Black beans are stewed with tomatoes, onions, carrots & garlic with spices such as cumin & cayenne. The soup is then topped with a crispy corn tortilla shell with melty cheddar, sautéed veggies, pepitas & cilantro. Usually, I cook all the veggies and beans in one go, but in this recipe, I separated the delicate ones like zucchini & corn since they really don’t need to be cooked for more than a few minutes. It made such a big difference ! The veggies stay fresh & crisp instead of getting overcooked and losing some of their flavor. I’m going to stick to this method from now on!
Skip the cheese or use non dairy cheese for a vegan preparation.
Yield: 4 bowls
Ingredients:
1 cup raw or 2 cups cooked black beans
1 large onion, quartered
1 tomato, quartered
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium carrot, quartered
1 zuchinni, finely chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
4 tostada shells
1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Oil for cooking
pepitas & cilantro as garnishes
Directions:
1. For raw beans, soak overnight in water and cook them in a pressure cooker or instant pot.
2. In a large pot on medium heat, sauté the onions & carrots in some oil for 8-10 minutes. Add the cumin, cayenne, garlic, tomatoes & salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cooked beans and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
3. While the soup is cooking, equally distribute the cheese over the tortilla shells and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble. Sauté the corn & zucchini in some oil with salt & pepper for 5-7 minutes.
4. Assembly : Generously ladle the bean soup in a bowl. Place the cheesy tostada shell on top. Spoon the veggies on top and garnish with pepitas & cilantro. Add some red chili flakes or cayenne for some heat. Serve immediately!
