Name: Easy Vegan Black Bean Tostadas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/3 cup chopped red onion; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons taco seasoning; 1 15 oz can black beans; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (adjust as needed, to taste); 4 corn tortillas; 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese; 1 cup corn (defrosted frozen corn OR fresh cooked corn); 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion; Juice from 1/2 lime; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

These easy vegan black bean tostadas are chock full of flavor and make a great weeknight dinner option. Pick up a can of beans and corn tortillas and you are halfway to a healthy meal!

easy vegan black bean tostadas on tray with blue napkin

Since we are all depending on our pantries more these days for creating wholesome meals at home, I wanted to share a new tasty recipe that uses up a staple we all love – black beans! These easy vegan black bean tostadas are simple to whip up and can jazzed up however you like.

What is a Tostada?

A tostada is a traditional Mexican dish that translates to “toasted” in Spanish. The base is a crispy (toasted) tortilla that is loaded up with beans, meat, cheese, lettuce, and more. They are super simple to make at home and can be customized in a hundred different ways depending on what ingredients you have on hand at home.

Ingredients for these tostadas

Corn Tortillas: I like using corn tortillas for the base of my vegan tostadas, but you can also use flour tortillas. To toast the tortillas and add some char marks, I just toss them directly on my gas burners on the stove for about 30 seconds on each side. (Use tongs to flip!)
Black Beans: You’ll use canned black beans to make simple skillet refried beans that will be spread on the tortillas. You can make these even faster if you want by buying refried beans!
Taco Seasoning: You’ll use this to add some flavor to your black beans.
Vegan Cheese: I really like the shredded classic blend from Daiya because it melts well under the broiler. Feel free to use whatever vegan cheese you like.
Corn: I topped my tostadas with a super simple corn salsa that you can whip up while the beans cook. I used frozen corn that I just defrosted in the microwave, but cooked fresh corn would be tasty too.
Cilantro: You’ll need some fresh cilantro for the simple corn salsa as well as some for garnish.

close up photo easy vegan black bean tostadas on baking sheet

Tips for making these Easy Vegan Black Bean Tostadas

No need to drain your canned black beans for this recipe. You need the liquid from the can to add moisture to the black bean filling as you cook it.
Some taco seasoning blends have more salt than others so adjust accordingly when making your refried black beans.
Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash the black beans as they cook. You can also use a potato masher if you have one.
Don’t have black beans? This recipe would work just as well with pinto beans.

close up easy vegan black bean tostadas on baking sheet

Looking for more tasty Mexican-inspired recipes? Check these ones out!