Tostadas are one of the dishes that proves that the simplest, most digestible ingredients can make the most delicious, nutritious dinners. A tostada, a traditional dish in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, is made from a toasted tortilla with baked beans (or chicken), cheese, salsa, and other toppings of your choice. The delicious topping on the tostadas we rave about today is nothing more than the chef’s secret sauce recipe.

Fortunately, it’s a secret former Top chef Candidate Nyesha Arrington does not stay to herself. In the latest episode of Cook with us, she shares her vegan tostadas recipe, which includes the aforementioned addition that makes the dish even more irresistible: an avocado and cashew cream sauce. (When do avocados make? Not do something particularly amazing?)

By the way, Arrington’s vegan tostadas recipe is as nutritious as it is delicious. Between black beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, rocket and cashew nuts in the cream sauce, this meal is filled with fiber. That means it benefits both your gut and your heart directly. In fact, every single ingredient in this dish is nutrient-dense – you get protein from the beans and nuts, lycopene and antioxidants from the tomatoes, anti-inflammatory benefits from the spices, and much more.

The baked black beans take the longest to cook, so Arrington will start preparing them first. She lets them simmer on the stove mixed with onions, garlic, salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin, and serrano chilli – speak of them bursting with delicious taste.

While the beans are cooking, it’s time to make the avocado and cashew cream. The cream makes the dish really perfect and it’s actually super easy to prepare. You simply puree the avocado, soft cashew nuts, salt, cayenne pepper, coriander, and olive oil in a blender for about 30 seconds. “The creamy texture gives our tostadas a nice mouthfeel,” says Arrington.

The final important cooking step is grilling sweet summer corn – it only takes a few minutes and is well worth the extra effort. Then all you have to do is dice a few tomatoes and you’re ready to build your Tostada.

Check out the episode above to see how it all comes together, then scroll down to get the recipe. Delicious plant-based tostadas are just a few recipe steps away!

Black Bean Tostadas with Avocado Cashew Cream Recipe

ingredients
For the black bean tostadas:
1 tomato
1 qt black beans, cooked
1 ear of white corn, grilled
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 serrano chilli
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 lime
1/4 cup coriander leaves
6 corn tortillas, deep-fried
Pinch of Himalayan salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 limes
1/2 cup corn broth

For the avocado cashew cream:
1 cup unsalted cashew nuts soaked
1 avocado
2 teaspoons of Himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lime, pressed

1. Start by heating the oil in a large cast iron pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, garlic, and chilli and sauté for about three minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add half of the cooked beans, cumin, and paprika. Stir to incorporate them into the cooked onion, chilli and garlic mixture. Mash completely with a fork or the back of a wooden spoon.

2. For the cashew cream, put cashew nuts in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for an hour. Alternatively, you can soak the cashew nuts in water overnight. Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

3. For the tostada, place black beans on the crispy tortilla. Garnish with rocket, grilled corn, diced tomatoes and finish with cashew cream and coriander leaves.

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