Crispy Bean & Avocado Tostadas
Golden, crispy oven-baked corn tostadas topped with spiced black beans, avocado, quick-pickled red onion and lime soured cream.
Crispy tostadas are the fun cousin of a taco — all the best toppings on a flat, crunchy corn shell. These are oven-baked for ease (and less splashy oil), topped with a simple spiced black-bean mash, creamy avocado and a quick-pickle for brightness.
Perfect for a casual supper, shareable starter or a relaxed midweek feast. They come together fast, and the pickled onion can be made ahead so you can pretend you weren’t cooking until the last minute.
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- 60 ml vegetable oil — for brushing tortillas
- 400 g tinned black beans — drained weight approx 240 g
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 2 garlic clove — finely chopped
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml sea salt
- 0 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 1 red onion — small, thinly sliced for quick-pickle
- 60 ml red wine vinegar
- 15 g caster sugar
- 150 g shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 avocado — ripe
- 100 g crumbled vegetarian feta
- 4 radish — thinly sliced
- 15 g fresh coriander — leaves roughly chopped
- 100 g soured cream
- 2 lime — 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
- chilli flakes — to taste; optional
Equipment
- baking tray
- pastry brush
- fork or potato masher
Instructions
Make the quick-pickle: put the thinly sliced red onion in a bowl with the red wine vinegar, caster sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Mix, press down so the onion is submerged and leave to pickle at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Line two baking trays.
Cook the base for the beans: heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped brown onion and a pinch of sea salt and sweat for 6 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the chopped garlic, ground cumin and smoked paprika and fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Keep the heat moderate to avoid burning the garlic.
Stir in the tinned black beans (drained). Use a fork or potato masher to crush about half of the beans for a chunky paste, then simmer for 4 minutes. Season with the remaining sea salt and black pepper, taste and adjust.
Brush both sides of each corn tortilla lightly with vegetable oil and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking trays. Bake for 10 minutes, turning once halfway, until deep golden and crisp.
Make the lime soured cream: mix the soured cream with the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of sea salt; whisk until smooth. Taste and add more lime if you like a tangier drizzle.
Prepare the remaining toppings: slice the avocado, thinly slice the radish, shred the iceberg lettuce and crumble the vegetarian feta. Drain the quick-pickled red onion.
Assemble: spread a generous spoonful of the spiced beans across each crisp tortilla, then top with shredded lettuce, avocado slices, pickled red onion, radish, crumbled feta and chopped fresh coriander. Drizzle with lime soured cream, finish with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of chilli flakes if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Brush both sides of the tortilla for an even, deep crisp; flip halfway through baking to avoid burnt edges.
- Make the pickled red onion ahead — it tastes better after at least 30 minutes and keeps in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
- For extra crunch, shallow-fry tortillas in vegetable oil (150–170°C) for 30–45 seconds per side, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper.
- If you need to reheat leftovers, crisp the shells in a hot oven for a few minutes and warm the beans gently on the hob.
- To avoid avocado browning, squeeze a little lime over the slices just before serving.
Substitutions
tinned black beans → refried beans, same quantity (400 g tinned equivalent)
Stays closecrumbled vegetarian feta → grated mature cheddar, same quantity (100 g)
Noticeably differentsoured cream → plain dairy-free yoghurt, same quantity (100 g)
Stays closecorn tortillas → flour tortillas; use same count but note they will be softer and less crisp
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 640
- Calories
- 15 g
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I deep-fry the tortillas for extra crispiness?
Yes. Heat vegetable oil to 150–170°C and fry each tortilla for 30–45 seconds per side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and assemble while warm.
How far ahead can I make components?
Pickled onion can be made 48 hours ahead and kept in the fridge. Beans keep for 3 days refrigerated. Assemble tostadas only when ready to serve.
Can I make these vegan?
Yes — swap the crumbled vegetarian feta for a dairy-free crumb or skip it, and use plain dairy-free yoghurt instead of soured cream.
Are these gluten-free?
As written, yes — corn tortillas and the other ingredients are gluten-free. Check labels on tinned beans and any packaged ingredients to be sure.
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