Make Perfect Pupusas With Karla Vasquez of SalviSoul

Name: Pupusas de Frijol con Queso
Yield: 30 pupusas
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked beans (such as frijoles de seda) and 2 cups of their cooking liquid; ½ cup grapeseed oil; 2 cups Salvadoran quesillo (can substitute shredded Monterrey Jack or mozzarella); 5 lbs white masa harina; 10 cups water, or as needed; Curtido and salsa roja for serving; 1 small or medium head green cabbage, thinly sliced; 1½ small red onions, thinly sliced; 1½ cups grated carrot; 2 tbsp kosher salt; 2 tbsp dried oregano; 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes, or 1 jalapeño chile, halved; 2 cups water; 1 cup apple cider vinegar

May 6, 2024

LA native Karla Tatiana Vasquez is the founder of SalviSoul. Her book, The SalviSoul Cookbook (on shelves now!), is the very first Salvadoran cookbook to be traditionally published in the US. Karla started SalviSoul in an effort to preserve her family's recipes, and since then it's expanded to focus on cultural memory and intergenerational healing for the Salvadoran diaspora. She's also an excellent teacher: in addition to sharing a series of delicious recipes with us, Karla took time out of her busy book launch schedule to record a pupusa-making class. If you've ever wanted to make pupusas (the national dish of El Salvador) at home, let Karla's adept hands to guide you.

The recipe for classic bean and cheese pupusas utilizes ingredients typically found in a Salvadoran market: frijoles rojos de seda and Salvadoran quesillo. If you don't live near a Salvi market, you can substitute black beans and shredded Monterrey Jack or mozzarella. Whatever you do, don't skip the curtido — and eat with your hands!

From The SalviSoul Cookbook:
A good pupusa is plump, with its filling extending all the way to the edges. Now, it's quite common to see queso quemadito, the sizzling cheese that oozes out and gets crispy, as a sign of good one. Perhaps the most controversial part about pupusas is how they are eaten. Most Salvadorans eat them with their hands, as this dish is intended for you to get all the way in, with sleeves rolled up and hair tucked behind the ears and tied at the nape of the neck. Many are offended by the sight of a fork anywhere near a pupusa.

La Familia Masa Harina Bundle

Pupusas de Frijol con Queso

Karla Tatiana Vasquez

Servings

30 pupusas

Ingredients

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2 cups cooked beans (such as frijoles de seda) and 2 cups of their cooking liquid
½ cup grapeseed oil
2 cups Salvadoran quesillo (can substitute shredded Monterrey Jack or mozzarella)
5 lbs white masa harina
10 cups water, or as needed
Curtido and salsa roja for serving

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1 small or medium head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1½ small red onions, thinly sliced
1½ cups grated carrot
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes, or 1 jalapeño chile, halved
2 cups water
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions

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In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, and carrot and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
In a second large bowl, combine the salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the water and apple cider vinegar.
Pour the spiced vinegar mixture over the vegetables and knead until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Store the curtido in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

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In a blender on high speed, blend the cooked beans and broth until smooth. Set aside. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the grapeseed oil until it shimmers. Pour the blended beans into the pan and bring to a boil; keep them on medium heat and constantly stir until they reach a stiff texture and no liquid remains, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Transfer the beans to a large bowl. Add the quesillo and mash the cheese into the beans so that no large chunks remain. The mixture should be thoroughly combined and have a uniform color, with no parts too cheesy or too concentrated with beans. Set aside.

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In another large bowl, combine the masa harina and water and knead until it reaches the consistency of Play-Doh. (You may choose to do this in batches. Divide the water and the masa harina and mix one batch at a time.) When the dough is pressed, its sides should not tear.
Pour some water into a small bowl and keep it handy for moistening the dough. Roll about 3 ounces of masa (slightly larger than a golf ball) between the palms of your hands until it forms a completely round ball. Then start flattening it with the fingertips of your dominant hand. Rotate the round slightly so that it gets pressed down evenly. Once the round is about 5 inches in diameter, cup your hand so that the pressed-out dough is now a pocket. Put about 3 ounces of filling into the pocket and press the filling tightly inside. Fold the edges of the dough toward the center to seal the pupusa, and twist off any remaining dough. This should form a filled disk. Using your dominant hand, pat and flatten the disk until it is 6 to 7 inches in diameter. (If the dough cracks at any point, it needs more moisture; add more water and mix into the dough until it becomes elastic again.)
Set a comal or griddle over medium-high heat. When the comal is hot, add the pupusas and cook until they puff up and the exteriors have browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the pupusas to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Repeat the process until you run out of masa and filling.
Serve the pupusas immediately with curtido and salsa roja. ¡Provecho!

1 comment

LUCY M | March 31, 2025

I made the pupusas and the curtido and they were great. Will definitely make them again with a tweak to the amount of masa. I think there may be an issue with the amount of masa harina listed. I followed the recipe but it required much more water and there was a lot of leftover dough even when I started making the pupusas with 4 ounce balls. I ended up making extra and freezing so I would probably use less the next time.