Sopes with Potato-Chorizo Hash and Real California Queso Fresco
/If you haven’t heard of sopes yet, get ready to make some! These sopes come with a scrumptious potato and chorizo hash and are topped with Real California queso fresco. Did anyone say yum yet?!
Similar to tacos, sopes are made with masa, but are pressed into a different shape that offers a different mouthfeel. They can be topped with any of the ingredients you love in tacos. They can be fried like the recipe below, or for lighter fare, they can be cooked on a griddle.
I paired these sopes with a Peruvian sauce called aji verde. It’s spicy from the jalapeños, but creamy from the Real California queso and really serves this recipe well.
Don’t forget to look for the Real California Milk seal when purchasing your cheese for this recipe or any other dairy recipe. Real California Milk produces sustainable dairy foods that offer nutritional benefits that are unique from plant-based foods. What more can you ask for?
Sopes with Potato-Chorizo Hash and Real California Queso Fresco
[Sponsored]
Time: 1 Hour
Serves 6-8
Makes 16 Sopes
Ingredients
Aji Verde Sauce
Canola oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
4-6 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup cilantro, leaves and stems, packed
1/2 tsp salt
¾ cup Real California queso fresco
Masa Dough
3 cups instant yellow corn masa flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup lard, melted
2 ¼ cups water
Canola oil
Potato Chorizo Hash
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 lb fresh Mexican chorizo
Kosher salt
2 small white onions, finely chopped
18 medium epazote leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
To Garnish
Real California queso fresco
Chopped cilantro leaves, for serving
Lime wedges
Directions
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp canola over medium heat. Sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the pepper mixture to a blender with 2 tbsp olive oil, cilantro, salt, and queso fresco. Blend until creamy, about 1 minute. Season with salt if desired and transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
Combine the masa, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Stir in lard and water. Mix thoroughly for 2 minutes to form a smooth dough. Form dough into 16 individual 2-inch balls and set aside on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press each masa ball into the palms of your hands to form a ¼-inch thick round. Crimp the edges of each round to form a crust.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Heat ¾-inches of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 400 degrees F. Working in batches, fry 3 sope boats on one side for 2 minutes. Turn sopes over and cook for 2 more minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a baking sheet and move to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sope boats.
Add the potatoes to a bowl with ¼ cup water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pierce with a fork a few times. Microwave for 4-5 minutes until the potatoes break easily with a fork. Drain off water.
In a medium skillet, cook chorizo over medium-high heat and break up with a spoon until the chorizo starts to brown, about 1 minute. Continue breaking up the chorizo with a spoon and add the onion. Sauté with chorizo for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the potatoes and lower the heat to medium. With the back of a cooking spoon, mash the potatoes into the chorizo and allow to brown for a minute. Scoop up the mixture and mash again, continuing this process about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy. Season with salt to taste.
Assemble 2-3 sope boats per plate and top with chorizo filling and aji verde. Garnish with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
If you loved this recipe, you will love my recipes for Chicken Mole Verde Tacos, Mushroom Tacos with Fried Eggs, and Mushroom & Pesto Quesadillas!
