Vegan Tostadas
These tostadas are the kind of meal that looks impressive on the table but comes together with straightforward, everyday ingredients — crispy baked shells loaded with smoky homemade refried beans, bright pico de gallo, creamy avocado, and crunchy shredded cabbage. The beans are the real star here: black beans get mashed right in the pan with sautéed onion, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika until thick and deeply savory, finished with a squeeze of fresh lime. Baking the corn tortillas instead of frying them keeps things simple and still delivers that satisfying snap when you pick one up. Everything on this plate is built from whole, plant-based ingredients, so there's no need to hunt for specialty swaps or check labels for hidden dairy or animal products. The fresh pico de gallo comes together while the shells are in the oven, making the whole process feel efficient rather than fussy. It serves four, which makes it a solid weeknight dinner or a casual spread where everyone can assemble their own. Finish with a hit of hot sauce and an extra wedge of lime, and you've got a plate that's genuinely hard to resist.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the tostada shells
- 8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
For the refried beans
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup white onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
For the pico de gallo
- 3 medium roma tomatoes, finely diced
- ¼ cup white onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp salt
For serving
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted and sliced
- 2 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
- hot sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Arrange the corn tortillas in a single layer across one or two baking sheets. Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- 2
Bake the tortillas for 8–10 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until they are golden at the edges and rigid when lifted — they should snap rather than bend. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside.
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