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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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related recipes:
Homemade empanada dough
Balsamic chimichurri sauce
Step by step preparation photos for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese
