Zucchini, Black Bean, and Corn Tostadas

November 25, 2013 · Last Updated on April 25, 2019 By Anjali Shah on· Last Updated on

Share This:

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure

Alright guys, get ready for some of the best, healthy, homemade tostadas ever!

Mexican food isn’t often associated with the words “healthy” or “low in calories,” – but it’s actually super easy to transform Mexican food into a healthier version without losing any of the flavor or spice.

Tostadas are traditionally deep fried tortillas, topped with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

These tostadas are lightened up by making the shell at home (which is super easy), and topping it with tons of vegetables, black beans, tomatillo salsa, and just a little less cheese.

They’re so delicious though, it’s impossible to tell the difference.

How do you make tostada shells without deep frying them? The secret is using a broiler and cooking spray.

The husband absolutely LOVED these tostadas – he said they tasted just like the kind you’d get at a Mexican restaurant. Hooray!

The Ingredients

Adapted slightly from self.com

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1.5 cups fresh white or yellow corn kernels

1 cup chopped red onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

3 medium zucchini, diced

1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 warm corn tortillas (This serves 4 people – 2 tostadas per person; make sure you get corn tortillas that have 70-80 calories and 2g fiber per tortilla)

Tomatillo (green) salsa (I like the kind from Trader Joe’s – pictured below)

Grated Monterey Jack Cheese or Mexican 4 cheese blend

Salt to taste

The Directions

Step 1: Preheat broiler to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Step 2: Warm up the corn tortillas in a microwave, wrapped in a paper towel (about 30 seconds). Place the corn tortillas on the baking sheet, spray tops of tortillas lightly with cooking spray.

Step 3: Put the tortillas under the broiler, bake until golden brown and crispy (picture below)

Step 4: Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, onions, garlic, and tomatoes to the pan. Let cook for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Add zucchini, cook until tender – 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn, beans, oregano, pepper, salt to taste (if needed). Cook 3-5 minutes.

Step 6: Split filling among the tostada shells, top with 2-4 tsp salsa and no more than 1-2 Tbsp of cheese.

Each tostada has only 230 calories – which means that you can have two (pretty huge) tostadas for under 500 calories!

The tomatillo salsa adds a wonderful brightness to these tostadas. It’s slightly tangy but is perfectly acidic. I think these tostadas wouldn’t be the same with just regular salsa – so try to use the tomatillo salsa if you can find it at your local grocery store.

You have to try this recipe – I promise you will love it. Here’s to healthy Mexican food!