Reviving Traditional Salvadoran Cuisine with a Plant-Based Twist

Gabriel Ventura grew up in El Salvador, before cooking for nearly a decade across restaurants in San Francisco. When the pandemic hit, he decided to dig into his own culture, and started making pupusas, the traditional dish his mom made every week. But instead of stuffing them with the usual meat, cream, and cheese, his friends kept requesting fresh veggies.

Nixta features freshly made pupusas and other Salvadoran dishes, which are all plant based, vegan, and dairy free. Fillings include umami-rich mushrooms and spinach, Mexican-style spicy red beans with cilantro and jalapeno, Salvadoran classic red beans with mint, and Swiss chard that’s “creamy” with “cheese.” Gabriel isn’t into processed ingredients, and makes everything from scratch, including the cashew cheese, which you won’t find anywhere else.

@nixtafoods | San Francisco

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