Can I roast the tortillas and plantains without oil?

You technically can. I would just note this, oil will help prevent these items from drying out when roasting, which can impact the final taste and texture of both. Essentially without the oil you will be just drying these items out, so as long as you are okay with that, feel free to do what you enjoy best. For the best results with the plantains without oil, make sure you are using a very ripe plantain. It should be more on the blacker skinned side than fully yellow. The riper the plantain, the more it will caramelize naturally, which will give you a less dry result out of the oven.

How can I make this gluten-free?

This recipe is naturally gluten-free when using corn tortillas. If you don’t like corn tortillas feel free to serve the beans, plantains and guac however you prefer.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

You can make some elements of this recipe in advance. You can prepare the sofrito and beans days in advance. Once prepared the sofrito can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. As a side note, you will have a few spoons of sofrito left after using it in this recipe. Feel free to store in the fridge and use to flavor beans, vegetables, rice, stews, or soups with it as desired.The Beans can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If making the crispy tostadas in advance, allow them to cool completely then place in a resealable bag in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you want to enjoy them, place them back in the oven to crisp back up for 3-4 minutes at 350F. I do recommend making the plantains fresh.

Dominican-Style Tostadas

Description

A Dominican-Style Tostada layered with creamy sofrito black beans, caramelized sweet plantains, and fresh guacamole. Packed with flavor and fiber to support your gut health.

Ingredients

Scale

Baked Sweet Plantains & Tostadas

2 ripe yellow plantains
6 corn tortillas
Avocado oil for roasting as needed
Kosher salt

Black Beans

1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, 3 cloves smashed and 2 cloves grated
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sazón
1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp avocado oil or more as needed
2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup of water

Spread

1 large avocado, cubed
1/4 cup cilantro, woody stems removed and minced
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lime
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

For Assembling: Extra cilantro, lime wedges and your favorite hot sauce

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Instructions

Make the Tostadas & Plantains

Preheat the oven to 400F then prepare the tostadas. Place your corn tortillas on a baking tray and spray or brush both sides with oil. Bake the tortillas in the oven for 8 minutes, flipping the tortillas half way. Transfer the baked tortillas to a cooling rack then lightly sprinkle the tops with salt. Allow the tortillas to cool until fully crispy.
Increase the oven temperature to 425F. Peel and slice your plantains into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray both sides with oil. Place the plantains in the oven to cook for 13 minutes, then flip and roast for another 5-10 minutes until golden.

For the Sofrito Beans

To a mini food processor, add the cilantro, 1/4 cup of the onion, jalapeño, 3 mashed garlic cloves, vinegar, sazón, bouillon base, lime juice and a generous pinch of salt. Pulse the mixture together until your ingredients are finely minced together into a coarse paste. Alternatively, you can place all the ingredients in a tall jar and use an immersion blender to pulse the ingredients together (this is often my preferred method for a small batch of sofrito).
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium low heat, then when hot add half of the blended sofrito to the pan. Sauté the sofrito in the oil for about 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the remaining grated garlic and continue to stir for about 1 minute.
Add in the tomatoes along with a pinch of salt and sauté them into the sofrito for about 3-4 minutes, allowing them to break down as they cook.
Pour in the beans along with the water and stir well to combine then allow the beans to heat through for 5 minutes. Use the back of your cooking spoon or spatula to gently mash the beans into a refried beans consistency. If too thick, feel free to adjust with another splash of water while stirring until the beans are to the consistency of your liking.

Make the Spread and Assemble

To a small bowl add the avocado, 3 tbsp of diced red onion, lime zest and juice, cilantro and a generous pinch of salt then use a fork to mash everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
When ready to assemble, spread 2-3 tbsp of the beans over a crispy tortilla. Top each tortilla with some of the avocado, 2-3 slices of plantains then serve with some lime wedges and your favorite hot sauce before enjoying.

Notes

If you want leftovers, consider doubling this recipe. The beans can be made in advance then stored in the fridge. Then all you’ll need to do is crisp up some tortillas and plantains to enjoy this with.

Make it more convenient. You can get pre-made tostadas. Typically they are sold in the same section that they sell tortillas. You can also buy pre-made sofrito. Saving on these steps will also help with saving time in making this recipe so do what works best for you.

Customize the flavors to your liking. Feel free to use more sofrito or add more spice based on your preference. It’s also up to you what you choose to layer your tostadas with. This is just a blueprint, so add your own flair to make it your own.