Vegan Sopes with Refried Beans and Salsa Verde

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 quarts vegetable or canola oil, divided
• 1 jalapeño pepper, split in half and thinly sliced
• 1 small white onion, finely sliced
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon juice from about 1 lime
• 1 small handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups instant masa, such as Maseca
• Lukewarm water
• 1 recipe Basic Salsa Verde
• 1/4 cup roasted pepitas

Directions

1. For the refried beans, warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it glints. Stir in half of the onions and half of the jalapeños, and cook them, stirring often, until tender but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the beans with 1/2 cup water and cook until everything is hot, about 4 minutes. Mash the beans with a potato masher until they look the way you like, loosening them with more water if needed. Stir in the lime juice and half of the cilantro. Add salt to taste, cover, and keep warm. In a small bowl, mix the remaining onions, jalapeño, and cilantro, then set it aside.
2. For the sope shells, mix the instant masa with 1 teaspoon salt and lukewarm water as directed on the package. Work the mixture until it becomes a smooth dough. Portion the dough into 8 balls. On a wooden board, use your fingertips to press one ball into a round about 1/4-inch thick and 3 to 4 inches across. With your fingertips, gently pinch up a small rim around the outside of the disk. Shape the remaining balls the same way.
3. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 quarts oil into a large wok or deep cast iron skillet and heat it to 350 degrees F. Slip the sope shells into the oil one at a time, until all of them are frying. Cook, turning them carefully now and then, until they are crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted metal spider and move them to a paper towel-lined plate. Salt them right away.
4. To serve, spoon the bean mixture evenly over the sope shells and drizzle salsa verde on top. Scatter the toasted pepitas over them, then finish with the remaining onions, cilantro, and jalapeño. Serve immediately, with extra lemon or lime wedges alongside.