Meatless Friday: Salvadoran Pupusas de Queso con Curtido y Salsa Roja

This Lent, CatholicMom.com is partnering with CRS Rice Bowl by sharing the CRS Rice Bowl featured recipes on each Lenten Friday. Why not try these simple recipes in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world?

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Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Pupusas de Queso con Curtido y Salsa Roja, a recipe from El Salvador

Pupusas

• 2 c maseca
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1½ c water
• 1 c queso fresco or farmer’s cheese, grated
• 1 T fair trade olive oil

Curtido

• ½ head of cabbage, shredded
• 1 large carrot, grated
• ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• ½ c vinegar
• ¼ c water
• ½ t salt
• 1 t dried oregano
• ½ to 1 t red pepper flakes

Salsa Roja

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped, or 1 15-oz can of tomatoes
• ¼ c onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• ¼ c cilantro, chopped
• 1 t dried oregano
• ½ c water

Pupusas: Combine the maseca, salt and water in a mixing bowl. Knead to form a smooth, moist dough with a playdough-like consistency. If the mixture is too dry, gradually add more water. If it is too sticky, gradually add more maseca.

Using wet hands, form the dough into 8 balls about 2 inches in diameter. Using your thumb, make an indentation into one of the balls, forming a small cup, and fill with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Wrap the dough to seal the cheese. Pat the dough to form a round disk about a quarter inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pupusas on each side until golden brown. Serve warm with curtido and salsa roja.

Curtido: Combine the cabbage, carrot and onion in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix in remaining ingredients. Pour over the cabbage mixture and stir. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 1 day before serving.

Salsa Roja: Combine all ingredients except water in a blender. Add half a cup of water and blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to make salsa smooth.

Makes 8 pupusas

What's cooking? Find all our Meatless Friday featured recipes here.

Copyright 2017 Catholic Relief Services.