Black Bean Tostadas

5 from 5 votes

I whip up these black bean tostadas with crispy broiled corn tortillas, seasoned beans, and summer vegetables in 30 minutes for a satisfying weeknight dinner. The golden shells get topped with zucchini, corn, and black beans mixed with tomatillo salsa and just a sprinkle of cheese. They're way healthier than takeout, and tastier too!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican, vegetarian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 444kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups fresh white or yellow corn kernels
1 cup chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes roughly chopped
3 medium zucchini diced
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can
1 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt more to taste
8 warm corn tortillas Use 2 tostadas per person; make sure you get corn tortillas that have 70-80 calories and 2g fiber per tortilla
tomatillo salsa (I like the kind from Trader Joe's)
8-16 tbsp grated Monterey Jack Cheese or Mexican 4 cheese blend Use 1-2 tbsp per tostada
cilantro chopped, for topping

Instructions

Preheat broiler to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Warm up the corn tortillas in a microwave, wrapped in a paper towel (about 30 seconds). Place the corn tortillas on the baking sheet, spray tops of tortillas lightly with cooking spray.
Put the tortillas under the broiler, bake until golden brown and crispy.
Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, onions, garlic, and tomatoes to the pan. Let cook for 10 minutes.
Add zucchini, cook until tender - 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn, beans, oregano, pepper, salt to taste (if needed). Cook 3-5 minutes.
Split filling among the tostada shells, top with 2-4 tsp salsa and no more than 1-2 Tbsp of cheese.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

Don't overcook the tortillas! Check them often while they are under the broiler.
If you don't have spray oil, then you can brush some regular oil over the tostadas.
If you have leftovers, store the tostadas separately from the filling/topping ingredients. This will prevent the tostadas from getting soggy! We store the crunchy shell in an air airtight container on the counter, and keep the fillings in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator - they will keep for up to 4 days.
Feel free to add any other vegetables you like! Red bell pepper, roasted sweet potatoes, or other roasted veggies would both work well in this recipe. If you switch out the veggies and don't use corn in the vegetable mixture, you can always add a corn relish or corn salsa in addition to the tomatillo salsa as a topping!
Mash Some Beans: I partially mash a few spoonfuls of the black beans with the back of a fork so the mixture sticks to the shell better. This helps prevent toppings from sliding off when I pick up the tostadas.
Drain Vegetables Well: I use a slotted spoon to scoop the vegetable mixture onto the tostada shells so excess liquid stays in the pan. This keeps the shells from getting soft and maintains the crunch.
Warm Tortillas First: I always warm the tortillas in the microwave before broiling them so they do not crack or break when I move them to the baking sheet. This simple step makes handling them much easier.

Slightly adapted from Self.com

Nutrition