Description
Restaurant-worthy Venezuelan cornmeal arepas made at home. These easy vegan queso and black bean arepas are spicy, filling, and delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
Arepas:
- 2 Cups White Cornmeal
- 2 1/2 Cups Water
- 1 tsp Salt and Pepper (To Taste)
Filling:
- 1 15oz. Can Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
- 1 Red Onion (Small Diced)
- 2 Jalapeños (Seeds Removed, Small Diced, + extra for garnish, if desired)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (Try this Easy No Salt Taco Seasoning recipe!)
Vegan Queso Blanco:
- 1 Cup Raw Cashews (Soaked overnight or Boiled for 15 minutes)
- 7 Tbsps Tapioca Starch
- 4 Tbsps Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper (To Taste)
- 2 Cups Hot Water
Optional Garnish:
- 1 Avocado (Sliced)
- Fresh cilantro (Roughly Chopped)
- Jalapeño (Sliced Thin)
Instructions
- Soak the raw cashews overnight or boil for 15 minutes.
- Combine the ingredients for the arepas in a large bowl. Knead first 1-2 minutes until dough is smooth and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the ingredients for the filling as directed above.
- Divide the dough into ten even balls. On a clean surface, press and form the dough balls into thick 3 inch diameter patties. Set aside.
- In a deep frying pan with a small amount of oil, sauté the red onion, garlic, and jalapeño over medium heat. Stir frequently and when the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant (approx. 2 minutes) add the black beans and seasoning. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Set aside.
- Clean the frying pan. Add a small amount of oil and and over medium high heat, add 2 to 3 arepa patties. Allow to brown on both sides. Repeat this process until all arepas are cooked. Set aside.
- Add the ingredients for the queso blanco to a blender and blend on high until the mixture is very smooth (you do not want any visible pieces of nut).
- Once smooth, add the mixture to a sauce pan and over medium low heat, simmer for 3-4 minutes. It is important to stir vigorously and constantly. The mixture will become very thick. Once it is the texture of melted cheese it’s finished.
- Slice the cooked arepas in half. Then, add some of the filling mixture and a dollop of “cheese.” Feel free to add fresh jalapeño, avocado, or cilantro, if desired too. Finally, top with the other half of arepa in order to make a sandwich.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
- Refrigerate leftovers separately for up to 5 days.
Notes
- The equipment listed above contains affiliate links to products that we personally use, love, and recommend!
Keywords: Arepa, Black Bean, Vegan Queso, Spicy
