Reprinted from The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes and The Women That Preserve Them by Karla Tatiana Vasquez © 2024.  Photographs copyright © 2024 by Ren Fuller. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Makes 20 Pupusas

Pupusas de queso con loroco is another classic type of pupusa. The taste of loroco—an herbaceous, slightly bitter but very enjoyable edible flower—is dynamic.

• 1¾ pounds quesillo
• 2 cups fresh or frozen loroco buds
• 3½ pounds masa harina
• 7 cups water, or as needed
  
  

In a large bowl, combine the quesillo and loroco buds, mashing the cheese so that no large chunks remain. The mixture should be thoroughly combined and have a slightly green color. Set aside.

In another large bowl, combine the masa harina and water and knead until it reaches the consistency of Play-Doh. (You may choose to do this in batches. Divide the amount of water and masa harina and mix the batch one at a time.) When the dough is pressed, its sides should not tear.

Pour some water into a small bowl and keep it handy for moistening the dough. Roll about 3 ounces of masa (slightly larger than a golf ball) between the palms of your hands until it forms a completely round ball. Then start flattening it with the fingertips of your dominant hand. Rotate the round slightly so that it gets pressed down evenly. Once the round is about 5 inches in diameter, cup your hand so that the pressed-out dough is now a pocket. Put 3 ounces of filling into the pocket and press the filling tightly inside. Fold the edges of the dough toward the center to seal the pupusa, and twist off any remaining dough. This should now form a filled disk. Using your dominant hand, pat and flatten the disk until it is 6 to 7 inches in diameter. (If the dough cracks at any point, it needs more moisture; add more water and mix into the dough until it becomes elastic again.)

Set a comal or griddle over medium-high heat. When the comal is hot, add the pupusas and cook until they puff up and the exteriors have browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the pupusas to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Repeat the process until you run out of masa and filling.

Serve the pupusas immediately.

KARLA TATIANA VASQUEZ is a food writer, recipe developer, and food stylist based in Los Angeles. Her writing has been published by the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, Eater LA, and KCET, among others. Her recipe development work can be seen in Food & Wine, Serious Eats, BuzzFeed Tasty, and Tastemade. She is also a food justice advocate and an active member in her community to increase healthy food accessibility in low-income communities, previously working with Hunger Action Los Angeles and Los Angeles Food Policy Council. She founded SalviSoul in an effort to preserve her family’s recipes, and since then it’s expanded to focus on cultural memory and intergenerational healing for the Salvadoran diaspora.