Crunchy, Fresh and Smoky

I was recently pondering an appetizer for a Latin meal I was preparing.  I wanted something as interactive and exciting as chips and salsa, but a bit more unique.  Suddenly, black bean tostadas came to mind, bingo!  These are crunchy, fresh and smoky.  A perfect appetizer to get your guest involved building their own tostada.  A heads up, you will need to make our Easy Black Bean Dip for this recipe.

Black Bean Tostadas

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

A scrumptious salad on an oversized chip, what's not to love? Great an appetizer or light entrée.

Author: Bekah Rife

Category: Appetizer, Entrée

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Mexican-Inspired

Serves: 5 tostadas

Ingredients

• 5 corn tortillas
• Cooking spray (I use Trader Joe's coconut spray, it's sold in the oil section)
• Sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Black bean dip
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• ½ cup green onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, sliced*
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 avocados, thinly sliced
• Cashew cream
• 1 lime, cut in wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425.
2. Next, gather your mise en place (mi ˑ zɑ̃ ˑ plas).
3. Lightly spray each side or your tortillas with cooking spray. Dust with sea salt and cracked pepper. The spray helps the tortillas crisp in the oven and allows the seasoning to stick. Do not over spray as this may prevent your tortillas from crisping well.
4. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet and into the oven. Bake for 7 minutes, or until this side is golden grown.
5. Remove the baking pan from heat and flip the tortillas with tongs. Place in the oven again for 5 more minutes. Before you remove the tortillas they should be crisp and golden brown on each side without any soft spots in the center.
6. Let the tortillas cool for a couple minutes. This helps them become even crispier.
7. Next, spread the back bean dip on the tortillas.
8. Layer with a handful of romaine, 5 or 6 sliced tomatoes, a pinch of cilantro and green onions, and lastly a few jalapeño and avocado slices.
9. Drizzle with cashew cream (easiest to apply in a squeeze bottle).
10. Lastly, top with fresh cracked pepper and a squeeze of fresh lime. Serve fresh!

Notes

*You can use fresh or marinated jalapeños in a jar. I love Trader Joe's sweet and spicy jalapeños which are sold in a glass jar.

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