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Sopes or Picadaso
These small shallow tart-like shells are made from masa harina, the ground corn flour that tortillas are made from. They are made with crimped edges to hold wonderful different fillings from shredded chicken to simple beans and cheese. The toppings are very similar to a tostada with shredded lettuce, onions, cheese and salsa, but the base is basically the only difference with the tostada being a crisp fried tortilla.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups masa harina (meseca)
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 Tbsp salt

Mix together masa, water and salt in a bowl until a soft dough forms. Add in additional warm water by the tablespoon if the dough seems too dry. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the ingredients are well combined and the dough is softened, about 5 minutes. Cover with a damp tea towel and let sit for 10 minutes.

Use an ice cream scoop or by hand make small 2 to 3-inch balls, cover and set aside. Press with hands or a small plate or roll between parchment paper each ball one at a time to about 1/3-inch thick. Place on a baking sheet as they are done and cover with a damp cloth.

Lightly grease a griddle or large cast iron or non-stick skillet and heat over medium high heat. Place two of the prepared masa rounds on the hot griddle and cook for about 2 minutes, until the edges shrink away slightly and puff up from the pan and lose their raw look. Turn and cook the other side for another 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Transfer to a plate or work surface and while still hot, quickly pinch up the edges of each into a raised rim, like a small tart. Place them on a tea towel lined baking sheet and cover snugly with a towel.

In a small skillet or saucepan, heat ¼-inch depth of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add a sope and fry until lightly golden brown and cooked through. Alternatively, heat up a non stick skillet and grill until cooked through.

To Assemble the Sopes:

  • Frijoles Negro
  • Beef or Chicken Tinga
  • Shredded iceberg lettuce
  • Chopped white onion
  • Shredded Monterrey jack or cheddar cheese
  • Sour Cream
  • Salsa Roja

For each sopes, spread a couple of tablespoons of frijoles negro on the bottom of a warm sopes. Top with some tinga and garnish with lettuce, onion, cheese, sour cream and salsa.

Sopes Variations:

Bean and Cheese
Top each sopes with 2 tablespoons of frijoles, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of shredded Jack cheese on top; Heat sopes under broiler until cheese starts to melt and bubble and brown. Top with crumbled feta cheese, lettuce, onion, sour cream and salsa.

Seafood

  • 1 lb cooked shrimp
  • ½ English cucumber, ½-inch diced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and ½-inch diced
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • ¼ cup white onion, finely chopped
  • ½ jalapeno, minced

Mix together. Spread sopes with frijoles negro and add seafood mixture on top. Garnish with sour cream and salsa. Serve immediately.

Tostadas
These are basically the same as Sopes but have a deep fried corn tortilla as a base instead of the softer and thicker sopes dough.