Seasoned and mashed pinto beans are served with avocado cream and quick pickled onions in these vegetarian pinto bean tostadas. These are perfect for quick weeknight dinners!
Bean tostadas are one of my favorite quick meals to make because they're versatile and nutritious.
Tostadas are toasted or deep-fried tortillas topped with a variety of toppings. They are traditional to Mexican and Latin American cuisines and they offer up endless combinations of flavors.
My vegetarian take on tostadas is made in the oven and topped with seasoned pinto beans, homemade avocado cream sauce (AKA avocado crema), and quick pickled onions for extra tang.
If you've already tried my black bean enchiladas and lentil tacos, you'll definitely love these bean tostadas!
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Recipe features
- Flavors: The pinto beans are seasoned and gently mashed for a texture similar to refried beans. Quick pickled onions add acidity and tang, which is balanced out by smooth avocado cream and salty cotija cheese.
- Quick & easy to make: This recipe requires only 10 minutes of prep time and 10 minutes of cooking time. The quick pickled onions can be made up to a week in advance.
- Easy to customize: This recipe also works well with black beans and a variety of sauteed vegetables.
Main ingredients
Don't be afraid of the long ingredient list! There are a few different parts to this recipe.
- Limes, cilantro and salt are used in multiple places throughout the recipe. Although you can use lime juice from a bottle, I recommend fresh limes for their flavor and lime zest.
- Corn tortillas: I use 6-inch corn tortillas. Yellow or white corn tortillas work. You can also buy tostada shells for an even quicker meal!
- Pinto beans: Canned pinto beans are stewed with garlic powder, dry cilantro, and chipotle chili powder for a smoky and lightly spicy base. Think of these as oil-free "refried" beans.
- Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, add a delicious crunch. I use salted roasted pumpkin seeds but unsalted ones also work.
- Cotija cheese is a salty, crumbled Mexican cheese. Queso fresco also works.
- Avocado and Greek yogurt combine with lime juice and cilantro to make avocado cream sauce, AKA avocado crema. Choose one large ripe avocado.
Pinto beans
The backbone of these tostadas is the stewed pinto beans. The liquid from the can of pinto beans is important in this recipe, so don't drain the beans!
If cooking pinto beans from dry, add an additional ¼ cup of vegetable broth or water to the beans. You can also do this if you accidentally drain the canned pinto beans.
Simply add the pinto bean, bell pepper, and seasonings to a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Simmer over medium heat for at least 10 minutes. This allows the beans to soften and absorb the seasonings.
The longer they are simmered, the more flavorful the result and the easier they are to mash.
How to make pickled onions
I love adding pickled onions to bean tostadas for a pop of color and acid. They are surprisingly easy to make, so I always have a jar on hand.
- Slice red onions into very thin strips. Pack tightly into a pint-sized mason jar.
- In a small sauce pot, combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Add garlic and red pepper flakes if desired.
- Bring the vinegar mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Let cool until warm but no longer hot.
- Pour the warm mixture over the red onions. Let cool to room temp before covering and refrigerating.
Check out my complete guide to quick pickled red onions for more ideas. If you enjoy these pickled onions you might also enjoy this vegetarian reuben.
Variations
- Stove-top option: To toast the tortillas on the stovetop instead of in the oven, first heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tortilla. Cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip over and continue cooking until the tortilla is firm enough that it won't bend under the weight of toppings.
- Make it vegan: You can make the avocado cream sauce vegan by using plain coconut yogurt in place of Greek yogurt. Vegan mayonnaise also works. To keep these tostadas vegan, make your own homemade vegan queso fresco or simply omit the cheese.
- Flour tortillas: I haven't tried using flour tortillas in place of corn tortillas, but it should work. Bake them at 400 degrees F until they are crispy like a taco shell.
Storage tips
Leftovers: Leftovers are best stored as individual components. I recommend assembling tostadas as you are ready to eat them.
The beans and avocado crema will keep refrigerated in closed containers for 3 to 4 days. Quick pickled onions are best within 14 days.
Freezing: Pinto beans freeze well. Let cool to room temperature before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat on the stovetop over medium heat.
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Recipe
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Vegetarian Bean Tostadas with Avocado Crema
Ingredients
Quick Pickled Red Onions
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Avocado Crema
- 1 large ripe avocado pit and skin removed
- 5 ounces (single serve container) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 medium lime
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 1-2 tablespoons water as needed for thinning
Pinto Beans
- 1 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans don't drain (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro see note 2
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Tostadas
- 8 small corn tortillas
- ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup cotija cheese
- 1 medium lime sliced into wedges
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for topping
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Quick Pickled Red Onions
- Slice red onion into very thin strips. Pack tightly into a pint sized mason jar.
- In a small sauce pot, combine water, vinegars, honey or agave and 1teaspoon salt. Bring vinegar mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Turn heat off and let cool until warm but not hot.
- Pour warm vinegar mixture over the red onions so that all onions are covered. Let cool to room temperature before covering and transferring to a fridge. The onions are ready to enjoy in half an hour.
Avocado Crema
- In a high powered blender or food processor combine one avocado, Greek yogurt, juice from one lime, ¼ cup chopped cilantro and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. Add water as needed to make the crema drizzling consistency.
Tostadas
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Evenly layer 8 tortillas on a baking sheet. Once the oven is preheated, cook the tortillas for 8 minutes, or until golden and crisp but not burnt.
- Meanwhile, place a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add the chopped bell pepper, pinto beans with liquid, cilantro, chipotle chili powder, salt and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Stew over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add extra liquid as needed to prevent burning.
- Use a potato masher or fork to mash the pinto beans to desired consistency. I usually leave a few whole beans.
- To assemble tostadas, evenly distribute beans across the 8 toasted tortillas. Spread into an even layer. Top with pumpkin seeds, cotija cheese, a few strips of pickled onions and a drizzle of avocado crema. Serve topped with freshly ground black pepper, fresh chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.
Notes
- Pinto beans: The liquid from the canned pinto beans is important in this recipe. If using cooked pinto beans, add an extra ¼ cup water or vegetable broth . I recommend "no salt added" pinto beans.
- Cilantro: I recommend buying a bunch of cilantro as it is used in the beans, crema and as a topping.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate tostada components separately for up to 3-4 days. Assemble before enjoying.
- Quick pickled onions will keep for up to 14 days. You can also add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, etc. as desired.
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