These Vegan Black Bean Tostadas are one of my new favourite plant-based meals, especially when topped with the delicious homemade queso sauce. So simple, healthy and flavourful! {Vegan, gluten-free & dairy-free}
I apologize in advance for the influx of Mexican-inspired recipes these days.
In our house, we are obsessed with Mexican cuisine.
Last week, we had Tex Mex Quinoa Bowls on the menu and they we enjoyed them so much that we decided to continue on with our Mexican theme.
Now here’s the thing. I like to switch up our protein sources on a regular basis so we generally rotate between chicken, beef, fish, eggs, lentils, beans and chickpeas.
Every week, I make it my personal goal to include at least one to two meatless meals throughout the week, so of course, I’m always trying to come up with fresh ways to serve up plant-based protein sources to keep things interesting.
My new favourite meatless meal are these Black Bean Tostadas with creamy vegan queso sauce.
SO. GOOD.
It’s a different way to serve up black beans, but the flavour is ALL THERE.
Table of Contents
Why these tostadas should be on your regular menu rotation
- Easy: you can whip this dish together in a matter of minutes (if you’ve soaked the cashews in advance).
- Meal prep-friendly: Have a busy week ahead? Make the bean mixture and sauce ahead of time and simply assemble when meal time rolls around.
- Plant-based: it offers an excellent plant-based meal option that’s rich in protein, fibre, iron and healthy fats. Did I mention it’s great for the heart?
- Flavour city: seriously, the flavours in these tostadas are amazing. Just don’t forget the sauce. Or the toppings.
- Customizable: you can serve these tostadas up with all of your favourite toppings so it’s flexible for the whole family!
How to Make Black Bean Tostadas
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Add the beans, spices and water to a food processor and pulse until combined.
The mixture may still be a bit chunky with bits of beans throughout. If you prefer a smoother consistency, add some additional water until desired consistency is achieved.
Place the tortillas on a baking sheet in a single layer (you may require two baking sheets to fit them all).
Evenly distribute the bean mixture over each tortilla, leaving about an inch around the edge.
Place the baking sheets on the middle wrack and bake for 5 minutes. Move to the top rack and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Top each tostada with desired toppings. Drizzle with the creamy queso sauce and serve.
How to Make Vegan Queso Sauce
Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least two hours. In a blender, blend the ingredients for the queso sauce until smooth and creamy.
You may wish to add a bit more water if you prefer a sauce with a thinner consistency.
I like to use my Ninja blender to make these types of sauces. It’s small, but mighty and makes the sauce so smooth and creamy!
Please note: This queso recipe makes quite a bit of sauce. We only ended up using half of the sauce for this recipe and then used the rest for some of our other favourite recipes.
How to use up leftover queso sauce:
If you have sauce leftover, DON’T WORRY. There are so many different ways to use it up!
Believe me, I’m always excited when I have some of this leftover queso sauce sitting in the fridge:
You can drizzle it on:
- Vegan Lentil Tacos
- Tex Mex Quinoa Bowls
- Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Beef & Quinoa Chili
Or any of your other favourite recipes!
How to store tostadas
I recommend storing the bean mixture, creamy queso sauce and tortillas separately. You can store the bean mixture and queso sauce in air-tight containers in the fridge for up to four days and the tortillas in a ziplock bag at room temperature or in the freezer.
Simply assemble and reheat when ready to eat!
How to reheat these tostadas
You can reheat these tostadas on a baking sheet in the oven set at 400 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes. Just keep a close eye on them to make sure the tortillas don’t burn.
Or alternatively, pop the bean mixture in the microwave for a minute or so and pile it on a crispy tortilla shell.
How to make crispy tortilla shells: You can get the tortilla shells crispy by setting the oven broiler to high and baking directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet for 1-2 minutes per side.
Just be sure to watch them carefully as they burn easily. Serve with room temperature or cold queso sauce.
Totally flexible!
Are these tostadas freezer-friendly?
You can freeze the black bean mixture in an air-tight container for up to one month which makes for a really easy meal.
To defrost, leave in the fridge overnight or stick it in the microwave for a few minutes.
Toppings for these tostadas:
- Queso sauce (the best part!)
- Romaine lettuce or shredded cabbage
- Diced tomatoes
- Avocado
- Green onion
- Corn
- Salsa
- Lime juice
Definitely don’t skip this part! You wanna heap those babies up.
The more toppings, the better.
Talk about delicious!
More delicious meatless recipes:
- Spicy Black Bean Burgers
- Vegetarian Quesadillas
- Vegan Falafel Wrap
- Healthy Pasta Salad
- Chickpea Avocado Feta Salad
- Greek Lentil Salad
- Black Bean Burrito Bowl
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!

Vegan Black Bean Tostadas
Ingredients
- 2 cans no salt added black beans (540mL)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
- 8-10 corn tortillas
Creamy Vegan Queso Sauce
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 can green chilis
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
Optional Toppings
- Queso sauce
- Avocado
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Corn
- Salsa
- Lime Juice
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least two hours.
- Add the beans, spices and water to a food processor and pulse until combined. The mixture may still be a bit chunky. If you prefer a smoother consistency, add some additional water until desired consistency is achieved.
- Meanwhile in a blender, blend the ingredients for the queso sauce until smooth and creamy.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet in a single layer (you may require two baking sheets to fit them all). Evenly distribute the bean mixture over each tortilla, leaving about an inch around the edge. Place the baking sheets on the middle wrack and bake for 5 minutes. Move to the top rack and bake for an additional 5 minutes.- Top each tortilla with desired toppings. Drizzle with queso sauce and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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