Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (2024)

Appetizers | Asparagus | Cheese | Empanadas | Latin America | Recipes for Lent | Snacks | South America | Spring | Summer | Vegetables | Vegetarian

Recipe for asparagus empanadas filled with asparagus, fava beans, fresh peas, goat cheese and thyme. Serve the empanadas with a balsamic chimichurri sauce.

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Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (1)

It’s time for a new empanada recipe! This time I prepared asparagus empanadas that are filled with asparagus, fava beans, fresh peas, goat cheese and thyme. These vegetarian empanadas are a great way to celebrate spring and early summer vegetables. I find that empanadas are a great way to use seasonal ingredients.

Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (2)

Farmers’ market season is just starting here in the PNW (this is luckily also coinciding with some great weather). I love going to the market and filling my basket with delicious and fresh veggies and fruits. I usually don’t have a pre-set plan about what I’m going to cook and just let the fresh ingredients be my inspiration.

Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (3)


I love asparagus. I love fava beans – known as habas in Ecuador and usually available year-round there, so I’ve really learned to appreciate them in the US since they are much more seasonal. I love fresh peas; it’s very common to see ladies with baskets filled with bags of fresh shelled peas on the streets in Ecuador. And of course, I love goat cheese.

Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (4)

This goat cheese and asparagus empanada filling on its own is delicious and can easily be a great side dish or a topping for crostini or toast. As usual, I highly recommend serving these asparagus empanadas with a dipping sauce, I personally love the balsamic chimichurri sauce it goes great with the vegetable and goat cheese filling. For the empanada dough, you can either make your own at home, or buy the frozen empanada discs at your local Latin grocery store.

Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (5)

Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (6)

Asparagus empanadas with fava bean, peas and goat cheese

Asparagus empanadas filled with asparagus, fava beans, fresh peas, goat cheese and thyme. Serve the empanadas with a balsamic chimichurri sauce.

4.87 from 23 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Snack, Starter

Cuisine: Fusion, Latin, South American

Keyword: Asparagus, Asparagus empanadas, Asparagus empanadas with fava bean, peas and goat cheese, Empanadas, Fava beans, Goat cheese, Peas, Spring vegetable empanadas

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Resting time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 to 15 medium sized empanadas

Ingredients

Asparagus goat cheese filling

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup finely diced white onion about 2 ounces or ¼ of a large white onion
  • ½ lb of asparagus about ½ medium sized bunch, washed and cut into 1-1 ½ inch pieces
  • 1 cup of twice peeled fava beans about 5 ounces
  • 1 cup of fresh shelled green peas about 5 ounces
  • 4 ounces of goat cheese crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme can be replaced with ½ tablespoon of dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Empanada assembly

  • 12-15 empanada discs use homemade dough or store-bought empanada discs
  • 1 egg whisked – to be used as egg wash

Dipping sauce suggestion:

  • Balsamic chimichurri sauce

Instructions

Asparagus goat cheese filling

  • Melt the butter over medium heat, add the diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

  • Add the asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes.

  • Add the fava beans and cook for about 3 minutes.

  • Add the peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the vegetables cool down slightly.

  • Mix the vegetables with goat cheese and fresh thyme, save the filling until ready to assemble the empanadas.

Empanada assembly

  • To assemble the empanadas, place a spoonful of the asparagus, fava bean, peas and goat cheese mix on the center of each empanada disc.

  • If needed, brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg white or water, this is will help them seal better and keep the filling from leaking while baking .

  • Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges. You can either use a fork to help seal the empanadas, or use your fingers to twist and curl the edges or to make a repulgue or curled seal for the empanadas.

  • Brush the empanadas with the egg wash; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.

  • If you have time, chill the empanadas for at least 30 minutes, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.

  • Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

  • Serve the empanadas with the balsamic chimichurri sauce.

Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (7)

Related recipes:
Homemade empanada dough
Balsamic chimichurri sauce

Step by step preparation photos for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese

Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (8)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (9)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (10)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (11)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (12)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (13)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (14)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (15)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (16)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (17)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (18)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (19)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (20)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (21)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (22)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (23)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (24)
Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (25)

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Recipe for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese (2024)

FAQs

What are three types of empanadas? ›

Argentine empanadas with beef, cheese, or chicken. Chilean empanadas with beef, cheese, or seafood. Mexican empanadas with spicy beef, potato, or pumpkin.

What are traditional empanadas made of? ›

Empanadas have their origin in the Spanish action Empanar connoting “wrap in bread.” Traditional empanadas hence are simply beef stuffing wrapped in pastry dough. Beef empanadas are small palm-sized meat pockets. They resemble the Arabian Samosas and Italian calzones.

What is the American version of an empanada? ›

The Many Names of Empanadas

For instance, Americans call them meat pies, and Jamaicans call them beef patties. At the same time, Indians call them samosas, and people in Latin America or Spain call them pastelillos or pastelitos.

Can you make empanadas ahead of time? ›

Whether making them tonight, or preparing for a future fiesta, empanadas can be made ahead of time. Baked empanadas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Simply reheat them in the microwave or toaster oven when you are ready to eat. To freeze, lay the unbaked empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Is it better to fry or bake empanadas? ›

Both cooking methods produce delicious empanadas. If you want a healthier merienda, bake them in the oven. If you're working with less time, frying them is the way to go. Try both and ask your loved ones to vote on their favorite.

Is empanada dough the same as pastry dough? ›

While pie dough is designed to be flaky, empanada dough is meant to be more tender. Pastry for empanadas has a higher flour-to-fat ratio, making it sturdy and perfect for wrapping around meaty fillings. Some recipes use lard or an additional egg as the fat source, but our recipe keeps it simple and easy with butter.

What nationality makes the best empanadas? ›

Argentina has become world-famous for their empanadas which are widely available in Buenos Aires and across the country as fast-food options and restaurant staples. As with many recipes, that of empanadas was shared through generations and carried to many other nations.

What is the difference between Spanish empanadas and Mexican empanadas? ›

When the Spanish hit the New World in the 16th century they shared their empanada recipe with the Aztecs and Maya. The Spanish recipe was made with bread dough, the Mexican recipe with corn masa dough. This is where Mexican empanada history takes over. Each region in Mexico has their own version of the empanada.

What makes Argentine empanadas different? ›

A flour-based dough (rather than maize or corn) is used to make traditional Argentine empanadas. This variety means there's an empanada for everyone! Ground beef, cubed beef, chicken, ham and cheese, ham and onion, spinach, and humita are some of the most common types of fillings.

What can I substitute for empanada dough? ›

What Can You Substitute for Empanada Dough? If you're looking for a shortcut, store-bought pie dough can be used to make empanadas. You may need to roll the dough out slightly thinner—it will produce a flakier result than typical empanada dough and is better for baking than frying.

What is the fancy name for empanadas? ›

These are a few of the known names: Meat Pies (American) Empanadas (Latin/Spanish) Pastelillos (Latin/Spanish)

Is empanada dough the same as tortilla dough? ›

There's not a lot of difference — chief one being that you use ice water with empanada dough, and hot water for tortillas. Another difference is the flour.

What is traditionally served with empanadas? ›

Colombian empanadas are traditionally served with ají, an onion and tomatoes sauce (and a slice of lime), and in Venezuela, you'll find guasacaca, which will replace any improper thoughts you might have had about guacamole with dreams of this light, bright, herb and avocado sauce, picante de leche (a milk-based hot ...

How to keep empanadas crispy after frying? ›

Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

In much the same way, putting fried food on a cooling rack means the excess oil will drip off, but there's enough air circulating underneath the food that the bottoms don't get soggy.

Can I eat an empanada that was left out overnight? ›

Eating food left out overnight is a food safety no-no. No exceptions.

What are the most common empanadas? ›

The empanada can be pan fried, deep fried or baked. The empanada can be filled with plenty of foods, although beef, pork or chicken meat, but also with cheese, palm heart or different kind of vegetable hashes (called picadillo) or refried beans are the most common ones.

What are the three main types of empanadas in Chile which is the most popular? ›

Two types of Chilean empanadas are the most common by far: empanadas de pino, which are filled with a mixture of beef and onions, plus raisins, olives and wedges of hard-boiled egg; and empanadas de queso, which are filled with gooey, melted cheese.

What is the difference between Chilean and Argentinian empanadas? ›

But for Chileans, empanadas and wine are what they have to celebrate their independence. They celebrate for a month as if it happened yesterday. The original difference is that [a Chilean empanada is] larger and baked. The Argentinian [style] is often deep-fried and smaller.

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