These Sopes de Frijoles are the perfect blend of crispy masa, creamy avocado, and homemade refried beans, topped with savory garnishes. Enjoy these traditional Mexican refried bean sopes as a flavorful and nourishing snack, appetizer, or main course.
I have shared with you how to make crispy Mexican sopes and how to top them to make delicious sopes de picadillo.
Well, now I am sharing with you another variation and it just happens to be my absolute favorite way to enjoy these crispy masa boats! Whenever my mom would ask me what special meal I wanted for my birthday, the answer was these sopes almost every time.
Today's recipe for sopes with refried beans is the exact way my mom used to make them. It is a simple, yet incredibly flavorful, hearty and meatless meal that I know you will love.
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What are Sopes?
Sopes (pronounced soh-pehs) are a traditional, savory Mexican dish, often served as appetizers, snacks, or even as a main course.
They are prepared from a dough made with masa harina and water, similar to corn tortillas. The dough is then shaped into small, thick discs with short, raised ridges.
They are then slightly cooked on a comal (griddle), then shallow-fried until golden, and finally topped with a variety of savory ingredients.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Amazing Flavor: A delicious flavor and texture combination of crispy fried masa with creamy avocado and refried beans, and a variety of savory toppings.
- Nourishing: With homemade refried beans, avocado, and veggies, sopes are a good source of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins.
- Hearty and Satisfying: These sopes make a complete meal. The protein from the beans and carbs from the masa dough make these hearty and filling.
- Vegetarian: These sopes are a great meatless option and can even be vegan by omitting the cheese.
If you like meals that feature refried beans, then you will also like Tostadas de Frijoles or Authentic Mexican Molletes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sopes: Sopes are the base that hold the rest of the ingredients in this recipe. Pre-made sopes can be store-bought, however homemade ones have a fresh flavor and texture that you can't get from store-bought ones. Besides, homemade sopes require only masa harina, water, and salt and are easy to make following my Mexican Sopes Recipe.
- Avocado: The sopes are first layered with mashed avocado. Choose avocados that are dark green, almost black, and yield slightly when gently squeezed. They should not be overly hard, overly soft, or mushy.
- Refried Beans: The next layer is refried beans. To achieve perfect refried beans, homemade pinto beans are mashed and fried in a pan with a little oil until they reach a creamy consistency. Refried black beans or Peruvian beans can also be used.
- Toppings: It is easy to customize the toppings based on your preference. My preferred toppings for these sopes include shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, crumbled or shredded Mexican cheese (like queso Chihuahua, fresco, or cotija), and jalapeño salsa.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Bean Sopes
1. Prepare Refried Beans: Add cooked pinto beans to a medium skillet with hot oil and bring to a simmer. Mash with a potato masher until smooth, mix in a bit more oil, and continue cooking and mixing until slightly thickened.
2. Prepare Toppings: Mashed the avocado, shred the lettuce, dice tomatoes, and crumble or shred the cheese.
3. Make Sopes: Knead the masa harina, salt and warm water to create a dough that's pliable and moist. Divide the dough into golf-ball sized portions and use a tortilla press (or bottom of a plate) to create thick tortillas.
4. Cook Sopes: Cook the tortillas on a hot comal or skillet, remove from heat and pinch all around the edges to create short raised ridges. Shallow fry the sopes in oil in a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet until golden-brown and crispy on both sides.
5. Assemble Sopes: Spread a light layer of mashed avocado on each sope. Top with a heaping spoonful or two of refried beans. Garnish with toppings and serve.
How to Serve
Once assembled, serve these right away as the toppings will make the dough soggy and the sopes will fall apart.
Serve them with a salsa like jalapeño salsa, roasted tomatillo salsa with chile de arbol, or a jalapeño sour cream.
And for an even more filling meal, accompany them with some Mexican white rice with corn or arroz rojo.
How to Store and Reheat
Store the individual components separately by doing the following:
- To store the sope shells, wait until they are completely cool. Then store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container lined with a paper towel for up to 2 days.
- Store the refried beans in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
- Store any remaining toppings in the refrigerator in a separate air-tight container from 1 to 2 days.
To reheat:
- Bake the sope shells at 350°F for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through and slightly crispy. You can also place the sopes on a dry skillet or comal and warm for about 2-3 minutes on each side until heated through.
- Reheat beans in a small pan on medium heat. Mix in a few tablespoons of water to rehydrate the beans if they have dried out.
Tips and Variations
- To save on time, make the refried beans beforehand. You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat when ready to use.
- Refried beans should not be completely dried, but should have a creamy, velvety consistency. If the beans are too dried, just add a little bit of bean broth or water at a time until the right consistency is achieved.
- Do not leave the beans unattended. It is important you periodically mix the beans as they can easily stick to the pan. Beans that stick to the pan will quickly burn and ruin the entire pan of beans.
- You can also not fry the sopes. Instead, when cooking on the comal, heat for one minute on each side. Then, proceed to pinch the edges to create the ridge. Add your toppings and serve.
FAQ
Can I prepare the dough in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the dough a day or two in advance. Simply cover it well to prevent it from drying and store it in the refrigerator.
Are sopes gluten-free?
Yes, sopes are gluten-free since corn is naturally gluten-free as are all the ingredients used in this recipe. Just be sure to check that your masa-harina and any other ingredients are certified gluten-free or haven't been cross-contaminated.
Why did my sopes break?
There are a few reasons why your sopes could be breaking. Some reasons include if the dough is too dry or not properly hydrated, if they are pressed too thinly, or if they are not fried long enough are all reasons why your sopes could be breaking.
I hope you enjoy! If you try this recipe, please leave me a comment with a star rating below. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to stay in touch, and don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter.
Recipe
Sopes de Frijoles (Refried Bean Sopes)
Equipment
- Comal or flat griddle
- Tortilla press or a plate or heavy, flat-bottomed pan
- Frying pan
- potato masher
- pan
Ingredients
Refried Beans
- 3 cups cooked beans with their liquid reserve an extra ½ cup of bean liquid
- ¾ cup oil (divided)
Sope Shells
- 2 cups masa harina
- 2 cups warm water
- pinch of salt (optional)
- oil for frying
Garnishes
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 2 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded cheese such as Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Mexican muenster
- salsa
Instructions
Prepare Refried Beans
- Heat ½ cup of oil in a large pan over medium-low. Carefully add cooked pinto beans and some of their liquid to the pan.
- Mix the beans with the oil and simmer for about 4 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to mash the beans until smooth, but slightly chunky. Add ¼ to ½ cup of bean broth, if needed, to make them easier to mash.
- Mix in another ¼ cup of oil and continue cooking and stirring until the beans are slightly thickened. Cover, remove from heat, and set aside.
Prepare Sopes
- Add the masa harina and salt to a mixing bowl. Add warm water and knead the dough until it is pliable and moist, but not sticky.
- Line both sides of a tortilla press (or the bottom of a plate) with two sheets of plastic (like from a ziplock bag) or parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into golf-ball sized portions and use the tortilla press (or bottom of a plate) to create thick tortillas, about ¼"- ½" thick and about 4" - 4 ½" in diameter.
- Cook the tortillas on a hot comal or skillet, remove from heat and pinch all around the edges to create short raised ridges.
- In a medium to large frying pan or cast-iron skillet, pour in enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan with about ¼ inch of oil.
- Once the oil is hot, gently place 2-3 sope shells into the hot oil. Fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until they turn golden-brown and crispy.
- Place the fried sopes on a paper towel-lined plate or wire cooling rack to drain any excess oil.
Assemble Sopes
- Spread a light layer of mashed avocado on each sope
- Top with a heaping spoonful or two of refried beans.
- Add toppings and serve immediately.
Notes
- Check out the post Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans) for more detailed information about making are refried beans.
- Serve the sopes with a salsa like jalapeño salsa, roasted tomatillo salsa with chile de arbol, or a jalapeño sour cream.
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