I’ve always wanted to try making empanadas. They’re like a party wrapped inside a warm, bread hug. It’s believed they originated in Galicia, a northwest region of Spain and when humans migrated over the years, so did their empanada recipes. They can now be found all across Europe, Latin America, South America, and maybe even in your own city! There are many variations of empanadas, but the one we’re focusing on today is a healthy, vegan take on veggie empanadas.
What Are Vegan Empanadas Made Of?
The savory vegetarian empanadas recipe we’re making today consists of organic all-purpose flour, water, salt, and olive oil for the empanada dough recipe and tofu, mushrooms, bell peppers (green, yellow, and red pepper), Siete Spicy Taco Seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, diced potatoes, onions, and optional Herdez cream sauce for the veggie empanada filling. While these are the ingredients that really called my name, there are so many different combinations that you can make for these. Feel free to substitute the tofu with black beans or refried beans, or the golden potatoes with sweet potatoes, or the Herdez sauce with tomato paste or chimichurri sauce in the veggie filling. Don’t have Siete seasoning? Use some chili powder instead. The beauty of this easy recipe is that you can truly make it your own.
What Dough Is Best For Empanadas?
You can use any kind of dough you like to make empanadas. They’re pretty versatile. It mostly depends on the taste and texture you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a flaky crust, you can use more of a puff pastry dough. If you’re looking for more of a bready dough, you can use pie dough or pizza dough. The recipe we’re making today is a homemade dough made with simple ingredients that definitely tastes more firm and bready (which I love). If you’re lazy like me – no, efficient – like me or don’t want the mess of making your own empanada dough, feel free to use store-bought puff pastry or a store-bought pie crust for a similar, just as tasty outcome.
Vegetarian/ Vegan Empanada Full Recipe
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serving Size: 3 Servings (9 empanadas total – you will have a lot of leftover filling, so feel free to double the dough recipe if you want more!)
Ingredients
Homemade Empanada Dough
~3 Cups All-Purpose Flour (1.5 Cups to start the dough, add more as needed for consistency)
1 Cup of Water
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
Vegetarian Empanada Filling
3 Bell Peppers, Diced (I used red, yellow, and green)
1 Onion, Diced
16 Oz of Extra Firm Tofu
2 Cups Mushrooms, Diced
2 Cups Diced Potatoes
1 tbsp Garlic
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Coriander
8 Oz Herdez Avocado Salsa (optional)
1 Packet of Siete Spicy Taco Seasoning
Instructions
1. Start by combining all flour ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until completely combined. If the dough is very sticky, continue to add flour slowly and knead until the dough does not stick to the hands and you can successfully form dough into a ball. Set off to the side.
2. Finely chop your bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms, and combine in a large skillet. Drizzle with olive oil or vegetable oil (optional) and place on medium heat.
3. Chop the tofu block into small pieces and add to a separate large pan with a drizzle of olive oil (or a little water) to prevent sticking to the pan. Place on medium-high heat.
4. Add half of the Siete seasoning packet to the diced onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms blend, and mix well.
5. Add the other half of the Siete seasoning to the tofu, and mix it in, mincing the tofu as you go to create a ground meat consistency.
6. Combine the tofu and the veggies in one pan, adding the Herdez avocado salsa or chimichurri sauce along with all of the spices and mixing well. This is your vegan empanada filling!
7. Preheat oven to 400º. Prepare a large sheet pan covered in parchment paper and a lightly floured surface.
8. Layout 2 separate pieces of parchment paper on your workspace, and lightly flour in between.
9. Take a spoon-sized piece of dough from the ball of dough and form a well-rounded morsel. Place the tiny ball in-between the 2 floured piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 1/4 of an inch thick, making sure an even circle is formed and thickness is the same throughout. You may also use a large, heavy book to press the tiny ball into a flat circle if that’s easier or if you don’t have access to a rolling pin.
10. Place a small spoonful of filling into the middle of the flat dough disk and run a water-dipped finger along the outside of the dough to help it stick together.
11. Fold the dough over to the other side and gently press all along the outside of the disk, making sure the dough sticks well. Take a fork and make firm imprints on the outside of the empanada where the dough comes together to ensure it stays closed during baking. Repeat until the dough runs out.
12. Place empanadas side-by-side on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
13. Use a finger of a pastry brush to run vegan butter or water (as a replacement for egg wash) over the top of each empanada and add a bit of powdered garlic to help create a golden brown finish.
14. Place the baking sheet with the filled empanadas into the oven and check after 15 minutes. We want the dough to be cooked fully through and the outside to be a light golden brown. Nobody wants to bite into unbaked empanadas! If you notice they’re not ready, put them in for a few extra minutes of baking time.
15. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with love!
16. You can store the remaining empanadas in a freezer bag, airtight container, or on a plate beneath plastic wrap or cling film and warm up in the oven when ready to serve again.
Conclusion
This vegan empanada recipe is easy, fun and can be eaten as a main dish or a side dish if you’re looking for a great appetizer. Savory empanadas have so many different combinations so you and your family can add your own unique twist for your personal preference. You can also make cheese empanadas or add dairy products if you partake. However you choose to make them, we hope you found this recipe helpful and get to enjoy it over many years with your friends and family!
