Mexican Sopes: Step By Step Recipes

Mexican sopes are an easy dish to make. It is a corn tortilla to which beans, meat or other ingredients are added. Discover the recipe in this article.

Have you ever tasted Mexican sopes? These appetizers are one of the most popular dishes in Mexico. These are small, thick corn tortillas with the edges pinched to form a slight hollow. They are then fried in butter.

In general, different ingredients are added, of which cheese, refried beans, sausage and meat are the most common. Of course, as in all Mexican dishes, it is possible to spice them up with hot sauce.

According to various articles, sopes, as well as other recipes made with corn (enfrijoladas, enchiladas, quesadillas, or tacos), are dishes that are eaten at small gatherings, and even at large celebrations.

Traditional Mexican Sopes Recipe

The preparation of sopes takes some time. It is therefore advisable to do them when you already have toppings to put on them. For example, leftover beans, meat in sauce or grilled chicken. In addition, you can also divide the recipe into two parts and prepare the sopes the night before.

So you need a strong plastic bag, like those you use to store food in the freezer, a flat pan or baking board, and a tortillera (press for making tortillas). ) or a glass mold.

In addition, be  aware that the corn flour used for the recipe is nixtamalized. In other words, it is precooked and is then prepared only with water. To make it, an alkaline treatment is carried out which consists of cooking the corn in water with lime.

Ingredients for the dough

• 1 and a half glasses of nixtamalized corn flour.
• A glass of lukewarm water plus a quarter.

Ingredients for the garnish

• 1/2 cup Mexican cream or cheese spread.
• Half a cup of cream cheese.
• 1/2 cup chopped onions.
• Red or green sauce according to taste.
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons of butter.
• A cup of refried beans (beans boiled and then fried in oil or butter).
• 1 half cup of ground beef or chicken.
• 2 cups of chopped salad.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Optional garnishes

• 1 avocado, cubed or sliced.
• Half a cup of chopped tomato.
• 1/2 cup finely sliced ​​radish.
• Pickled peppers and carrots.

Step by step Mexican sopes recipe

1. First,  mix the cornmeal with lukewarm water in a bowl. Knead until everything is smooth. If necessary, add more water, but be careful as the dough can get sticky. The idea is to make the dough supple and moldable.
2. Then  cover with a small, damp linen towel  to prevent it from drying out.
3. Then start dividing the dough into small balls, trying to make them all the same size. Then cover again.
4. Then cut the plastic bag into two squares of the same size.
5. Then place a square of plastic in the tortillera, put a ball of dough on it, cover with the other square and close the tortillera by exerting light pressure. Then remove the paste, the plastics and repeat the process. With this technique, shape all the tortillas.
6. If you don’t have utensils to make the tortillas, use a glass mold. In this case, put the plastic on the table and mimic the process.
7. Once the tortillas are shaped, heat the pan over medium heat. Then place the tortillas one by one on the heat, and turn them after a minute to cook them on both sides. If the cooking time is longer, the dough will become dry.
8. Finally, remove the sopes from the pan using a spatula and place them in a container that does not lose temperature. Now is the time to shape the edges by pinching them with your fingers.

Assembly of Mexican sopes

1. Heat the oil or butter in a pan. Then place the sopes and let them fry for 30 seconds on each side. This time is sufficient for them to brown and warm up. Then remove them and place them in a dish on kitchen paper so that it absorbs the excess fat.
2. Now is the time to garnish them. You can put beef or chicken, salad, cheese or other ingredients you prefer. Then add the sauce on top.

Nopal sopes recipe

Another variety of Mexican sopes is to use  fresh nopal instead of the famous corn tortillas. In this case, the nopal will serve as a base or container.

Moreover, according to various studies ,  this food has nutraceutical characteristics that have aroused interest in European and Asian regions. This is because it is beneficial for the treatment of various diseases, it is a source of vitamin C, minerals and soluble and insoluble fiber.

Ingredients:

• 10 pieces of medium nopal.
• 1/2 salad.
• A pinch of salt.
• A pinch of pepper.
• 1 cup of refried beans.
• A cup of cream cheese.

Step by step recipe

1. To start, you have to shape the pieces of nopal. For this, use a cup, a lid or a round element that you place on the nopal.
2. Then, using a knife,  cut the nopal to give it a round shape.
3. Then, chop the salad, add salt and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat, add a pinch of pepper to each nopal you cut and then place it on the hot pan. Cook on both sides until it changes color.
5. Once they are ready, remove them from the heat and place them on a wooden board or plate then lay out the refried beans.
6. Then spread the cream cheese, add the salad and enjoy.

Nopal sopes are generally lighter dishes than traditional sopes because they do not contain corn flour. However, as in the previous recipe, you can also add meat, sauces or other ingredients of your choice.

Benefits of Mexican sopes

As you can see,  Mexican sopes are easy to make appetizers. Plus, if you don’t have the traditional utensils or ingredients, like tortillera or Mexican cream, you can still make them.

Remember that you can add beef, chicken, vegetables, legumes or whatever you like. Don’t miss out on these delicious little recipes.