(Photo: Ren Fuller). Ren Fuller
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Pastelitos are a beloved street food in El Salvador, and there are countless versions of this empanada-like snack handmade by women across the country. This version stuffed with sautéed mushrooms and tender vegetables comes to us from The SalviSoul Cookbook author Karla Tatiana Vasquez. The dish gets its signature flavor from the subtly sweet corn base of the masa harina (you can find the Maseca brand at most grocery stories; our test kitchen is also a fan of Masienda’s heirloom offering), and from chicken bouillon powder, which ups the umami in both the filling and the dough. To make these pastelitos completely vegetarian or vegan, use vegetable bouillon powder.
Adapted from The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes and the Women Who Preserve Them by Karla Tatiana Vasquez. Copyright © 2024. Available from Ten Speed Press.
Featured in “This Salvadoran Cookbook Is Making History” by Jessica Carbone.
Yield: Makes 12–16 Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped ¼ medium white onion, finely chopped (½ cup) ½ tsp. kosher salt
