Chicken Salad Tostadas
We like to keep tostadas (crispy tortillas) on hand, made from heirloom corn masa harina, plus cooked beans (mayocoba, bayo or pinto), so that we can whip these together with little effort — it’s one of our all-time favorite lunches. This recipe is really a blueprint; feel free to riff on it, using whatever leftover protein you have in the fridge in place of the chicken, and changing the salad ingredients at will. It’s best using great-quality Frijoles de Olla (made from dried beans), but it’s even pretty good if you used canned beans. Crumbled queso fresco makes a nice flourish, but you could also use shredded quesillo (Oaxaca cheese) or even grated Monterey Jack, pepper jack or other cheese — or do without the cheese; it’s still delicious. Don’t feel like making Pico de Gallo? Just add a little extra tomato and substitute a spoonful of salsa (red or green) from a jar.
Makes 2 tostadas.
Ingredients
2.5 ounces (70 g) salad greens
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 medium-small tomato, cut in wedges, or 5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 smallish avocado, diced
1 1/2 ounces (43 g) shredded cooked chicken
1 1/4 cups cooked mayocoba, bayo or pinto beans, including a little of their liquid
2 teaspoons vinegar (white wine, red wine or cider)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large tostadas
1/2 recipe Pico de Gallo
1 tablespoon crumbled queso fresco (optional)
Lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
1. First make the salad: Place the salad greens, radishes, tomato, avocado and chicken in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Warm or rewarm the beans; cover and keep warm.
3. Sprinkle the vinegar, salt and olive oil over the salad and toss well.
4. Place each tostada on a dinner plate and top each with half of the warmed beans, including a little of their liquid. Top each with half of the salad (don’t worry if the salad spills over the sides). Top each with half of the Pico de Gallo, and finish each with half of the crumbled queso fresco (if using). Garnish each plate with one or two lime wedges, and serve immediately. Be sure to squeeze with lime before diving in.
Chicken Salad Tostadas
Ingredients
- 2.5 ounces (70 g) salad greens
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 medium-small tomato, cut in wedges, or 5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 smallish avocado, diced
- 1 1/2 ounces (43 g) shredded cooked chicken
- 1 1/4 cups cooked mayocoba, bayo or pinto beans, including a little of their liquid
- 2 teaspoons vinegar (white wine, red wine or cider)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large tostadas
- 1/2 recipe Pico de Gallo
- 1 tablespoon crumbled queso fresco (optional)
- Lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- First make the salad: Place the salad greens, radishes, tomato, avocado and chicken in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Warm or rewarm the beans; cover and keep warm.
- Sprinkle the vinegar, salt and olive oil over the salad and toss well.
- Place each tostada on a dinner plate and top each with half of the warmed beans, including a little of their liquid. Top each with half of the salad (don’t worry if the salad spills over the sides). Top each with half of the Pico de Gallo, and finish each with half of the crumbled queso fresco (if using). Garnish each plate with one or two lime wedges, and serve immediately. Be sure to squeeze with lime before diving in.