Our community loves sopes! Sopes are a popular and delicious dish that you can find almost anywhere in Mexico, consisting of a fried masa base with savory toppings. Enjoy this classic recipe our Nutrition Team adapted from Mexico In My Kitchen and feel free to spice it up with your favorite salsa and hot sauce!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH

• 1-½ cup of masa harina
• 1-¼ cup of warm water

TOPPINGS

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup refried beans or canned black beans
• 2 cups lettuce finely shredded
• 1-½ cup cooked chicken shredded
• ½ cup Mexican cheese (queso fresco), crumbled
• ¼ cup white onion finely chopped
• ½ cup Mexican cream
• Salsa and/or hot sauce of your choice

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• ²/³ cup radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado (sliced or diced)
• ½ cup of tomato (diced or sliced)
• Pickled jalapeños and carrots

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix Masa harina and warm water in a medium-size bowl and knead until you have a uniform texture. If the dough feels dry, add more water, little by little, spoon by spoon, until the dough is soft and manageable, like play dough. It doesn’t have to be sticky.
2. Now, cover the dough with a wet kitchen towel; this will help to keep the dough moist. Always keep a small bowl of water next to your working area to keep your hands and the dough moist. Divide the dough into 10 pieces of the same size, cover with the kitchen towel. Heat the griddle to medium-high heat.
3. To form the sopes, cut the plastic bag into 2 squares of about 6 inches each. Place one piece of plastic on a Tortilla press, then put down one of the small balls of dough and cover with the other piece of plastic. Close the tortilla and press down gently
   with the tortilla press handle until you form a medium size thick tortilla of about 4-½ inches.
4. Lift the handle and remove the top plastic. Pick up the tortilla and holding with the plastic at the bottom, gently flip the tortilla into the palm of your hand. A large part of the tortilla will cover your hand. (If you don’t have a Tortilla Press, use a glass pie dish to press down the dough.)
5. Place the tortilla on the already hot griddle/comal, this is a fast but gentle move. Turn the tortilla after a minute, don’t let it cook longer or the dough will dry and crack. Turn again after a minute, and the last cooking will take about 20-30 seconds. Remove from the griddle with the help of a spatula. Cover the tortillas with a dry kitchen towel and allow to cool for about 30-45 seconds and start forming the border pinching the edges with your fingers. Now that the tortillas have become sopes, cover again with the kitchen towel and keep cooking the rest of the sopes.

TO SERVE THE SOPES

1. Heat the oil in a skillet or griddle at medium heat.
2. Place the sopes on the skillet and lightly fry them on both sides (about 30 seconds each side will be enough time to fry them and give them a little golden color). Remove from the heat and place on a plate that has already been covered with paper towels to absorb any excess fat. Now is time to spread the refried beans, top with shredded lettuce, beef, chicken, or any other topping of your choice.
3. Serve with salsa and/or hot sauce.