Today’ post takes a ride down the lanes of Mexico and brings out a dish which is relished by the locals. Made with delicious ingredients, this dish is not one to be missed. I have learnt this dish from a Mexican friend who have been making this oh so fondly ever since she was a little girl. Presenting Mexican vegetarian Sopes. This dish is Healthy, a 100% delicious and Zero Oil !
Sopes (pronounced as SO-PESS) is a traditional Mexican dish originating in the central and southern parts of Mexico, where it was sometimes first known as pellizcadas. It looks like an unusually thick tortilla with vegetables and meat toppings. It is usually the size of a fist.
I had this for the first time last year in Canada during a pop up restaurant event which was co-hosted by me and 3 more friends, 2 of which are Mexican. We all got our traditional dishes out for people to try. I had got my kebabs and vada pavs and the Mexican friend made Sopes, Paletas, Esquites, Aguas Frescas and huitalacoche crepes. Read about the event here . The sopes she prepared had a beautiful combination of flavours and i was so excited by the dish that i helped her prepare some and learnt it in the process. Today, i am using her method but my healthy tweaks to make it fit for a Diabetic meal ! It has the goodness of corn, red kidney beans, chilies and cottage cheese. Enjoy !
Sopes Vegetarian
Sopes Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Sopes base
- 1.5 cup Masa flour (you can also use unprocessed yellow corn/makki atta)
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- salt to taste
- Lukewarm water to form the dough (about 3/4 cup water)
Toppings
- Red bean topping
- Red kidney beans, boiled
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small tomato, finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- pepper to taste
- dried oregano, pinch
- Zucchini, thin sticks
- Carrot, thin sticks
- Bell Peppers, finely sliced
- Guajillo Chipotle Salsa (Recipe here)
-
2 tablespoons Indian Cottage Cheese/ Paneer
(Usually recipe calls for Cotija or Feta cheese but Indian Cottage cheese gives the similar texture without the extra salt)
- Juice of half Lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
Method
- We begin with preparing the dough for the base of the sopes. For that, in a bowl, add in all the ingredients for the base (Except water) and mix well. Now, slowly add in the water and knead the dough to prepare a pliable and soft dough. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Cover it with a damp cloth to prevent drying.
- Pre- heat the oven at 300F and keep ready to bake the sopes base.
- Now, lets prepare the red bean topping. For this, in a non stick skillet, add in the onions and saute on medium high for about 1 minute. The onions will start to release water and this water will start to soften and caramalize the onions. Let the onions cook till lightly golden brown.
- Next, add in the chopped tomatoes, salt, minced garlic, pepper and dried oregano and cook on medium till the tomatoes start to release some water. Now, simmer and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Add in the red kidney beans and adjust spices. Cook on simmer for another 10-12 minutes. The Red bean topping is ready. Keep aside and let cool down a bit.
- Prepare the Salsa as directed in the recipe link above.
- Let us now make the base of the sopes. With the help of a rolling pin and some flour, roll out 3-4 mm thick circles of the dough. Do not attempt to make too thin or else the base will become brittle and weak upon cooking.
- Slightly cook the dough circle on a skillet/comal for 20-30 seconds each side (slight brown spots will appear). Remove the base from the skillet and with your fingers, pinch one side of the sopes base to create a plate like shape in the base. Place the sopes bases in the oven and bake till they are done but not hard or crunchy. Remove and let it cool down a bit.
For Assembly,
Take one Sopes base. Put 1 tablespoon of red bean topping. Next, assemble the salsa, zucchini, bell peppers , carrots, drizzle a little lemon juice, add in some chopped coriander and Cottage cheese on top. Serve immediately !
Suggested servings = 2 Sopes
Now this is exciting won’t u say ! I loved the way it all came together into such cute looking individual portions. This can be enjoyed as a snack or made into a healthy meal. Full of exciting flavours, this dish surprised me every bit. The base was really crunchy and the intermingling flavours from the red beans, salsa and the cojita cheese just blended so well. I even loved the crunchy fresh veggies on the top, making this dish perfect for my afternoon weekend brunch. Serve this dish with
Lets dig in some benefits now,
Corn – With a glycemic index (GI) of 42, corn is also classified as a low-GI food, meaning that corn raises blood sugar by a relatively small amount. One of the most important links between corn and diabetes is the high level of pantothenic acid found in corn. Pantothenic acid is important for helping people with diabetes maintain a healthy weight through improved metabolic function and for managing blood sugar levels. Fiber in corn and other starches is an important part of nutrition and overall digestive health for people with diabetes.
Red kidney beans – Kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans’ high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.
Chili peppers – Chilies contain health benefiting an alkaloid compound in them, capsaicin, which gives them strong spicy pungent character. Early laboratory studies on experimental mammals suggest that capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. It also found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese individuals
Paneer/ Cottage Cheese –The health benefits of cottage cheese include weight loss, a good supply of protein, B complex vitamins and healthy fats, and a reduced risk of breast cancer. Cottage cheese is also a good source of various minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and selenium which all play vital roles in many of the body functions. Just use low fat milk to prepare Paneer for maximizing the benefits from diabetes point of view.
Doesn’t all this sound exciting !! Try this super healthy recipe soon and let me know how was your experience 🙂 Hop onto this page for more exciting DFT recipes from Divine Spice Box !
Disclaimer
I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.
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this is incredibly mouthwatering Prachi. I have had my dinner, yet drooling! amazing recipe!
Aww are’nt u sweet Anu ! Thank u 🙂
This is fab! A must try ❤️
Thanks Sonal ! <3
They look and sound absolutely amazing!
Thanks a lot Ginger ! 🙂
Fabulous .. I have never had sopes before , this is a must try in my list now . Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe prachi .
Thanks a bunch Parvathy ! Do let me know if u liked Sopes 🙂
I need to try this soon … What a fab recipe Prachi…..
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Beautifully shaped bases, and a lovely filling. Lovely dish, Prachi. I really want to try this!
Unique Recipe…looks Awesome Prachi!..
Looks yummy 🙂
Its awesum that Corn flour can create such beautiful cute & healthy dish. Will give it a try soon Prachi 🙂
The sopes are super cute! I didn’t even know that such a dish existed. I learnt something new and interesting. Would love to try it sometime soon!