Good doesn’t have to be difficult; sopes are a perfect testament to that. If you’re unfamiliar with sopes (pronounced so-pays), think mini rounds made of corn flour, like thick crispy little corn tortillas shaped into little bowls that you can eat! (We all know how I love finger foods!) Made with masa- what both corn tortillas and tamales are made with (ps, it’s gluten-free for those who care) and water, they’re shaped into little rounds and then topped with whatever deliciousness you choose- chicken, veggies, beef, or whatever you’re craving. If you’ve never made them yourself, you might assume they’re complicated and take, you know, actual kitchen skills. But nope, not at all… which is why they’re a perfect thing to make when you want to impress people. The easiest-complicated-looking-thing-ever award definitely goes to sopes. If you like tacos, tostadas, or anything else that’s got a Mexican flare and holds a bunch of delicious goodness in it, you’ll love these. 🙂
I actually didn’t love sopes as a kid, or so I didn’t think anyway. Maybe that’s because my dad would but them pre-made from the store, stick them in the toaster oven, and then top them with beans… I give him credit for trying, but no, that just didn’t work for me (can we say cardboard?). And when I’d get them in restaurants, they seemed so heavy and dense… I think because sometimes people make them really thick and deep fry them; I wasn’t a huge fan. Then I began experimenting with my own at home a few years ago and everything changed… they’re now a household favorite! Turns out it just took making them nice and thin and then pan-frying them lightly instead. They’re so weightless and airy… the perfect light bite for whatever you place on top!
I usually use some shredded chicken, beans, fresh salsa of some sort, and a few other tasty toppings I have lying around. To see a variation of chicken sopes I made months back, check HERE– they were tomatillo chicken sopes. Um, yumm. This time, I made a corn, jicama, mango salsa to go with. It sounded so good and fresh, I just couldn’t resist. When I was at the butcher’s, this pre-seasoned chicken breast stared me in the face and tempted me, so rather than my usual homemade chicken seasonings, I bought this delicious one instead (I think it was a Cajun or Santa Maria spiced guy- something picante and delicious). It doesn’t matter what kind of chicken seasoning you use though… I usually throw on some garlic powder, ancho chili seasoning and some other tasty Mexican style flavors- use what you like. You can also use any kind of beans… refried, whole, black, pinto- whatever floats your boat. I love whole pinto, so went with that this time- tossed in a couple light seasonings to spice it up. Other than that, it’s really your choice what you want on them. They’re so good with whatever… sort of like tacos- you can get as creative as you want 🙂 (I love things you can’t mess up!)
This salsa is to die for. I made extra so I could use it on,
well pretty much everything throughout the week.
Sadly it didn’t last long; the next day we gobbled it all up on our chicken salad.
Time to make more!
Makes 8 sopes
INGREDIENTS
For sopes…
1 cup masa harina (corn flour- Maseca brand is sold at most stores)
3/4 cup warm water
ghee or avocado oil, about 2 tbsp
For salsa…
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels (organic so no gmo’s!)
1/2 cup chopped jicama
1/2 cup chopped mango
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp minced jalapeno pepper (about 1/2 large pepper)
2 shallots, minced
2 radishes, finely chopped
1/2 lime (1 tbsp lime juice)
1/4 tsp salt
For toppings…
1 large seasoned chicken breast (I used boneless/skinless)
2 cups whole pinto beans, pre-cooked
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 cup queso fresco or Cotija cheese (substitute other very dry white cheese if needed)
1 cup chopped iceberg lettuce or cabbage
1 avocado
extra radish slices, for garnish
lime wedges, for serving
You can get masa (corn flour) at most grocery stores- Safeway and all of the natural health food
stores around here carry it… I imagine that’s the case most places.
DIRECTIONS
Rinse beans
Toss beans in a small pan or pot, drizzle a teensy olive oil in there, and turn heat to low
Add ancho chili powder and salt
Stir and keep warm while preparing everything else
To cook chicken, place in a pan or pot over low-medium heat
If your marinade had oil in it, you don’t need any in there- if it didn’t, add a drizzle of oil to the pan first to keep the chicken from burning
Cover and cook for about 10 minutes on each side, depending on size of breast
Alternatively, you can bake the chicken if you prefer, which usually takes about 20-30 minutes as well- it doesn’t matter
how the chicken is prepared, you just want it cooked
all the way through and tender 🙂
Once it’s cooked, let it cool enough to handle and then shred with your fingers or forks
The timing should work out so that it’s still warm when you’re done with everything, but in the event that it cools before you begin assembling and serving the sopes, just keep in warm in a small pan while you prepare everything else
Meanwhile, begin prepping the salsa…
Chop all ingredients up… remember, the shallots and jalapeno should be very finely minced
I usually cut my radishes pretty small also, but the mango, jicama, and cilantro can be a little larger
If using fresh corn, cut cooked kernels off the cobs, otherwise drain canned corn kernels
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Add lime juice and salt
Stir, taste, and adjust flavors as wanted
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use
Now’s a good time to get your garnishes ready also… the sopes don’t take long once you start them!
Slice up your lettuce and avocado
Break up the cheese (both cotija and queso fresco are slightly powdery, so they crumble easily)
Set the toppings aside
Now for the sopes…
measure out masa and water
Slowly pour warm water into the masa, about 1 tablespoon at a time
Using your fingers, mix the flour and water together until a thick dough has formed
It’ll feel dry and almost powdery in texture- that’s how it should be 🙂
Keep mixing until you’ve used all of the water and it’s well-mixed
Split dough into eight equal parts (no need to be exact here)
I find the easiest way to get nice thick sopes is to use the palm of my hand…
I press each round until very flat- about 1/8 inch or so
Then I use my fingers to make ridges, or a rim, around the edges
Pinch the side up so you have a little ridged plate of sorts- or a flat little bowl if you prefer 🙂
Continue to do this to all eight rounds
When you’re ready, heat some oil or ghee in a large frying pan over medium heat
(I love using cast iron for this!)
Since you’re not going to deep fry (unless you want to of course), you just need enough oil to coat the bottom
of the pan and cover the bottoms of the sopes- as you cook them (in batches), you may need to resupply your oil a wee 🙂
