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Small plate with a pinto bean tostada topped with a street corn tomato salsa, crumbled Cotija cheese, and shredded cabbage.
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Pinto Bean Tostadas with Tomato Corn Salsa

Pinto Bean Tostadas with the most delicious and vibrant street corn tomato salsa are one of my favorite meatless meals and extra fun for entertaining!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword: pinto bean tostadas, vegetarian tostadas
Servings: 4
Calories: 457kcal
Author: Monica Lensink

Ingredients

For the Tostadas:

  • 8 corn tortillas
  • cooking spray
  • pinch of salt

For the Beans:

For the Salsa:

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 small clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 and 1/2 cups corn kernels fresh, frozen, or canned
  • 2 teaspoons ancho sauce from canned chipotle peppers, see note
  • 1 cup tomatoes see note
  • 1/4 cup crumbled Cotija or queso fresco
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

To Assemble:

  • 1 avocado

Instructions

  • To make the tostadas, lay tortillas out on a large sheet pan. Cover both sides with a light mist of cooking spray and the lightest sprinkle of kosher salt. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until they are fully crisp. Set aside.
  • While the tostadas bake, start the pinto beans. Warm oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant. Stir in the pinto beans, 1/4 cup of the broth, cumin, salt, and all three chili powders. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and let simmer, adding extra broth a little bit at a time as needed if the beans become dry. Add lime juice just prior to serving.
  • While the beans simmer, make the salsa. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, jalapeno if using, and chili powder. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add corn kernels and ancho sauce. Stir to coat, then let the corn cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in tomatoes, Cotija, lime juice, and salt. Taste and add more salt as desired.
  • To assemble, mash a few slices of avocado on top of each tostada, then top with beans, corn, and other toppings as desired. I like a little extra lettuce or shredded cabbage and more lime. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Tortillas: Be sure to use fresh corn tortillas. It’s tempting to try tostadas to salvage tortillas that have been lingering in the pantry, but I’ve found once they’re truly over the hill, they never crisp up as well as fresh ones!
  • Chili Powders: If you don’t have chipotle or ancho chili powder in your spice drawer, feel free to substitute extra “regular” chili powder to taste.
  • Ancho Sauce: For more heat in the corn salsa, dice a whole chipotle chili pepper and add it to the corn mixture along with the ancho sauce.
  • Tomatoes: You can use either cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half, or dice up a Roma tomato or on-the-vine variety.

Nutrition

Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 1726mg | Potassium: 1139mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 804IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 5mg