Pepperjack Spinach Pupusas

Cheezy, spicy, and yummy! This pupusa recipe is easy, simple, and so darn good. A grilled dough filled with cheese and veggies, where can you go wrong? For those unfamiliar with a pupusa, it’s a classic dish from El Salvador consisting of a handmade corn tortilla dough traditionally filled with meat, beans, and cheese then grilled to a savory handheld pastry. Many cultures have various styles of small stuffed dough pastries and this is no different. Popular amongst street vendors, especially here in San Diego, you may have walked past a man or woman selling pupusas and not even realized it.

They were one of my guilty pleasures before going vegan, far from plant based, usually filled with pork or chicken, and tons of cheese. I wanted to create the same dish that hits the same guilty pleasure centers but without the guilt. A homemade pepper jack cheese that’s melty, spicy, and far too real, paired with sautéed veggies, and topped with a pomegranate salsa, it’s a match made in heaven. Use this recipe as your guide, feel free to add or subtract your favorite choice of veggies. Great recipe for a group to get involved, get the whole family making pupusas! Enjoy!

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Makes 8 pupusas:

The Goods:

For the inside filling of the pupusas:

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 cup cauliflower, minced

• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 2 large handfuls of spinach 

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos

For the cheese:

• 1 bell pepper, minced

• 1 fresh or dried guajillo chili pepper, minced 

• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced

• 1 cup cashews, soaked and rinsed

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 tsp garlic granulated

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tsp miso paste

• 1/4 cup tapioca flour

For the dough:

• 2 1/2 cups masa flour

• 1 cup cassava flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 1/4 cups water

For the salsa:

• 1 pomegranate, seeded

• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced

• 1/2 cucumber, diced

• 1 large handful cilantro, minced

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup minced purple cabbage

• 1 lime, juiced

The Method:

1. First step is to make the salsa. Grab a large bowl and mix pomegranate seeds, jalapeño, cucumber, cilantro, salt, cabbage, and lime juice until fulled mixed. Set aside.

2. In a separate large mixing bowl, make your dough next. Add masa flour, cassava flour, salt and olive oil. Stir with a fork until mixed, then slowly add in the water one cup at a time will stirring. It will slowly start to clump up, once all the water is added, using your hands, mold and mix the dough until you are able to form into a ball. Set aside for later.

3. In a large saute pan heat olive oil on medium high heat, once hot add shallot and pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add cauliflower, garlic, chili powder, and coconut aminos. Cook down for one minute, on medium low heat, add spinach and cook until it reduces in size dramatically. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

4. My favorite part is next… is the cheese sauce! In a high powered blender, add drained cashews, water, granulated garlic, salt, nutritional yeast, miso paste and tapioca flour. Blend until smooth, then add the cheese mixture into a medium sauce pan along with bell pepper, guajillo pepper, and jalapeño. On medium low heat, cook down the cheese using a rubber spatula and constantly stirring until it becomes thick and glossy like cheese. This should take about 7-9 minutes for the cheese to “turn”. Set a timer you’d like for this step as I feel it helps when making it for the first time!

5. Once your cheese is ready, set aside next to your dough and veggies. Grab your dough and roll into 8 smaller balls, then flatten each into your hand to make a rustic looking tortilla. Then add a tablespoon each of cheese and veggies onto the middle. Slowly fold the outside of the dough around the filling to form a large ball with the filling inside. Once you have a sealed ball, smash the ball gently between your hands until its flat again but now with the filling inside. Repeat for each, and most likely you’ll have extra cheese for later.

6. Heat a large cast iron on medium high, and once hot, cook each side of the pupusa for about 45 seconds or until golden brown. Once cooked place pupusas in a tortilla warmer or large bowl with a lid so it can steam inside. Serve with pomegranate salsa and extra leftover cheese. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for checking out our recipes! I hope you find something here that satisfies your cravings or encourages you to try something new. Make sure to check back every week to see our new recipes!

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