Hello friends! Today I am so excited to share with you this beautiful tostada recipe. It uses my incredibly savory and scrumptious refried pinto beans as the base. These beans work as the glue for whatever fresh toppings you would like to stud on top of your crispy tostada shells. The possibilities are endless and this recipe is a great way to use up whatever veggies you have in the fridge or any seasonal goodies you’ve found at your local farmers market. Of course, please don’t feel limited to just making tostadas with these refried beans. They work amazingly for burritos, tacos, or served with some fluffy rice.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS TOSTADA RECIPE
For this tostada recipe you will need to find some pre-made crispy tostada shells. These make the recipe super fast and easy. The only catch is I do think they need to be toasted in a hot oven for a few minutes. This helps them to taste fresh and super crunchy. If you skip this step, they could taste stale. Additionally, if you can only find fresh corn tortillas, you could make your own by brushing them with some olive oil and baking them in a hot oven (350°F) until crispy. They won’t be quite as crunchy as the store-bought ones but they will still be good.
MAKING THE REFRIED BEANS
Certainly, the star of the show with this tostada recipe is the creamy refried pinto beans. They really make the dish. I have called for canned beans, as they are the most convenient option, but you could absolutely use homemade. These are my favorite canned beans because they add kombu to the mix, making the beans not only delicious but also adding nutrients and making them easier to digest.
GARLIC-HERB MIXTURE
To boost the overall flavor of the refried pinto beans for this tostada recipe is a garlic-herb mixture. This consists of freshly minced garlic that has some dried oregano and sea salt added in while chopping. The salt is abrasive and helps to cut up the garlic while helping to release all of the beautiful flavor in the dried oregano. This adds a great depth to the refried pinto beans.
MASHING THE BEANS
The trick with good refried beans, in my opinion, is using a delicious and flavorful broth and adding it slowly to the beans as you mash. Once the mashed beans absorb a few splashes of the broth, you can add more. As you continue to mash, adding the broth slowly, you will end up with super creamy and smooth refried beans.
REFRIED PINTO BEANS FOR THIS TOSTADA RECIPE
Finally, when the beans are mashed and all of the broth mixture is used, you are ready to assemble. Take your toasted tostada shells and add a nice thick layer of the beans to them. At this point you can add whatever toppings you desire. Certainly, a little bit of elbow grease makes for the best texture!
PLATING THIS TOSTADA RECIPE
Lastly, when plating the tostada, I recommend having all of your toppings laid out like a buffet. Then you can assemble one or two at a time and enjoy immediately. This works beautifully for entertaining as each guest can make their own. Generally, I do think you should enjoy them as quickly as possible so they don’t get soggy. Here are some of my favorite toppings to use:
Ripe avocado, cut into large chunks
Shredded lettuce
Hot peppers, thinly sliced
Chopped cilantro
Fresh lime juice
Flaky salt
Hot sauce
ENJOY THIS TOSTADA RECIPE
I hope that y’all love this tostada recipe! If you do give them a go, please leave a review and comment below. I’d love to hear from you! Happy cooking, friends.
-Timothy
IF YOU LIKE THIS TOSTADA RECIPE, CHECK OUT THESE:
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Lentil Soup
Red Beans and Rice
Refried Beans 1 teaspoon bouillon paste (no-chicken or vegetable) Tostada Shells & Optional Toppings 1 pack crispy tostada shells, toasted Make the broth: Mix the bouillon paste, tamari, and water together. Set aside. Sauté the onions: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a big drizzling of olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix well and cook until golden and tender, about 8 minutes, stirring every so often. Make and cook the garlic-herb paste: While the onions cook, in a small pile on your cutting board, combine the chopped garlic, oregano, and a sprinkling of sea salt. Chop this up until well combined. Add to the onions (once they are golden), along with the butter, and cook for an additional 1 minute, stirring often, to toast the garlic-herb mixture. Add the broth and mash the beans: Once the garlic-herb mixture is toasted, add the beans plus an additional sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Then add ½ cup of the broth mixture. Using a potato masher, mash the beans into the broth and mix around. Once thickened, add another ½ cup veggie broth. Continue to mash, mix, and stir. Once reduced, repeat this step 2 more times until all the broth is gone and continue mashing until the beans are creamy. Remove from heat and let them sit for 10 minutes to thicken. Toast the shells: While the beans thicken, you can toast the tostada shells. Lay them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and pop them in a 350°F oven. Toast them for a few minutes until fragrant. While they cool, you can prep all of your toppings. Enjoy: Spread a thick layer of the beans onto a tostada and stud over top your desired fresh ingredients. Finish with some flaky salt, a few dashes of hot sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime, if desired, and enjoy! You can store the beans in the fridge in a closed container. When reheating, you may need to add a splash of water to loosen the mixture as they will thicken quite a bit. 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon tamari
2 cups filtered water
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons plant butter
2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 large avocado, cut into chunks
1 head romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 small or 1 large hot chili, thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Hot sauce (your favorite!)
Flaky salt, to sprinkle
2 large limes, quarteredInstructions
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