Best Empanadas Sin Carne Recipe

Empanada recipes are passed down de familia a familia across Latin America. In my family, it was my grandmother who fried and sold her empanadas in the streets of Lima, Peru. My mother and I have baked empanadas for decades, and now I am teaching my young daughter the art of making empanadas by hand. For immigrant families in the U.S. like mine, empanadas connect us to home, and their ingredients tell the stories of our cultures. Here, the spicy aji verde dipping sauce reminds me of the sauces that accompany almost every meal in the Andes Mountains of Peru; and the vegetarian filling is a plant-based version of the traditional ground beef one.

Here are some top tips on how to make them the best they can be:— Use a thawed vegan ground beef: it will cook more quickly and absorb the spices better than if frozen. If there's leftover filling, I often enjoy it with rice and beans for breakfast or lunch.— For a spicier ají verde dipping sauce, use serrano chiles.

Storage:Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to a week, and reheat in the oven at 300° for 10 minutes.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

small jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, chopped

fresh cilantro leaves

fresh mint leaves

fresh parsley leaves

plain unsweetened plant yogurt (such as soy or oat)

water

creamy peanut butter

fresh lime juice

kosher salt

vegetable oil

finely chopped red onion

cloves garlic, finely chopped

vegan ground beef (such as Beyond Meat), thawed

dried oregano

freshly ground black pepper

ground cumin

kosher salt

water

currants or raisins

bay leaf

all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

solid vegetable shortening

kosher salt

white wine vinegar

cold water

Kalamata olives, pitted

soy milk

In a high-powdered blender, puree jalapeño, cilantro, mint, parsley, yogurt, water, peanut butter, lime juice, and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer dipping sauce to a small bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Nico Vera is a journalist and chef from Peru. He has contributed culinary culture stories to Delish, TASTE, Whetstone, Food52, Fare, Eaten, and New Worlder. On a mission to veganize Peru's creole cuisine, he's a dad and husband who enjoys cooking for his family and community in Portland, Oregon.

Personal website: www.piscotrail.com

Substack: piscotrail.substack.com

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