Vegetarian recipes don’t come any easier than Lentil Tostadas. Add your favorite toppings this Mexican food recipe, and you have a winning dish sure to please any palate.
My son likes lentils. Say what?! Definitely not the normal food a 10-year-old would like, but hey, I’m going with it. He gets really excited for Sopa de Lentejas, or Mexican Lentil Soup. Soup in the summer months, though… no, thank you. Somehow, I knew these Lentil Tostadas would be a hit with my redhead.
It all starts with a big pot of lentils. Let them simmer on low until they are soft. You can also make them in an instant pot to get them on the dinner table faster.
Once they are done, take out 2 cups of the cooked lentils. Transfer the rest into a container and store them in the fridge for later. Cooked lentils last up to one week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. You can skip this step by purchasing already cooked lentils.
Tostadas always remind me of my grandmother. She used to leave tortillas on the warm part of the stove to harden. You can fry or bake your own tortillas to make tostadas. Personally, I buy baked tortillas. They like life easy for the busy home cook.
What really makes these Lentil Tostadas are the toppings. I added lettuce and tomatoes. Those are a must on tostadas.
Up to this point, this is a fully vegan meal. If you are ok with eating dairy, you can add toppings like crumbled queso fresco. Mmm.. Or you can substitute for cotija or queso añejo. Cheddar is not authentic Mexican food, but it is a yummy cheese.
Something that is almost always in my fridge: crema mexicana. It’s not as tangy. Creamy and slightly sweet. If you can’t find this at your local grocery store, you can also use sour cream.
Then there’s also my favorite fruit: avocado. Yes, it’s a fruit because it has a pit. I could eat avocados every, single day. Avocado adds a creamy layer of deliciousness. If you have some guac, it rocks on these Lentil Tostadas.
Oooh, and just a bite of pickled jalapeño for some spice. It ties everything together. You can also serve your tostada with some salsa on the side. Or if you are not into spicy food, omit all together.
Tell me this doesn’t sound like an easy recipe? The magic is that it’s all up to you and what you want to put on your Lentil Tostadas. Not only did the redhead like them but my meat-loving, serve-it-to-me-rare, carnivore husband did too. Hope you enjoy!
Lentil Tostadas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ onion diced
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups lentils cooked
- 1 tspn Salt
- 8 Tostadas
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Queso Fresco optional
- Pickled Jalapeño optional
- Avocado slices optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil.
- Add the onion, stir constantly. 1 minute.
- Add the garlic, cumin, salt, and lentils.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Place tostada shell on a plate.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the lentil mixture on top of the tostada.
- Add lettuce, tomatoes, and desired toppings.
- Enjoy!
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Aditi Wardhan Singh says
January 30, 2019 at 1:33 pmThese would be so great. Love it… I love mexican …
Jori says
January 30, 2019 at 10:10 pmI bet my 4-y-o would love this. She doesn’t like meat in her tacos and tostadas but she does love beans!
Nicole says
January 31, 2019 at 12:22 pmI never would have thought about using lentils in tacos! Can you mail these? Ha! They look super yummy!
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says
January 31, 2019 at 4:09 pmI love lentils and this just looks really delicious!
Megan says
January 31, 2019 at 8:20 pmThis is a good way to sneak lentils! I’ll have to try it!
Maggie Unzueta says
February 1, 2019 at 11:19 amLol. That’s what I was thinking. No one will realize that lentil tostadas are meatless and healthy.