Vegan Pupusas

These inexpensive vegan pupusas are stuffed with refried beans and corn (optionally with seitan and/or vegan cheese) and easy enough for even kitchen novices to prepare – perfect for enjoying as an appetizer, snack, or lunch!

What Is A Pupusa?

Pupusas are a dish originating in El Salvador (and Honduras) and are even named the national dish, with a day dedicated to them. They are a thick stuffed flatbread/ griddle cake made with masa (the same flour used for tortillas), usually stuffed with a filling.

Traditionally, they were cooked over a wood fire using a coma (a type of pottery griddle), but are now easy to make at home with a non-stick pan. Once cooked, the outer crust is crispy while the inside remains tender. They are traditionally eaten by hand, served with curtido (a type of fermented cabbage relish/slaw similar to sauerkraut/kimchi) and/or a tomato sauce (Salsa Roja) for fresh, tangy, crunch.

Easy Vegan Pupusas with Beans and Corn

For this easy pupusa recipe, we’re making a naturally vegan pupusa recipe with a hearty, delicious, and nutritious refried bean and corn filling (optionally with your favorite vegan cheese).

They’re a simple, crowd-pleasing, child-approved, super comforting treat ready in under 45 minutes. Plus, they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegetarian, and vegan!

Even better, not only are these pupusas quick and easy to prepare, but you can easily meal prep them for later, so there’s always some on hand. Plus, since the filling is encased, they’re far less ‘messy’ than tacos, making for a great portable snack/lunch (along with the other El Salvador classic: tamales)!

The Ingredients and Substitutions

Prepare the homemade pupusa dough with just 4 ingredients, then fill them with your favorite fillings. This time, we’ve gone for a 4-ingredient filling that’s savory, slightly sweet, and packed with plant-based protein.

The Bean and Corn Pupusa Filling

• Refried beans: Use homemade or store-bought vegan refried beans or a can of black beans or pinto beans mashed/pureed.
• Corn: Canned or frozen and thawed corn.
• Seitan: (optional) For more protein in the vegan pupusa, use crumbled seitan, tempeh, or soyrizo.
• Onion: We use yellow onion, but white onion would also work.

The Corncake

• Masa harina: (NOT masarepa) We use Maseca corn flour (or Bob’s Red Mill).
• Water: You’ll need warm water to form the corn flour dough.
• Seasonings: All you need is some garlic powder and salt (kosher salt is best) for flavorful homemade pupusa dough.

Other Pupusa Fillings and Toppings

There are several options you might enjoy when making this vegan pupusa recipe.

• Pupusas revueltas: Add your favorite vegan cheese to this recipe for delicious vegan bean and cheese pupusas.
• Pupusa de queso: Shredded vegan cheese + optional chili.
• Pupusa de ayote: Roasted squash + vegan cheese.
• Pupusa de frijoles: Ditch the corn for plain black bean pupusas.
• Pupusa de jalapeño: Vegan cheese + jalapeño slices.
• Pickled jalapenos: To add to the filling or for topping.
• Vegan cream cheese: Alone or with other fillings.  

How to Make Pupusas?

• 1) First, peel and dice the onion while heating a large skillet over medium heat with a swirl of oil.
• 2) Once hot, cook the seitan (if using) until warm, then add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, until they turn translucent. Stir in the beans and corn, then set the filling aside off the heat.

• 3) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the dough ingredients, adding just a little warm water at a time—just enough to have it hold together in a clay-like dough.

• 4) To assemble the vegan pupusa, take a handful of masa (about ¼ cup/a golf-ball-sized piece) and flatten it in your palm to make a round bowl shape about 4 inches wide.

We highly recommend having damp hands when working with the dough. Keep a small bowl of water and/or oil near for dipping. This will stop it from sticking to your hands.

• 5) Add a heaped spoonful of the filling and then seal it by folding in the sides, removing any excess if there is any. Then smooth out the seal and pat it into a flat, round shape about ½-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

If any crack a little while flattening, patch it up with a little dough and oil or water. Then store any made ones under a damp dish towel to keep them from drying.

• 6) Add oil to a non-stick pan or a griddle/Comal over medium heat. Once hot, cook the vegetarian pupusas for about 4 minutes per side or until golden-brown in spots and lightly crispy.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Use warm water: (or even hot water) It helps hydrate the flour better than cold water for less cracking and more tender homemade pupusa dough.
• Use damp hands: The masa dough is sticky, so dipping your hands in water (or oil) as needed will make it easier to shape and flatten without sticking to your hands.
• Pinch off any excess: After filling and sealing the vegetarian pupusas, pinch away any excess dough and return it to the dough bowl, so they aren’t overly doughy.
• Cook untouched: Don’t move the pupusas as they cook, so they can form a nice crust and avoid sticking.

FAQs

How To Eat Pupusas?

If you’re going for traditional serving, we recommend pairing them with curtido and/or Salvadoran salsa roja and eating them by hand (tear a piece off, add some curtido, and enjoy). However, you can also enjoy these vegan pupusas alongside:

• Mexican rice, regular rice, or other grains like quinoa
• Homemade ‘slaw instead or curtido
• Guacamole
• Sriracha or other hot sauce
• Grilled vegetable kebabs
• Sweet potato fries
• A side salad
• Fresh salsa (like Pico de Gallo or blended salsa)

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Not only can you prepare and store the vegan pupusa filling 3-4 days in advance, but you could even assemble the entire uncooked pupusas to store in the refrigerator, covered, for a day, until you’re ready to cook them.

Any leftover dough will store in an airtight container for 1-2 days in the fridge, though you may need to add a little more water before using it.

You can also freeze the assembled, uncooked pupusas by placing them on a baking sheet to flash freeze until solid, then transferring them to a Ziplock/Stasher for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking them OR cook from frozen, adding an extra 1-2 minutes.

Once cooked, the vegan pupusas revueltas are best served warm right from the pan. However, you can technically store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet for a few minutes per side or in a toaster oven for the best results.

More Vegan Recipes

• Roasted vegetable tacos
• Sopa de Fideo
• Veggie fajitas
• Fully-loaded burritos
• Vegan bean quesadilla
• Kabocha squash enchiladas
• Vegan calabacitas
• Chipotle lime street-style tacos

Photos by Alfonso Revilla