Savory Vegetarian Empanadas
Delicious, hearty vegetarian empanadas, filled with a mixture of potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and feta cheese.
Servings: 18 empanadas
Calories: 68kcal
Equipment
- skillet
- tortilla press optional
- Rolling Pin optional
- 5" Biscuit Cutter optional
Ingredients
- empanada dough (recipe)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sweet potato or Idaho potato (diced)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Italian parsley (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon sumac powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Prepare empanada dough using my recipe, another recipe, or use store-bought pie crust if you're short on time. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.
Saute the Filling
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add diced potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Dice onions and add to the skillet. Sauté for 5 more minutes while you chop the mushrooms. Add mushrooms and saute for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir chopped Italian parsley and minced garlic into the filling and season with salt, black pepper, sumac powder, and crushed red pepper. Cook for an additional minute. Cool before mixing in the feta cheese.
Empanada Assembly Directions
- Roll a portion of dough (approximately .75 ounces) into a ball and place it onto a plastic-lined tortilla press. Press the dough into a perfectly smooth and round disc.
- Add 1 tablespoon of filling to each dough disc, leaving a ¼" border. Fold the dough over the filling and form dough into a half-moon shape. Seal the edges with a fork, or pinch them together by hand (see pictures and video).
Empanada Frying Instructions
- Fry empanadas in 350° F-375° F oil for one to two minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels before serving.
Empanada Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place empanadas onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and prick a few holes on top to allow the steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is for uncooked empanadas since frying or baking them will significantly change the nutritional values.
- If you want milder empanadas, leave out the crushed red pepper.
- Most empanada filling recipes call for tomato paste or ketchup to be added to the filling. The sauce keeps the filling from being too dry. In this recipe, the feta cheese serves the same purpose.
- If you don't have a Tortilla Press, roll the dough out to ⅛" thickness onto a floured surface using a rolling pin and cut out 18 dough discs 5" biscuit cutter.
- If the dough feels dry, wet the edges with water, milk, or an egg wash to help them to seal.
- The oil is ready when it instantly bubbles when you add the empanadas. If you want to take the guesswork out of it, use a hand-held instant-read thermometer. The frying oil temp should be between 350-375°F.
- To make vegan empanadas, use Goya empanada dough with this veggie filling.
Nutrition
Serving: 1empanada | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 171mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 1g