Sopes is a Mexican dish made traditionally with corn masa. It is very similar to Gorditas or Arepas but instead of stuffing them, Sopes are topped with all sorts of delicious things.
I wanted to make a Grain free/Paleo version of Sopes because I love them so much and also because I wanted to top them with the Spicy Pickled Onions I posted on my previous post.
I have made plantain tortillas and plantain empanadas before so I though, why not try to make sopes? (insert light bulb emoji here). They did not fail me! They turned out so great. If you have had Sopes before -which are made out of corn masa- you know it is a dryer texture. Plantains however are tender, so even when they would get a nice golden brown crust on the outside they will remain soft after cooking, which I loved because they don’t get soggy after all the toppings.
I made a very easy Chicken in Red Salsa using rotisserie chicken and top them with shredded lettuce and Spicy Picked Onions. If you miss the recipe for my Spicy Pickled Onions you can find it here: http://marisolcooks.com/2020/08/03/spicy-pickled-onions-escabeche/
These onions were the perfect addition to these Sopes! Like I said, I wanted to keep them Paleo but you don’t have to. You can add a dollop of Mexican crema or Cotija cheese. It is up to you. It doesn’t matter if you’re are eating Grain Free/Palo or not, you are going to love these Sopes!
Find recipe below.
Plantain Sopes/ Sopes de Platano Macho
Notes
While authentic corn sopes are dry, the texture of the plantain makes this sopes tender. They will have a nice crust on the outside and will be tender in the center.
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I wanted to keep this recipe Paleo because that’s how I am currently eating but you don’t have to. You can add a nice dollop of Mexican crema or cotija cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 Large green plantains
- 3 to 4 cups left over rotisserie chicken
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 small piece of onion
- 1 garlic clove
- Toppings
- shredded lettuce
- spicy pickled onions
- Cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan add enough water to come half way full and bring to a boil.
- Trim both ends of the plantains then cut each plantain in four pieces. Drop in the boiling water and boil for 30 minutes until the skin breaks open.
- Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes onions and garlic until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Add water if needed.
- In a small skillet, add a teaspoon of oil and bring it to medium high heat. Add the sauce and cook for about 10 min. Add the shredded chicken. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes and set aside.
- Drain the plantains and let them cool enough to handle.
- While the plantains are cooling place a large skillet on medium high heat.
- Transfer the plantains into the food processor, season with salt and pepper and process until it comes together like a ball of dough.
- Divide de dough into six equal parts and form into balls. Arrange a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface and place one ball of dough toward the end, then fold the other end over just like closing a book. Using your fingers, flatten the dough until you make a round patty about 1/4″ thick. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and cook the sopes for about 10 minutes on each side (flipping them while cooking). Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the sope.
- Top each sope with the chicken and garnish with shredded lettuce and Spicy pickled onions.
