Are you looking for a recipe for sopes that are vegan friendly? Then check out this easy recipe for potato sopes! These potato sopes are loaded with spiced potatoes, refried beans, and an easy homemade guacamole.
These sope shells are made with an entirely corn-based flour called masa harina so they are naturally gluten free! In addition to being gluten free and vegan, these potato sopes are vegetarian friendly, egg free, dairy free, and nut free.
What is in potato sopes?
What is in these potato sopes? Here are the main ingredients that are used to make these potato sopes.
- Masa harina. Masa harina serves an important role in this recipe for potato sopes because it is the main ingredient that is used to make the sope shells. The masa harina is combined with salt and water to make the dough that is used to make these sope shells. We highly recommend using this Maseca brand masa harina for best results.
- Potatoes. The potatoes are another important ingredient in this recipe for potato sopes. The potatoes are cut up into cubes then fried up in butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, and oregano before being added to the sopes.
- Refried beans. Refried beans are used in this recipe for potato sopes to give the sopes a little extra protein. We generally use refried pinto beans, but if you have a preference for refried black beans that would work as well. You can either use canned refried beans or make your own from scratch.
- Avocados. Avocados are used to make guacamole that tops off these potato sopes. The avocado is combined with other fresh veggies as well as a dash of lime juice for some added acidity.
- Onions & tomatoes. A combination of onions and tomatoes are used to make the homemade guacamole that is used in these potato sopes. The onions and tomatoes should be diced into small pieces before being added to the mashed avocado.
- Lime juice. Some lime juice is used to add some extra flavor to the guacamole that is used in these potato sopes. The acidity of the guacamole cuts through the creaminess of the avocados and brightens up the flavor of the guacamole.
- Salt, pepper, and oregano. Salt, pepper, and oregano are used to flavor the potatoes in these potato sopes. Salt and pepper is also used to add flavor to the homemade guacamole
How to make potato sopes?
How do you make these potato sopes? Here is how to make these potato sopes.
- Mix the masa dough for the sope shells. The first step in making these potato sopes is mixing the masa dough to make the sope shells. All you have to do to make the masa dough is mix the masa harina, water, and salt in a large mixing bowl. If you find that your dough is so runny that it is hard to work with, add more masa harina 1 tbsp at a time until the dough becomes workable. If the dough is dry and cracks when you shape it, add more water 1 tsp at a time until the dough comes together.
- Shape the sope shells. After you have made the dough for the sope shells, it is time to shape the sope shells. We recommend shaping the sope shells on a sheet of parchment paper so that the sope shells do not stick to the surface they are on. The sope shells should be in the shape of a disk with a rim around the side. Keep reading for more tips on how to shape sope shells.
- Cook the sope shells. After you have shaped the sope shells, it is time to cook the sope shells. You should cook each sope shell with the flat side down first then flip them over and cook the side with the rim after the flat side of the sope shell has already cooked.
- Chop the potatoes. After the sope shells have been assembled, it is time to make the potatoes. The first step in making the potatoes is cutting the potatoes into small to medium sized cubes. We recommend using a high quality kitchen knife that can cut through the potatoes quickly. If you are looking for a general purpose kitchen knife that can cut through fibrous vegetables like butter, we recommend this Victorinox chef’s knife.
- Cook the potatoes. After the potatoes are all chopped, it is time to cook the potatoes. The potatoes should be fried in butter on the stove. Salt, pepper, and oregano should be added to the potatoes as they cook to give them even more flavor.
- Chop the vegetables for the homemade guacamole. The potatoes will take a while to cook, so while the potatoes are cooking you can start to chop the vegetables for the guacamole. Specifically, the tomatoes and onions will need to be chopped into small pieces. The avocado will also need to be mashed.
- Make the homemade guacamole. After the vegetables for the guacamole have been chopped, it is time to assemble the guacamole. All you have to do to make the homemade guacamole is mix all of the ingredients for the guacamole together in a small to medium sized bowl.
- Microwave the refried beans. When the potatoes are almost done cooking, it is time to heat up the refried beans. The easiest way to do this is to transfer the refried beans to a microwave safe container and microwave them for about a minute. Depending on the consistency of the beans, they may need a little more or less time. Make sure to feel the inside of the beans with your finger to ensure that they are heated throughout before removing them from the microwave.
- Assemble the potato sopes. Once the potatoes and sope shells are done cooking, all that is left to do is to assemble the potato sopes. Grab a sope shell and line it with a layer of refried beans. Then add a layer of potatoes, and finally a layer of avocado to top off your potato sopes. If your sope shells have become cold, you can also throw them back on a pan to reheat them a little before adding the beans.
How to shape sope shells
Is it one of your first times making sope shells from scratch? Here are some tips on how to shape sope shells.
- Lay out some parchment paper. If it is one of your first times making sope shells, we highly recommend lining the surface you are working on with parchment paper before shaping the sope shells. This will prevent anything from sticking and make your life a little bit easier.
- Keep a bowl of water accessible to dampen your hands. This is just another tip to make your life a little bit easier. We recommend keeping a bowl with warm water accessible when you shape your sopes in case you need to wet your hands. Dampening your hands is useful if you need to smooth over any cracks.
- Roll the masa dough into a ball. After you have prepared your working area, it is time to start shaping the sopes. Start out by separating your dough into 12 equally sized pieces and rolling each piece into a ball. The balls should be about 1 – 2 inches in diameter. We recommend covering the balls with a damp cloth or piece of saran wrap when you are not using them to prevent them from drying out.
- Flatten the masa ball into a disk. After you have rolled the masa dough into balls, you should grab a ball and flatten it into a disk that is about half an inch thick. If the ball of dough cracks around the edges, you can wet your hands and use the water on your hands to smooth over the dough. If the dough cracks around the edges a lot, that is a sign that your dough might be too dry.
- Pinch the dough around the edges to build up a rim. After you have flattened your dough into a disk, all that is left to do is to build up a rim around the edge of the sope shell. You should start out by pinching the dough between your fingers around the edge of the rim. After that, you can press down on the inside of the disk to push some of the dough towards the rim of the sopes.
How to store potato sopes
How do you store leftover potato sopes? We recommend storing the components for these potato sopes separately and waiting to assemble the sopes until you are ready to eat them. The components for these potato sopes will last for about three days in the refrigerator.
For best results, we recommend storing the refried beans and potatoes in airtight food storage containers. The sope shells can be stored in food storage containers or gallon freezer bags. Either way, they should be stored with a paper towel in the same container to absorb any excess moisture. The guacamole is best when made fresh, so we recommend making fresh guacamole when you make your leftover potato sopes if possible.
How to reheat potato sopes
How do you reheat leftover potato sopes? Here are the best ways to reheat these leftover sopes.
- On the stove. For best results, we recommend reheating the sope shells and potatoes separately on the stove. Heat a large pan over medium heat and cook the potatoes and sope shells in vegetable oil for a few minutes until they are heated throughout. The refried beans can be reheated in the microwave without any problem. They should only need to be microwaved for about a minute on full power. The guacamole should be added after the other components of the potato sopes have already been reheated.
- In the microwave. What if you do not have enough time to reheat your potato sopes on the stove? These potato sopes can also be reheated in the microwave, but the sope shells and potatoes will be more soft and less crisp if they are reheated in the microwave. If you do want to reheat your potato sopes in the microwave, we recommend putting the potatoes and refried beans on the sopes first then microwaving the assembled sopes for 1 – 2 minutes until they are heated throughout. The guacamole should not be added until the potatoes are done cooking.
Potato sopes
These potato sopes are loaded with refried beans, spiced potatoes, and lots of homemade guacamole. They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, vegetarian, and vegan friendly.
Servings: 12 sopes
Ingredients
- 1 can Refried pinto beans
Spiced potatoes
- 6 yellow potatoes
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Easy guacamole
- 2 small avocados
- 1 tomato
- 1 tbsp chopped onion
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch salt
Sope shells
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1/2 tsp salt
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
Sope shells
- Mix the masa harina, water, and salt to make the masa dough for the sope shells in a large mixing bowl. The dough should be dry enough that you can easily shape it without it sticking to your hand too much, but wet enough that it does not crumble too much when you shape it. If you find your dough is too wet or too dry, add 1 tbsp of masa harina or 1 tsp of water at a time until the dough becomes easier to work with.
- Prepare the area where you will shape your sope shells. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and put out a bowl of warm water. You can dip your hands in this water as you shape your sope shells to help smooth over cracks.
- Separate your masa dough into 10 - 12 equally sized balls. The balls of masa dough should be around 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter.
- Grab a ball of masa dough and flatten the dough into a disk that is about 1 cm thick. Build up a rim around the outside of the disk but pinching the dough around the outside of the disk, then press down on the inside of the disk to flatten the floor of the sope shell and fill in the places you pinched dough away from.
- Warm a pan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Fry the sope shells for 2 - 3 minutes each over until they are a nice golden brown color. The flat side of the sope shells should be cooked first then the side with the rim should be cooked second.
Spiced potatoes
- Dice the potatoes into cubes that are about 1 inch in size.
- Heat a pan over medium heat then add the butter for the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the pan then add the salt, pepper, and oregano to the potatoes.
- Cook the potatoes over medium heat for 20 - 25 minutes or until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Flip the potatoes every 3 - 5 minutes.
Easy guacamole
- Chop the tomatoes and onions for the guacamole into small pieces then mash the avocado.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the guacamole then cover the guacamole and put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Assembling the sopes
- Put the refried beans in a microwave safe container and microwave them for 60 - 90 seconds on full power until they are heated throughout.
- Add a layer of refried beans, then a layer of potatoes, then finally a dollop of guacamole to each of the sope shells and serve.
Notes
Time saving tip. The potatoes do not need much attention when they are cooking other than being flipped every few minutes. If you want to save some time and you are up for a little multitasking, you can also prepare the potatoes first and start to shape and cook the sopes while the potatoes are cooking. You can also cook some of the sopes while you shape the others, there is no need to wait until every sope has been shaped to cook the sopes.
Substitutions for potato sopes
- Yellow potatoes. Red potatoes or other small to medium sized potatoes with thin skin will also work in this recipe. You can also use russet potatoes, but if you do use russet potatoes or any other potatoes with thick skin then we recommend peeling the potatoes before cutting them.
- Refried pinto beans. We generally use refried pinto beans when we make these potato sopes, but you could use any kind of refried beans that you prefer. Refried black beans and refried kidney beans would also be great choices!
Other recipes you will love
Are you looking for more tips on how to make sope shells? Check out our comprehensive tutorial on how to make sopes!
Are you looking for a sope recipe that is a little more creamy? Check out this recipe for vegetarian sopes with refried pinto beans, Mexican crema, queso fresco, white onions, and green onions.
Are you looking for another vegan friendly sope recipe? Check out this recipe for vegan black bean sopes with refried black beans, fajita style vegetables, and refried black beans.
