Creamy Black Bean Avocado Tostadas

This is such a versatile, vegetarian tostada recipe for nearly any meal. Breakfast? Toss a fried egg on top. Lunch or dinner? Don’t change a thing. These black bean tostadas are not only easy to make, but they’re really tasty, too.

I like to bake corn tortillas to make my own tostada shells, but to save even more time, feel free to buy packaged tostada shells from the store. This recipe makes four total tostadas (two servings) and is ready in less than 30 minutes. You can double or triple all of the ingredients to make more tostadas if you need!

Ingredients for Black Bean Avocado Tostadas:

For the Baked Tostada Shells:

• 4 Corn Tortillas
• 2 tsp. Avocado Oil
• 1 tsp. Lime Juice
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• Kosher or Sea Salt

For the Creamy Black Beans:

• 1 tbsp. Avocado Oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped White Onion
• 15 oz. canned Black Beans, thoroughly drained (standard can)
• ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• ½ tsp. Cumin
• ¼ tsp. Chili Powder
• ⅓ cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth

For the Toppings:

• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ cup finely chopped Red Onion
• Handful of Cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 tbsp.)
• 2 tsp. Lime Juice
• Kosher or Sea Salt
• 1 medium Avocado (sliced or mashed – see ingredient notes for mashed)*
• Queso Fresco (or Feta)

You can make the baked tostada shells 2-3 days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to eat them!

Ingredient Notes for these Black Bean Tostadas:

1. Corn tortillas are the only way to go. Flour tortillas won’t work for this recipe, unfortunately.
2. I love to use Avocado Oil if I’m baking tortillas / chicken / etc. in the oven because I find that it guarantees crispy results. You could also use Vegetable, Grapeseed, or Canola oils, (all neutral, higher smoke point oils), but I would avoid Olive Oil.
3. Drain the Black Beans as much as possible. The starchy liquids that sit in the can with the black beans are packed with sodium, so I like to omit as much of that as possible. Feel free to rinse the black beans well before using, too.
4. Omit the Cilantro if you aren’t a fan.
5. *For Mashed Avocado, scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl, and sprinkle in a pinch of salt and garlic powder. Squeeze in some fresh lime (a wedge or two) and mash everything together. Ideally, do this right before serving so the avocado doesn’t brown.

How to Make Healthy Black Bean Tostadas for Two:

For the Fresh Tomato Topping:

• In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a healthy pinch of salt. Stir to combine and set aside. (I do this first so the flavors have some time to blend together while I bake the tostada shells and make the creamy black beans).

For the Baked Tostada Shells:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Mix avocado oil and lime juice together in a small bowl.  Set aside.
• Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the tortillas onto the parchment paper – leaving plenty of space between each one.
• Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil and lime mixture.  Sprinkle both sides of each tortilla with a pinch of chili powder, dividing it equally between the tortillas.
• Bake the tortillas at 350 F for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 7-9 minutes until crispy.  Sprinkle each tortilla with a pinch of salt as soon as they come out of the oven.  Set aside.

For the Creamy Black Beans:

• Heat avocado oil in a pot over medium heat.  Add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onions are very soft and translucent.
• Stir in garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, black beans, and broth.  Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes until beans are softened. Mash the beans in the pot (a potato masher, muddler, or wooden spoon with some effort will work for this!). If the beans seem too runny, let them cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently with the lid off to release some of the steam. Remove the pot from the heat and allow them to briefly cool and thicken.

• Build the tostadas! Spread ⅓ cup of the mashed black bean mixture onto each tostada shell.  Top with the fresh tomato topping, sliced or mashed avocado, crumbled Cotija cheese (or feta), and cilantro leaves.

I definitely recommend making the beans while the tostada shells bake. This helps everything finish around the same time, which s always a win.

We absolutely love this recipe for a quick dinner or lunch. If you plan on taking these tostadas with you for lunch at work, be sure to pack everything separately and build the tostadas once you’re there. Otherwise, it could be a soggy mess by the time you’re ready to eat!

If you love these tostadas, you should try my Chicken Tostada Stacks, too! And if you’re into beans, check out my Creamy Refried Beans, Spicy Smashed Black Beans, or Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos. This small batch Creamy White Bean & Kale Soup is also really, really good!

I hope you love this recipe! If you make it and want to show it off, I would love it if you tagged me on Instagram so I can see your black bean tostadas! And if you want to rate it and leave a comment below, I would appreciate it SO much. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions, too!

xx Sara