Instead of thinking of the Tomato-Tomatillo Salsa as the final touch on these Bean and Rice Tostadas, it's better to think of it as the starting point!
You can make so many quick meals with a freshly made Salsa, and this meal is proof of that.
I hope this post inspires you to try out a similar Salsa-first mentality 🙂
How To Make Bean and Rice Tostadas with Tomato Tomatillo Salsa
Tacos, quesadillas, burritos, taquitos.....
I've made them all using this Salsa, so please use this post as permission for your favorite incarnation.
I went with Tostadas for this batch, but there's tons of leeway here because your freshly made Salsa will have such a vibrant, satisfying flavor 🙂
Here's your starting point for the Tomato Tomatillo Salsa:
4-5 tomatillos
2 plum tomatoes
1/3 small onion
1 garlic clove
10-12 sprigs cilantro
1 jalapeno or serrano Which is hotter?
squeeze of lime
pinch of salt
I usually just put the tomatillos and tomatoes in the oven for 20 minutes or so (400F), but you are welcome to roast them how you see fit. The key is sustained heat so feel free to use the stovetop or a grill.
Once they're roasted just plop them in a blender along with the remaining ingredients.
Keep in mind that you can always make a milder version by starting with only 1/2 or 1/4 of the jalapeno. To increase the heat simply add additional slivers of the jalapeno and re-combine.
This batch used the whole jalapeno and it had some zip!
Using both tomatoes and tomatillos in a Salsa is a real treat. I went years before discovering how satisfying this combo can be, so please consider adding it to your arsenal if you're new to it!
Okay, so once the Salsa was done this meal came together quite fast.
I had some of these refried beans in the fridge, along with some leftover cooked white rice.
I also chopped up some avocado bits that were tossed with lime juice and salt.
So that meant the base layer for these Tostadas started with:
a thin layer of refried beans
cooked white rice
avocado bits (tossed in salt and lime juice)
But don't eat them yet!
By the way, don't forget that you can always bake your own tostada shells if you don't have any on hand.
It's super easy and they are just as good as the fried version -- just be sure to start with thin corn tortillas as those will always yield the best results. See instructions for baking tostada shells.
Then I topped with:
crumbled Queso Fresco What is Queso Fresco?
freshly chopped cilantro
plenty of Tomato Tomatillo Salsa
a final squeeze of lime
And they were loaded with all the benefits of Mexican home cooking:
Ultra satisfying
Fresh, simple ingredients
Much better than local take-out options
Easy on the wallet
This meal also comes with lots of happy faces at the dinner table 🙂
I hope this post inspires you to build meals around a freshly made Salsa!
It leads to so many interesting, flexible meals, and it's one of the main advantages of keeping the fridge stocked with tomatillos and other common Mexican ingredients.
Enjoy!
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Bean and Rice Tostadas with Tomato Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
For the Tomato Tomatillo Salsa:
- 4-5 tomatillos
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1/3 small onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 jalapeno (or serrano)
- 10-12 sprigs cilantro
- squeeze of lime
- pinch of salt
For the Tostadas (all fixings are optional):
- 1 cup refried beans
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 avocado
- 6-8 tostada shells
- 1 cup crumbled or shredded cheese (I used Queso Fresco)
- freshly chopped cilantro
- lime
Instructions
- Start by de-husking the tomatillos and then giving both the tomatoes and tomatillos a good rinse. I usually de-stem both of them as well, knowing that any juices leftover in the roasting pan will go in the blender. Roast the tomatoes and tomatillos in the oven for 20 minutes or so (400F). Alternatively, you are welcome to roast them on the stovetop or on a grill.
- Once the tomatoes and tomatillos are roasted, add them to a blender along with: 1/3 small onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, 1 rinsed and de-stemmed jalapeno, 10-12 sprigs cilantro, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lime. Combine well. You can always make a milder version by starting with only 1/2 or 1/4 jalapeno and tasting from there. Note: be sure to give the cilantro a good rinse -- I usually twist off and discard the bottom, thicker portion of the stems, but use the upper stems that hold the leaves.
- Gather the other fixings for the Tostadas. For this batch that meant warming up the refried beans and the cooked rice, crumbling some Queso Fresco, tossing some avocado bits with lime juice and salt, and chopping up some cilantro.
- I also used baked tostada shells for this batch. If you're new to that here are instructions. If you're using store-bought tostada shells be sure to warm them up for a few minutes before serving.
- Each warm tostada shell gets: a thin layer of refried beans, a couple tablespoons of rice, avocado bits, cheese, cilantro, plenty of Tomato Tomatillo Salsa, and a final squeeze of lime. Enjoy!!
- Store leftover Salsa in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.
Still hungry?!
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Christina
Dagonne, these were good. The salsa puts it over the top and I even used sliced tomatoes, making it too runny and messy but incredibly good! Thank you, Patrick!
Patrick
Ahh good news, so glad you tried this one out Christina! Cheers.