If you’ve ever read this blog….like ever, you already know my infatuation with tostadas. There are the cauliflower ceviche ones, the roasted squash ones, the ones drowning in braised red chile pork, you get the idea. Given the choice I would choose tostadas over tacos any day. When it comes to my favorite Mexican fare, the snap of the tostada’s shell wins out over the chew of a soft corn tortilla on most occasions and especially if the filling is going to be tender or fluffy or creamy.
Today I’m sharing my love for all things tostada over on my friend Meg’s site, Beard and Bonnet. You probably know about her, she’s the queen of gluten-free baking, a cocktail goddess, and arbiter of good taste and I couldn’t be more thrilled that she invited me back for a visit.
For my latest tostada creation I topped that gloriously crunchy flat shell with creamy chipotle black beans, a mixture of three different kinds of caramelized mushrooms, a drizzle of pesto sauce made from charred scallions, toasted almonds, and garlic, and a sprinkling of feta cheese (which you can leave off if you want it to be vegan).
The key to this recipe are the perfectly caramelized mushrooms. To get them golden and crispy on the edges your pan and the oil in your pan has to be very hot, almost smoking hot, before you add the mushrooms. Secondly, add just enough mushrooms to fill a single layer in the pan, add any more than that at once and they will steam, not brown. And lastly, don’t add any salt until after they are done cooking or the mushrooms will release all their water (and they have a lot of water) making a soft, wet sauté not the golden, intense mushrooms you are looking for.
What are you waiting for?!! Hop on over to Beard and Bonnet now and check it out!
Mixed Mushroom Tostadas with Charred Scallion Pesto
An incredibly delicious vegan tostada!
Ingredients
For the Pesto:
- 3 bunches scallions, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon, plus 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, stems removed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons water
For the Black Beans:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 chipotle en adobo, chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Tostadas:
- 6–8 tablespoons olive oil
- 28 ounces mixed mushrooms, such as crimini, button, shitake, or Portobello, cleaned and cut into thick slices if large or halved if small
- ½ yellow onion, sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 8–12 tostada shells
- ½ cup feta cheese, optional
Instructions
- For the Pesto:
- Heat broiler to high. Place scallions on a baking sheet and drizzle with the 1 teaspoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer and broil until charred, about 4 minutes. Remove and let cool, then chop.
- Meanwhile, place almonds in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat until golden. Let cool.
- Combine scallions, almonds, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Stop to scrape down the sides then run again, adding the water. Stop and scrape again, taste pesto and add more salt if needed and a tablespoon or two more of water if it is too thick.
- For the Black Beans:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt. Cook until just starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Add remaining ingredients and cook, mashing the beans against the side of the pan until thick, about 5 minutes more.
- For the Tostadas:
- Set a baking sheet next to the stove. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is very hot and almost smoking add a couple handfuls of mushrooms, do not crowd the pan, and cook, undisturbed for about 30 seconds.
- Stir occasionally, do not season, until caramelized and brown, about 4 minutes. Scrape mushrooms on top the baking sheet and season with salt. Repeat with remaining mushrooms, adding 1 tablespoon of oil with every batch.
- Once last batch of mushrooms is cooked add a final tablespoon of oil to the pan and add onions. Season with salt and cook until browned, about a minute or two. Remove from heat return mushrooms to the pan along with the thyme, garlic, and lemon juice. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- To serve; top tostada shells with black beans, then mushrooms, then drizzle pesto over the top. Sprinkle with feta, if using, and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 9664Total Fat: 575gSaturated Fat: 144gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 412gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 11309mgCarbohydrates: 1098gFiber: 104gSugar: 11gProtein: 112g
One More Thing
Did you love this post? I want to know! Leave me a comment and snap a photo for Instagram. Tag @holajalapeno so I can see your beautiful creation! Your feedback is super important to me. If you run into trouble shoot me a message on Instagram and I’ll walk you through it.
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Thank you so much for sharing this gorgeous recipe on my site!! Girl, you are amazing and your recipes never cease to make my tummy growl. I can’t wait to share margaritas on the west coast with you. It’s going to be AMAZING!!
Aww, THANK YOU! I’m so excited to be over on Beard and Bonnet again! Friends like you are what I love most about blogging. 🙂
Team Tostada! Oh my those mushrooms are gorgeous, I could eat a whole pan all by myself 🙂
Hi Brie! Um, yep, right there with ya! Have a great weekend!
What a great looking, delicious meatless tostadas. I have to check this recipe out!!!
Thank you Denise! I hope you love them as much as I do!