Traditionally, a sope is a thick corn tortilla topped with veggies and (mebbe) meat.
In this case, the sope is half inch thick sliced polenta, fried in a bit of duck fat (because I could), topped with a mashed black bean and salsa mixture, and served with freshly chopped tomato, onion, parsley (’cause I am not a huge fan of the cilantro), a bit of chopped lettuce, and a bit of nicely spiced sour cream on top.
Simple to make, and oh!, so tasty!
INGREDIENTS
Sopes:
•18 oz pkg prepared polenta (look in the international or produce section of your local market)
•16 oz jar salsa
•15 oz can black beans
•1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce)
•2 tsp Sherry Peppers Sauce
•1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning
•2 tbsp duck fat*
Spiced Sour Cream:
•1/2 cup sour cream
•1 tbsp fresh lime juice
•1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/4 tsp garlic powder
Toppings:
•Shredded lettuce
•Diced onion, tomato, and fresh parsley
*No duck fat? Too bad! Use two tablespoons of your prefered cooking oil instead.
Drain and rinse the black beans, then combine with the salsa, hot sauce, Sherry Peppers Sauce (or, just use 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp of your favorite hot sauce), and Cajun seasoning. Mash the mixture with a fork or potato masher, then set aside to allow the flavors to blend.
Quarter grape tomatoes and toss with diced sweet onion and minced fresh parsley in a bowl and keep cool until needed.
Stir the sour cream together with the lime juice, Aleppo pepper, and garlic powder
When ready to cook, slice the polenta into 1/2 half inch thick rounds and melt the duck fat in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Note: I used a very large – 13 inch – skillet that could accommodate all the slices at once. If you have a smaller skillet, fry the polenta in batches so that you don’t crowd the pan.
Fry five minutes, then flip and fry another five minutes, until both sides are golden brown.
Transfer to a paper towel lined sheet pan or platter to drain.
When ready to serve, heat the bean and salsa mixture in the ‘wave for two minutes to warm through, then arrange the sopes on a plate and top with the warmed black bean mixture.
Top the black beans with some freshly shredded lettuce, the tomato, onion, and parsley mixture, and a dollop or two of the spiced sour cream.
You might could add some shredded cheese on top as well, but we didn’t really think it was needed.
All in all a nice, pretty quick fix, vegetarian (well, if you don’t count the duck fat) meal.