in between your palms until smooth. You should get about 9-10 sopes out of this recipe. Cover all the dough balls with a tea towel on your counter or cutting board.

Pressing

• If you have a tortilla press, cut a zip lock bag into 2 pieces that will fit into the press (one for each side of the sope).
• Open the press and place a ball of dough in the center on a piece of plastic. Place the other plastic piece on top and close the press down quite gently to form thick tortillas (about ¼-inch).
• If you don’t have a tortilla press, place your ball of dough between the same 2 pieces of plastic on your counter. Press the dough down with the bottom of a baking dish or flat plate until it’s about ¼-inch thick.

Cooking

• Preheat a cast-iron skillet for 8-10 minutes up to medium-low or medium (medium-low works best on our stove). Then, add a sope in and cook on the first side for 60-70 seconds. Flip and cook for another 60-90 seconds, or until brown spots are forming (for us, 70 seconds on the first side and 80 seconds on the second works best).
• Remove from heat and let the first sope rest while you add in the next sope. After about 30-60 seconds, pull a little dough from the inner portion of the cooked sope and pinch it out to the edge with your thumb and index finger to form a ridge all the way around.
• Cover the sope with a tea towel, and repeat this process until all are cooked.

Serving

• Heat about ¼ cup of neutral oil in the same cast-iron skillet over medium-low or medium (depending on your stove). Fry each sope on both sides for about 20-30 seconds, or until they appear a light golden color. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of any excess oil.
• Serve your sopes with a layer of refried beans on the bottom. Top them with any of the following: salsa fresca, avocado cubes, vegan queso fresco, vegan Mexican crema, cilantro, lime, or hot sauce. Enjoy!

Here’s a video showing you how to prepare this dish: https://youtu.be/qCJF0V6mQcM