Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas

By Maria Lichty

Updated March 26, 2019

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Halloween is on Wednesday and we are ready. We have our pumpkins, candy, and Caleb’s costume is laid out and ready to go. Josh and I are boring parents and not dressing up. Ok, I am the boring parent. Josh keeps begging me to dress up with him, but I think my daily costume of yoga pants and no make-up is scary enough:)

I already have our Halloween dinner planned out too. I am making Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas for dinner. The orange butternut squash, black beans, and blue corn tortillas make this a festive meal for Halloween night. Plus, it is a healthy meal so we can eat more candy. It’s all about balance:)

Tostadas are one of our favorite meals. We probably eat tostadas once a week, either tofu, sweet potato, black bean and mango, or these butternut squash tostadas. We never get tired of tostadas for dinner. I love that they are easy to make and full of flavor.

To make the Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas, I roast the butternut squash in the oven with a little olive oil, cumin, fresh lime juice, salt, and pepper. I bake the corn tortillas until they are nice and crisp-no frying is necessary! I used blue corn tortillas because I wanted them to look “spooky” for Halloween. If you can’t find blue corn tortillas, yellow or corn tortillas will work just fine.

I top the crisp tortillas with the roasted butternut squash, black beans, lettuce, red onion, pepitas, and a creamy avocado dressing. You can add whatever toppings you like, but I highly recommend the pepitas-they add a nice crunch and the creamy avocado dressing is out of this world. The drizzle of dressing adds the perfect punch of flavor to finish the tostadas.

If you aren’t sure what to make for dinner on Halloween, make these Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas. And if you don’t have time because you are running around trying to get the kiddos in their costumes, go ahead and order pizza. I will forgive you, but promise me you will make Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas some night this week. They make a great fall meal!

And don’t forget to enter our Keys to the Kitchen Giveaway and our Harry & David Giveaway!

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Vegetarian

Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas

An easy and healthy fall meal! Feel free to add your favorite toppings to the tostadas-go crazy!

4 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

  

For the Tostada Shells:

• 6 blue corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• Salt

For the Butternut Squash:

• 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the Creamy Avocado Dressing:

• 2 ripe avocados peeled and seeded
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1 small jalapeño pepper chopped and seeds removed
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Tostada Toppings:

• 2 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained, and heated
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• Chopped Lettuce

Instructions

 

• 1. To make the baked tostada shells, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray each side of the corn tortillas with cooking spray. Season with salt. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet and bake until tostadas are lightly browned and crisp on one side, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the tortillas. Place back in the oven and cook until lightly browned and crisp on the other side, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
• 2. In a large bowl, add the butternut squash, olive oil, cumin, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Toss until squash is well coated. Spread the squash out in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Place in the 400 degree F oven and roast until the squash is tender and starts to caramelize on the edges, about 30-35 minutes.
• 3. While the squash is roasting, make the creamy avocado dressing. Combine the avocados, buttermilk, garlic, cilantro, green onion, jalapeño, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
• 4. To assemble the tostadas, top a crispy corn tortilla with butternut squash, black beans, red onion, lettuce, and pepitas. Drizzle the creamy avocado dressing on top. Serve immediately.
• Note-if you can't find blue corn tortillas, use yellow or white corn tortillas. Also, feel free to add your favorite toppings to the tostadas: cheese, salsa, black olives, etc.

Have you tried this recipe?

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If you like these Butternut Squash Black Bean Tostadas, you might also like:

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• Tofu Tostadas from Two Peas and Their Pod
• Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tostadas from Closet Cooking