The flavor of this icon of Venezuelan and Colombian gastronomy and culture has conquered the stomachs of millions of people throughout the planet, to such an extent that it even has its own day: September 12, World Arepa Day. The versatility of its filling (there is no arepa the same as another) and the softness of its dough have made this typical dish an essential. The possibilities of making vegetarian arepas are endless. Among the different variety that exist, we would like to propose two. The first one is a mixture of flavors such as feta cheese with sweet apple, accompanied by nuts and sprouts. The second of them is a commitment to ingredients such as peas or courgette seasoned with the characteristic aroma of lime.
Ingredients to make vegan Arepas:
To make the crepe batter
- 300 grams of precooked white corn flour/precooked yellow corn flour
- 470 milliliters of water
- 4 grams of salt
For the apple and goat cheese filling
- Feta cheese
- Arugula
- Canons
- 3 walnuts
- 1 apple
- 1 onion
- Brown sugar
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar of Modena
For the peas and zucchini filling
- 1 ripe pear tomato
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 lime
- 200 grams of peas
- 1 zucchini
- 1 pinch of black pepper
How to make vegan Arepas:
To start with the recipe for vegan Venezuelan arepas, you must first mix the precooked white corn flour in a bowl, with the salt and the water (it is preferable that you have previously heated them in the microwave or in a saucepan). In order for the dough to acquire consistency, it is advisable to add the water little by little so that all the ingredients are integrated as well as possible. The time has come to knead! Mix and knead so that the flour completely absorbs all the water and you get a dough that is as compact as possible.
Trick: it is very useful to make folds with the dough on itself from the outside to the inside.
Subsequently, divide the dough into different portions (in this case we have chosen to divide into ten) and make small balls to later flatten carefully to achieve the rounded shape. It is recommended that each arepa is approximately one and a half centimeters thick to be able to fill them later.
Once the previous step is done, prepare the non-stick frying pan or griddle. The secret in this step is to let the arepas cook over low heat or at a medium temperature so that they cook as well as possible inside and the dough remains fluffy. Once they start to brown on one side, flip them over to brown the other. Meanwhile, preheat the oven. When the arepas are ready and while you prepare the filling, put them in the oven at a low temperature so that they keep the heat and the outside is crispy. Cut the arepas in half without separating the lid from the base to incorporate the filling. Below you can choose between two proposals.
On one side, peel the onions and cut them julienne, that is, into strips. Subsequently, add a little olive oil to the pan (preferably non-stick) and cook over low heat with a pinch of salt. When the onion loses much of its volume and is practically transparent, add a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar and let it continue cooking slowly until it acquires the characteristic color of caramelized onion. Meanwhile, peel the apple into cubes or strips and reserve in a bowl, in which you will have to add the nuts also cut into small pieces (three handfuls is enough). In this same container add the feta cheese cut to taste, the lamb’s lettuce and the arugula (if you want a spicier touch you can add a little more arugula).
Subsequently, add the previously prepared onion to the mixture. To put the finishing touch to this filling, mix everything and season the mixture with oil, salt and balsamic vinegar of Modena. Once everything is ready, add it to the vegan arepas and enjoy.
Other fillings for vegan arepas
There is no specific filling for arepas that is why at RecetasGratis we encourage you to investigate different flavors to achieve the perfect filling that best suits your needs. A very important tip when making the dough is to make it homogeneous and avoid lumps. If you definitely want to surprise your guests, another recommendation is to add some ingredients to the dough, such as: chia seeds, oatmeal or vegetables to increase the nutritional value of the recipe, and even one more tablespoon of sugar in the case of using the arepa for dessert.
