Refried Bean and Egg Tostadas with Chunky Tomato-Avocado Salsa

A crispy, freshly fried tortilla is topped with creamy ‘refried’ beans, a runny egg, pickled onions and a chunky tomato-avocado salsa in these best ever breakfast tostadas.

This take on refried beans uses bone broth to simmer the beans down until they burst, forming the smooth texture we all know and love about some good ole’ refried beans without the effort of frying them. I am in love with this method not only because it provides a healthy dose of collagen and minerals but also because it adds a lot of depth of flavor. Here I used chicken broth but any kind works. The main thing you want to do is give it a taste. The ideal broth to use here is neutral in flavor and not overly salty. Since the broth is reduced and absorbed into the beans, things can get too salty too fast if your broth already leans that way. Having a neutral flavor means the pinto bean, garlic, and cumin flavors will shine brightest.

You could stop with the beans and run because they are that yummy! Or you could go all the way and fry up some tortillas, make a sunny side up egg, and throw together this simple tomato-avocado salsa spiked with lime juice, jalapeño and plenty of cilantro. Add some quick pickled onions finish the whole thing off with those lovely sweet and sour notes. These tostadas are super fresh and bright yet rich and savory. They seem complicated but really are so easy to throw together once you have your beans and pickled onions done. The beans will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge so they are so easy to prep. Likewise, the onions take just an hour to pickle and will keep for 3-4 days refrigerated. While you can pre-fry your tortillas, they taste best the day of – and since they only take 1-2 minutes per side it’s easier than you’d think to make them.

Refried Bean and Egg Tostadas with Chunky Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Servings: Makes 1 tostada

Time: less than 15 minutes

Ingredients:

one taco sized corn tortilla
bone broth refried beans (recipe follows), however much your heart desires
one egg
quarter cup of cherry tomatoes
1/3 of an avocado
half a jalapeño (remove seeds and veins if you do not want it to be spicy)
1/2 tbsp. cilantro, unpacked
juice of half a lime (roughly 1 tbsp.)
quick pickled onions (recipe follows)
salt
oil for frying and cooking

How-to:

Start by heating an inch of frying oil in a small pan over medium heat. I use this trick to tell if the oil is hot enough: stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it starts to bubble and sizzle around the wood then the oil is ready. If the oil starts smoking you went too far, and if there is no, or very little, bubbling around the end of the wooden spoon the oil is not hot enough.
When the oil is ready, add your tortilla and push it down, submerging it in oil, using a wooden spoon or other utensil. Let it fry for 1-2 minutes on the first side, until lightly golden. Be sure to push the tortilla down as it fries as much as possible to keep it in a flat, tostada shape (it will curl if you do not) and to help it cook evenly.
Carefully flip your tortilla and repeat step 2 on the other side.
When the tortilla is golden and crisp remove from heat onto some paper towels. Pat the extra oil off. Immediately salt the tostada and set aside.
Preheat the beans with a splash of broth or water until heated through.
While the beans heat up, make the chunky tomato-avocado salsa by slicing your cherry tomatoes into half inch rounds, slicing the avocado into chunks, and slicing the jalapeño into quarter inch rounds. Toss the avocado, tomato, and jalapeño with the cilantro and lime juice. Add a pinch of salt.
Once the beans are heated through, scoop them onto the tostada and spread them out in an even layer. Wipe the pan clean and return to heat to cook the egg. Add some oil and crack an egg over the plan heated to medium-low and cover. Let the egg cook to your desired doneness and add to your bean covered tostada.
Top the tostada with the avocado-tomato salsa and pickled onions. Serve with an extra lime wedge and some hot sauce.

Bone Broth ‘Refried’ Beans

Servings: Makes enough for about 5 tostadas; about 1.5-2 cups

Time: 20 minutes or so

Ingredients:

one 15.5 ounce can of pinto beans
1.5 cups of bone broth (I used chicken)
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1.5 tsp. ground coriander
1.5 tsp. black pepper
cooking oil

How-to:

Rinse and drain the beans.
Heat a sauce pan over medium. Add some cooking oil and the minced or grated garlic. Sauté until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the coriander and cumin to the garlics. Let cook just a minute, then add the beans and stir.
Pour 1/4 cup of the bone broth into the pan. Allow to simmer, uncovered, until the broth reduces and is absorbed completely. Make sure to stir often so beans do not burn.
Repeat process in step four, using a quarter cup of broth at a time, until you have incorporated the cup and a half.
The beans are ready when they are thick and most beans have burst. Make sure to cook off the broth enough so they are not runny. They should be almost the texture of mashed potatoes (but a bit looser).
Taste, add salt, and adjust seasoning.

Notes:

Any kind of broth can be used, but be sure to taste test it first to see how salty it is. One with a neutral flavor is ideal because it will not overpower the flavor of the beans and spices.
The technique of adding the broth a quarter cup at a time ensures the beans absorb the reduced broth completely. It allows you to take them to the exact texture you like and control the consistency better than adding the broth all at once. If you like them more chunky, you can stop adding broth (you do not need to use the entire cup and a half). You can also keep adding broth and adding broth (more than a cup and a half) to get a creamy, almost hummus like texture. I find a cup and a half gets the perfect consistency and texture, so that is what I have recommended here.
The tbsp. of cumin seems like a lot, but it dilutes as you add the broth. If you decide to cut the amount of broth (see above point), be sure to reduce the amount of spices.
Beans will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge. They can also be stored in the freezer for months if you want to prep them for longer term storage.
When reheating stored beans (thaw if frozen) heat a bit of water or broth in a pan and cook over medium-low until heated through. Add water or broth as needed to reach the desired consistency. If you have added too much liquid, turn heat to high and cook it off until thickened.

Quick Pickled Onions

Servings: makes about a cup

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small red onion
2/3 cup of white vinegar
1/3 cup of water
1.5 tbsp. sweetener (I used honey)

How-to:

Thinly slice the red onion (about 1/8-1/4 inch thick), separate out the rings, and place in a heat-proof jar such as Ball brand.
Heat vinegar, water, and honey over medium until honey dissolves and very small bubbles start forming at the bottom of the pan.
Pour vinegar mixture into the jar over the onions. Use a spoon to push the onions down to submerse them all (using a pickling weight is helpful here).
Let onions rest on the counter for an hour or until cool and pickled to taste.
Use immediately or transfer to the refrigerator to store for later.

Notes: