If you need a high protein plant-based breakfast with the best savory flavors, try meal prepping these breakfast tostadas. Filling, cozy, and satisfying!
Why You’ll Love These Plant-Based Breakfast Tostadas
- A high protein plant-based breakfast option. One serving of this recipe provides about 25g of satisfying plant-based protein per serving.
- Naturally gluten-free. When served in a corn tortilla, this meal is 100% gluten-free as written.
- Easy to customize. The base is just a suggestion as written. Adjust the seasonings, acid, and heat based on your preference.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tortillas: When I don’t make them from scratch, I often will use store bought options like La Banderita, Trader Joe’s, or Guerrero. Another good place to check for good tortillas is a local Mexican market. If you want a short cut, consider using store-bought tostada shells.
- Beans: I used black beans, but pinto beans work just as well.
- Jalapeño: For less spice, remove the seeds and membrane before dicing it up. Alternatively, you can dice up half a bell pepper of your choice and use to sauté with the onions or leave it out. For more spice, try serrano.
- Garlic: Personally, love a lot of garlic in my refried beans, but feel free to use less.
- Onions: For a vibrant looking tostada, use red onions. However, you can also use white onion or shallots if that’s available to you.
- Bouillon: This helps add more richness to our refried beans especially since we are not using lard as traditionally used. Better Than Bouillon is generally my go to in this case.
- Tofu: I used firm tofu for the best “eggy” consistency. Make sure to drain and lightly press the tofu to remove excess moisture before using. I like to use either Nasoya or House Foods firm tofu.
- Mayo: Plant-based mayo options I love include NotCo, Just, and Chosen Foods.
- Scallions: Can be left out if desired.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard works best for this recipe.
- Avocado: Optional, but a great way to garnish your tostada and add extra fiber.
How to Make These Breakfast Tostadas
Prepare the tofu salad: Cut the tofu in half. Dice one half into 1/4-inch pieces and mash the remaining tofu half into a fine crumble with a fork. To a mixing bowl, add the mayo, lemon, mustard, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt, and a pinch of black pepper then whisk together. Fold in the cubed and mashed tofu with a spatula until evenly mixed. Fold in the scallions, taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate.
Make the pickled onions: Add the sliced onions to a bowl with a generous pinch of salt, lemon, vinegar, and maple syrup. Rub the onions in with the mixture then cover and allow to marinate in the fridge.
Make the refried beans: Heat oil in a pan over medium low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened and golden. Stir in the jalapeño and garlic and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes.
Add the beans and vegetable broth, then bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to mash the beans into a creamy consistency, adding additional vegetable broth as needed. Remove from heat and adjust salt to taste.
If making baked tostadas: Preheat the oven to 400F. Place your corn tortillas on a baking tray and spray or brush both sides with oil. Bake the tortillas in the oven for 5 minutes. Flip then bake again for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack then lightly sprinkle the tops with salt and allow to fully cool.
To assemble: To each crispy tostada, spread a few dollops of the refried beans then layer on a few spoons of the “egg” salad, slices of avocado, and the pickled onions. Enjoy served with a little salsa.
Expert Tips
- Some shortcut hacks. Many components of this recipe can be swapped with a store prepared item that will give a similar vibe. If you didn’t want to make the tofu salad, try scrambling up some JustEgg instead to top your tostada with. Use a store prepared refried bean option like the canned variety from Siete or pouches from A Dozen Cousins. You can even use store-bought tostadas to avoid using the oven. Make the recipe work for you and your needs.
- Adjust the spice. You can add more or less spice with a few tweaks. For more spice, use a serrano pepper instead of a jalapeño. For less spice, omit the jalapeño or reduce the heat significantly by removing the seeds and membranes before dicing.
- For a more “eggy” flavor. Add a pinch of Kala Namak (Black Salt) to the mix. It will add a little bit of the sulphurous compounds normally found in eggs to the mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe concept is a great option to meal prep for easy breakfast assembly. Store the pickled onions, tofu “egg” salad, and refried beans can be made in advance and stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can buy store-bought tostadas to save time or you can meal prep a few yourself. To store the tostadas, allow them to cool completely, stack them and wrap in a paper towel and place in a resealable bag and store at room temperature for up to 7 days. To reheat the tostadas if they lose their crunch, preheat the oven to 350F, place the tostadas on a bare sheet pan, then bake for 3-5 minutes to get them to crisp up again.
If allergic to tofu, consider making this tostada variant instead! While not an equivalent exchange for the protein, I also love the idea of a boiled plantain that’s roughly mashed and tossed with some olive oil to top the tostada with. For equal protein, consider swapping the tofu salad with some cooked JustEgg instead.
If you don’t want a tostada, the beans, tofu, onions, and avocado can be stuffed in a burrito or served in warm tortillas to make breakfast tacos. You could also make this into a breakfast bowl by serving the components with a starch you love like rice, quinoa, or roasted potatoes.
Make It Balanced
As prepared, this recipe provides an excellent source of fiber, protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. You can always add some additional veggies in the form of a salsa or shredded veggies on top if preferred like shredded lettuce or cabbage. If you need some salsa ideas:
- Salsa Roja (coming soon)
- Salsa Verde Cremosa (coming soon)
- Pico de Gallo con Aguacate (from my cookbook Peaceful Kitchen page 206)
More Satisfying Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
Description
If you need a high protein plant-based breakfast with the best savory flavors, try meal prepping these breakfast tostadas. Filling, cozy, and satisfying!
Tofu “Egg” Salad
Refried Beans
Pickled Red Onion
For serving
- Cut the block of tofu in half. Finely dice one half into 1/4-inch pieces and mash the remaining tofu half into a fine crumble. To a mixing bowl, add the mayo, lemon, mustard, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt, and a pinch of black pepper then whisk together. Add the cubed and mashed tofu then fold it into the mixture with a spatula. Fold in the scallions, taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate.
- Add the sliced onions to a bowl with a generous pinch of salt, lemon, vinegar, and maple syrup. Rub the onions in with the mixture then cover and allow to marinate in the fridge.
- Place a medium sauté pan over medium low heat then heat up the oil. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened and golden. Stir in the jalapeño and garlic and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Add the beans and vegetable broth, then bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to mash the beans into a creamy consistency, adding additional vegetable broth as needed. Remove from heat and adjust salt to taste.
- If baking tostadas, preheat the oven to 400F. Place your corn tortillas on a baking tray and spray or brush both sides with oil. Bake the tortillas in the oven for 5 minutes. Flip then bake again for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack then lightly sprinkle the tops with salt and allow to fully cool.
- To assemble, spread a few dollops of the refried beans over top a crispy tortilla then layer on a few spoons of the “egg” salad, slices of avocado, and the pickled onions. Serve with a little salsa and enjoy.
Notes
Some shortcut hacks. Many components of this recipe can be swapped with a store prepared item that will give a similar vibe. If you didn’t want to make the tofu salad, try scrambling up some JustEgg instead to top your tostada with. Use a store prepared refried bean option like the canned variety from Siete or pouches from A Dozen Cousins. You can even use store-bought tostadas to avoid using the oven. Make the recipe work for you and your needs.
Adjust the spice. You can add more or less spice with a few tweaks. For more spice, use a serrano pepper instead of a jalapeño. For less spice, omit the jalapeño or reduce the heat significantly by removing the seeds and membranes before dicing.
For a more “eggy” flavor. Add a pinch of Kala Namak (Black Salt) to the mix. It will add a little bit of the sulphurous compounds normally found in eggs to the mix.
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