MAIN DISH, RECIPES, SNACKS

Vegan Empanadas

I finally gave these Empanadas another try! The first time I failed, since I used whole wheat flour, which is healthier but it doesn’t quite work with Empanadas. The dough also wasn’t sticky enough, so it cracked and created holes in the dough, which then spilled out the filling. This time around, I used all purpose flour and vegan butter, which I know are not the healthiest things but I really wanted this to taste and look like a real Empanada and they do! If you want to save time, I suggest making the filling a night prior on making the dough, this will save you a lot of time. The dipping sauce is totally optional, but it will give the empanada a nice tangy flavor to it. 

 

Vegan Empanadas

Makes around 14 Empanadas

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

4 oz vegan butter

1/3-1/2 cup ice cold water

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

 

Sweet Potato & Tofu:

1 block firm tofu, scrambled

1 medium sweet potato, baked and skin removed

1 garlic clove

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1 tsp olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

 

Quinoa & Mushroom:

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup mushrooms, finely diced

1/4 cup tomato sauce

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

 

Toppings:

1/4 cup chickpeas water (aquafaba), to brush empanadas

Handful sesame seeds, to sprinkle on top 

 

Dipping Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews

Juice of 1 lemon

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup water

Handful fresh dill

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake sweet potato until tender about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
  2. Next, rinse quinoa then place it in a saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring the water to a boil on medium heat. Stir once then reduce the heat to a simmer, place a lid on the saucepan and cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is done. 
  3. In the meantime, mix the flour and salt in a food processor.
  4. Add the vegan butter, apple cider vinegar and the water (in small portions) and continue pulsing until a clumpy dough forms.
  5. To make the empanada dough by hand, follow the same instruction but use your hands to mix the ingredients together.
  6. Split the dough into 2 large ball, flatten slightly into the shape of disks. The dough can be used immediately or refrigerated until ready to use.
  7. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds). 
  8. For the tofu & sweet potato filling, mix together smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  9. Mist a frying pan with 2 tbsp of water and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  10. Crumble tofu into the pan, breaking it up with your fingers. Pour spices from the bowl over tofu and mix well, trying to color as much tofu as possible. Cook for 2 minutes or until tofu is cooked.
  11. Remove the skin from sweet potato and place in a bowl together with the tofu scramble. Add 1 tsp of olive oil and juice of 1/2 a lime. Mash everything together with a fork until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
  12. For the quinoa & mushroom filling, dice the mushrooms into small pieces.
  13. In a large skillet heat 2 tbsp of water and add the diced mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes.
  14. Season with cumin, sea salt and smoked paprika then add the cooked quinoa and tomato sauce and mix together. 
  15. Continue cooking another 5 minutes or so and adjust seasoning according to your liking. 
  16. Place 1-2 tablespoons of the sweet potato & tofu filling in the center of 7 discs and 1-2 tablespoons of the mushroom & quinoa filling in the other 7 empanada discs.
  17. Fold the opposite side over the filling and seal edges with a fork. I find that brushing some olive oil on the edges of the dough helps them to seal better.
  18. Place on a prepared baking sheet and let rest in fridge for 30 minutes before baking. This helps them seal better and prevents the filling from leaking out.
  19. Brush empanadas with chickpeas water and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, around 25-30 minutes.
  20. For the dipping sauce, add all the ingredients, besides the fresh dill into a food processor and blend until smooth. Once done blending, mix the fresh dill into the sauce.
  21. Serve empanadas warm with the dipping sauce.