Vegan Sopes With Refried Beans and Salsa Verde Recipe

Crispy, creamy, and spicy, this vegan fare hits all of the right notes.

Updated April 18, 2024

A vegan sope with refried beans, seeds, and dressed greens. — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

Using a wooden board to roll out the sope shells keeps them from sticking.
Layering textures makes this a satisfying and filling meal.

The most difficult part of this recipe is making the sope shells, and really, it's not that difficult once you get the hang of it. I use store-bought instant masa flour to make my dough (Maseca brand), then use my fingertips on a wooden cutting board to spread out small balls of it into circles that I can then form a lip around. Using wood is key, as the dough has a tendency to stick and tear if you use a less porous surface.

Once the shells are formed, it's a quick trip to the deep fryer (A.K.A. my wok), and they're done and ready to be filled.

Of course, if you don't want to bother making your own shells (and for some busy folks, I don't blame you!), you could always simply use store-bought tostada shells or even a soft tortilla if you'd like.

The key to really satisfying vegan fare is to make sure you hit a whole bunch of textural highs and lows, and offer some sort of dense, fat-and-protein based food to fill you up. In this case, we get the crispy fried sope shells, followed by a rich and creamy layer of refried beans (I make my own, but you can use store-bought refried beans no problem—just check the label for animal products), a drizzle of hot and tangy salsa verde (another great condiment to have around at all times), crunchy toasted pepitas, and a fresh sprinkle of onions, jalapeños, and cilantro.

This is seriously good stuff, whether you're vegan or not. That's the kind of food worth making a meal out of.

February 2013

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

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.
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.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 quarts oil in a large wok or deep cast iron skillet to 350°F (176°C). 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.
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.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
621	Calories
34g	Fat
68g	Carbs
16g	Protein

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.