Pupusas are tortillas filled with corn paste, cheese and beans, served with curtido. They can easily be personalized with whatever filling you want.
pupusas
I love pupusas and love to keep a supply in my freezer to make anytime for lunch. If you like homemade tortillas, you’ll love these cheesy stuffed corn pupusas. The filled dough is flattened into a circle and then cooked on a griddle. The result is a warm, filling dish that’s a staple of Salvadoran cuisine. Prepared with shredded cabbage, carrots, pickled jalapeño, and vinegar, the cold, spicy, flavorful curtido contrasts beautifully with the rich, warm flavors of the black bean pupusas. They’re naturally gluten-free and can be made with dairy-free cheese to keep them vegan.
what is a doll
A pupusa is a traditional dish that originated in El Salvador and Central America. It is a thick, handmade tortilla made from cornmeal dough (“masa de maíz”) and filled with various ingredients. Common fillings include:
- Cheese (“queso”)
- Chilled beans (“frijoles refritos”)
- Vegetables like Loroco (an edible flower bud native to Central America) and ayote (a type of gourd)
I have a zucchini cheese pupusa in my Skinnytaste Meal Prep cookbook, but these black bean pupusas are delicious too.
Pupusa ingredients
- Pupusa dough: Cornmeal (masa), salt, warm water, vegetable or canola oil
- Black Bean Pupusa Filling: Chopped poblano peppers, onions and garlic, black beans, salt, grated semi-skimmed mozzarella. Note: Don’t drain the water black beans – You want the liquid.
- Curtido Ingredients: Shredded kale, shredded carrots, pickled jalapeño and the brine, white vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, salt
- avocado to cover the pupusas
How to make curtido
- Fermenting the cabbage: Rinse the cabbage in a colander and slowly pour boiling water over the cabbage. Rinse with cold water, drain well and dry.
- Add the other ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage with the carrots, jalapeños, 2 tablespoons of jalapeño brine, vinegar, oregano, and salt. Stir well and store in the fridge until ready to eat.
How to make pupusas
- Make the Pupusa Dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and oil and mix with a spatula until a dough forms. Cover with a damp cloth while filling.
- Cook the black bean filling: Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat and pour in the oil once hot. Add poblano, onion, cilantro and garlic and cook until tender. Add the beans and salt and cook for a few minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the beans have thickened. Place in a medium bowl, let cool for five minutes, then add the cheese.
- Form the pupusas: Knead the dough in a bowl with a spatula for 20 seconds. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and shape into a slightly flat ball of dough. If the dough seems dry and cracked, add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time. Cut the dough into eight equal pieces and cover with a damp cloth.
- Flatten the pupusas: Fill a small bowl with ¾ cup water and ½ teaspoon oil – wet your hands so the dough doesn’t stick to them. With slightly damp hands, roll each piece into a ball and flatten into a ¼-inch disk with your fingers in your palm.
- Fill in the pupusas: Place 3 tablespoons of the black beans in the center of the disk. Bring all edges towards the center to completely cover the filling. Wet your hands again and flatten to form a 5 to 5 ½ inch disc. Be careful not to squeeze out the filling. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.
- Cook the pupusas: Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and drizzle with oil. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through. They’re done when they’re browned and crispy on the outside.
- Surcharge: Top each black bean pupusa with avocado and curtido.
variations
- Filling: You can make pupusas with any filling you like. Swap the black beans for refried beans, leftover slow cooker shredded chicken, barbacoa, carnitas, chorizo, zucchini, or cheese.
- Poblanos: Replace poblano with peppers or jalapeño.
- Don’t like cilantro? leave it out
- Black beans: Use pinto, refried, or pink beans.
- Cheese: Swap mozzarella for cheddar, Monterrey Jack or dairy-free cheese for vegan pupusas.
- Vinegar: Sub apple cider vinegar.
- Time saving: Buy a bag of coleslaw mix if you don’t have time to shred the cabbage and carrots.
What are pupusas served for?
Pupusas are traditionally served with curtido, a lightly fermented coleslaw with chili peppers and carrots, and a mild tomato-based salsa. I also like to garnish my dish with avocado.
How to freeze pupusas
Store leftover pupusas in the refrigerator for up to four days and reheat in a pan until warm. You can also freeze cooked pupusas for up to three months. If you want to freeze them uncooked, follow these steps:
- Stack the uncooked pupusas with a piece of parchment between them and place in an airtight container or bag. Freeze them for up to six months.
- To cook the frozen pupusas, cook them in a skillet over medium-low for about seven minutes. When the bottom is browned, turn it over and let it cook for another five minutes.
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Yield: 8th portions
Serving size: 1 Puppet
Curtido:
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Rinse the cabbage in a colander, then slowly pour boiling water over the cabbage. Rinse with cold water. Drain well and dry.
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In a large bowl, combine the cabbage with the carrots, jalapeno, 2 tablespoons jalapeno brine, vinegar, oregano, and salt and mix well.
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Store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Pupusas:
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For the dough: In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Whisk to combine. Add water and oil and mix with a spatula until a dough forms. Cover with a damp cloth while filling.
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For the bean filling: Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil, add poblano pepper, onion, cilantro, and garlic and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add the beans and season with salt, cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the beans have thickened (2 to 3 minutes).
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Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Once cool, add the mozzarella cheese.
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Preparing Pupusas: Knead the dough in the bowl with the spatula for 20 seconds. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a slightly flat ball of dough. If the dough seems dry and cracked, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Cover with a damp cloth.
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Set up a small bowl with 3/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon oil. This will help you work the dough and prevent it from sticking. With slightly damp hands, roll each piece into a ball one at a time, then flatten into a 1/4-inch disk with your fingers in the palm of your hand.
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Place 3 level tablespoons of the filling in the center of the disc. Bring all edges towards the center to completely cover the filling. Wet your hands again and begin to flatten the dough, making a 5-5 inch disc. Be careful not to squeeze out the filling.
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Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. Discard the water with oil.
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When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and drizzle with oil. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, turning halfway or until brown and crispy on the outside. To keep cooked pupusas warm, place them on a sheet pan in a 200 degree F oven while you prepare the rest.
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Serve the pupusas with sliced avocado and curtido on top.
Last step:
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- Refrigerate cooked pupusas up to 4 days. Reheat in pan to reheat.
- Cooking from frozen: Shape the pupusas and freeze them, uncooked, stacked with parchment in between. Transfer to a freezer safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. To cook from frozen, heat a skillet over medium-low heat and cook until bottom is browned, about 7 minutes. Then turn them over with a spatula and cook for another 5 minutes or until browned and crispy.
Portion: 1 Puppet, Calories: 220 kcal, Carbohydrates: 32 G, Protein: 8th G, Fat: 8th G, Saturated Fatty Acids: 2 G, Cholesterol: 5.5 mg, Sodium: 489 mg, Fiber: 6.5 G, Sugar: 2 G