I’d meant to make zucchini arepas with queso fresco at home for a long time. Maybe some of you may remember that our house had to undergo many repairs after the flooding. After we moved back in, we had a party to thank our friends for all their help while we were homeless.
We had an arepa bar at that party, and it was a great success, but I did not make them. Finally- and now living in a new house- it was time to make Arepas. It’s incredible how easy and delicious they are. And you can make different versions, I made some with zucchini because that’s what I had at hand, but I’ve also seen them with grated carrot, beet, or spinach. I used the yellow version of the flour for Arepas, but white flour is more widely used. Any of them is OK.

And I don’t overthink the filling: Queso Fresco is always my first choice. Arepas are best when freshly made; you pop them open like a pocket, put some butter and slices of queso fresco or crumbled queso fresco and enjoy.

Check also the recipe: Queso Fresco Cilantro Pork Fries.

Zucchini Arepas

Print Recipe

Quick and flavorful.

Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 arepas 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup grated raw zucchini (2 small or 1 medium)
1 cup Harina Pan para arepas
1/4 cup water, plus 1 or 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
queso fresco
butter, optional

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Instructions

Grate zucchini in strips onto a clean kitchen towel. Wring out as much liquid as you can using the kitchen towel.
Mix the zucchini, flour, water, and salt in a bowl. Knead thoroughly, about 5 minutes. Add more water or the zucchini juice if needed, but little by little, 1/2 tablespoon each time. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into four portions, form a ball and then flatten. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Cook on a heated non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat for 5 minutes per side.
Open with a serrated knife forming a pocket. Add butter if you like.
Fill with crumbled queso fresco.
Serve.