These oven baked Veggie Tostadas are a deliciously healthy way to satisfy your craving for Mexican food. Crisp corn tortillas are smeared with refried beans and loaded with colorful sautéed vegetables to create these low calorie, vegetarian tostadas.
I have strong feelings for tostadas. We go way back.
This recipe came about years ago in my quest to continue this long standing relationship but stay in the same size jeans. The oven-fry method results in tortillas just as crispy as if they were fried in a skillet. Load them up with refried beans and lots of sautéed veggies for an easy dinner or super satisfying lunch and I promise you won’t miss the meat.
Add a touch of cheese and light sour cream and these low calorie vegetarian tostadas still come in at under 250 calories each. Far less than classic fried tostadas.
I’m dreaming of simple, healthy meals like these Veggie Tostadas right now as I’m in the midst of chaos, running from thing to thing to thing and then back to the first thing. We have a cabin in the mountains waiting for us and we are trying to do the impossible, get all of our boys together for a vacation at the same time. As they get older and get jobs and lives of their own, it’s harder and harder to make this happen. It has taken a huge amount of coordination, planning, negotiating, prodding, begging, cleaning, shopping, and packing.
Before we leave, we will squeeze in a 2-day water polo tournament and watch Boy #4’s team vie for a spot in the upcoming Junior Olympics. After his last game on Sunday we are off! I’ve also managed to get a cold to make it just a bit more challenging. The house sitters are arranged, the instructions have been typed out and the Nyquil is by my bedside.
Ingredient Notes
- Refried beans – Refried beans provide a great base and something for the veggies to hold on to. Use vegetarian refried beans for absolutely delicious vegetarian tostadas. I also use regular and black bean refried beans from time to time. Use what works best for you.
- Sweet corn – The kernels from one ear of sweet corn or ¾ cup of frozen yellow corn. There’s no need to thaw frozen corn before cooking. Just toss it in the skillet and it will quickly heat through.
- Red bell pepper – One pepper, core removed and diced.
- Zucchini – One small zucchini, diced.
- Onion – One small yellow onion, thinly sliced.
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
- Corn tortillas – See more below for my tips on how to oven-fry corn tortillas.
- Nonstick cooking spray – You can use nonstick cooking spray, vegetable or canola oil to crisp the tortillas.
- Optional toppings – Anything and everything goes! Fresh lime, salsa, avocado, shredded sharp cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese, light sour cream, and cilantro.
How to Cut Corn off the Cob
- Place a large mixing bowl on top of a folded kitchen towel to prevent it from moving around. Place a folded paper towel inside the bowl.
- Stand the ear of corn, tip side down, on top of the paper towel and using a sharp knife, slice down the length of the cob from top to bottom, allowing the corn kernels to fall into the bowl. Rotate the corn cob and repeat as needed.
How to Make Veggie Tostadas
Crisp Tortillas in the Oven
- Line a large baking sheet with foil. Add four corn tortillas, setting them apart so that they don’t touch. Coat both sides of the tortillas well with nonstick cooking spray (I like avocado oil spray). Alternately, you can use a pastry brush to lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with vegetable or canola oil.
- Bake them in a preheated 450 degree F oven for 5 minutes then flip the tortillas and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Don’t be tempted to cook them too long. Tortillas will continue to crisp up a bit after they come out of the oven.
Sauté the Vegetables
- Combine the vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and toss to coat.
- Lightly coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with olive oil and salute the vegetables over medium heat for a few minutes until just fork tender. Remove from the heat and toss the cooked veggies with the juice from a lime to add a fresh, bright flavor.
Assemble the Tostadas
- Spread the crisped tortillas with a layer of refried beans.
- Divide the sautéed vegetables between the tortillas.
Add Toppings
Set out a variety of toppings to finish them off. We love avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and of course – cheese!
Veggie Tostadas are one of my favorite ways to satisfy that craving for Mexican food with no regrets. This is a wholesome, low calorie meal.
More Lightened Up Mexican Recipes You’ll Love
- Chicken and Veggie Baked Tostadas
- Baked Chicken Taquitos
- Portobello Mushroom Fajitas
- Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Tacos
- Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
Veggie Tostadas
Ingredients
- 16 ounce can refried beans, vegetarian, regular, or black bean
- 1 ear of sweet corn, or ¾ cup frozen
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- ½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional to coat pan
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 corn tortillas
- nonstick cooking spray, I like avocado oil spray
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, optional for crisping tostadas
Optional Toppings
- ½ cup salsa
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup light sour cream
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Warm the Refried Beans
- Place refried beans in a small saucepan over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Allow to heat while you prepare veggies.
Sauté the Vegetables
- Remove the husk from the ear of corn and using a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the cob. Place the corn kernels in a small mixing bowl. Add diced red bell pepper, zucchini, and thinly sliced onion. Drizzle the veggies with 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix until all the veggies are lightly coated. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper, to taste, and mix well.
- Pour just enough olive oil into a large frying pan to lightly coat the bottom. Place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and when oil is hot, add the veggies. Cook and stir for about 3 or 4 minutes until veggies are just fork tender. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Remove from the heat and squeeze lime juice over the top. Toss again and set aside.
Crisp the Tortillas
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Add the tortillas, placing them so that they don't touch. Coat both sides well with nonstick cooking spray (I like avocado oil spray). Alternately. you can use a pastry brush to lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with vegetable or canola oil.
- Bake for 5 minutes then flip the tortillas and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Don’t be tempted to cook them too long. Tortillas will continue to crisp up a bit after they come out of the oven.
Assemble the Tostadas
- Spread the tortillas with refried beans and add a heaping spoonful of the sautéed veggies. Add any or all of the optional toppings and serve.
Notes
- Place a large mixing bowl on top of a folded kitchen towel to prevent it from moving around. Place a folded paper towel inside the bowl.
- Stand the ear of corn, tip side down, on top of the paper towel and using a sharp knife, slice down the length of the cob from top to bottom, allowing the corn kernels to fall into the bowl. Rotate the corn cob and repeat as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Vegetarian Recipes
These tostadas are SO tasty! It’s the perfect mixture of toppings!
Amazing! I don’t like cilantro so I left that out.
I am going to make these for lunch! They look fantastic. Thanks for sharing. Pinned.
Love the tip of doing the tortillas under the broiler. I’ll be trying that soon and the filling on top looks fabulous!
So many fabulous veggies! I know the fam would love this lightened up version, and I just might have to make it soon! Thanks for sharing!! I know how hard it is to just try to nail down 1 kid – I can’t even imagine trying to wrangle 4 and get them all in one spot at the same time!
Great recipe! Love your step-by-step pictures too.
We love meatless recipes, and this one looks especially good! So fresh!
Please send me the leftovers. Or fly down and make it for me. I vote for option # 2.
Love your blog! I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Check it out at http://www.carolinagirlcooks.com. Cheers! Jennifer
Valerie these looks awesome! I’m always on the look out for new Mexican inspired dinners. It’s my favorite type of food and I think my whole family could live off of it!
Wow, these sound awesome!! I love that they’re a bit lighter than tostadas normally.