• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Everyday Southwest
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • Authentic Mexican Food Recipes
    • Baking
    • Best Pumpkin Recipes for Desserts, Dinners & More
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Desserts
    • First Courses
    • Healthy
    • Holiday desserts
    • How to
    • Light and Healthy
    • Main Dishes
    • Party Food and Snacks
    • Popular Posts
    • Side Dish
    • Southwest Pantry
    • Super Bowl
    • Vegetarian
  • Cookbook
  • 200 Appetizers
  • Tamales Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • 200 Appetizers
  • Cookbook
  • Tamales Recipes
  • Contact
×
Home » Healthy

Refried Lentils Tostadas Recipe

Lentil Tostadas

Who says only beans get to be refried?

Refried lentils is the result of a Desperation Dinner one night when I was craving tostadas and had no beans in the pantry. I thought, why NOT lentils?

Lentils are much easier to use than beans - no overnight soaking, draining, planning ahead. Lentils can be cooked up in just minutes, and are earthy and delicious. And not as starchy as beans.

I cooked them until very soft and then mashed them with a fork. Then, I heated oil and spices in a skillet and added the mashed lentils in a thin layer and let them cook until lightly browned on the bottom. I turned them over in batches, adding texture and more browned exteriors.

They didn't hold together well, unlike beans, which are more starchy. So, I added a little sour cream for texture and richness and a little Monterey jack cheese as the "glue" to hold the lentil mixture together.

This is a "Must Make Again" surprise success!

!Salud!

-- posted by Donna

Refried Lentils Tostadas Recipe
 
Print
Who says beans are the only legumes that can be refried?
Author: Donna
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown lentils
  • 4 cups vegetable broth, divided
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • ½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • 4 ready-to-eat tostada shells
  • 2 ounces queso fresco cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup thinly sliced green onions, tops included
  • ¼ cup favorite salsa (such as roasted tomato salsa)
  • ¼ cup diced cilantro
Instructions
  1. Bring the lentils and 3½ cups of broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a low simmer and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until lentils are very soft. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Mash with a fork until very small bits. Stir in soy sauce, garlic powder and cayenne pepper sauce.
  2. In a large skillet, heat oil to medium high heat. Add in cumin and chili powder and let cook in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
  3. Add in lentil mixture, spreading to form a thin layer covering the surface of the skillet. Let cook for about 3 minutes, until browned on bottom. Break up the lentil mixture with a spatula and flip over the lentil mixture in chunks, flattening to cover entire surface of skillet again. Let cook until browned on that side. Turn off heat and add in some of the remaining ½ cup of broth, until lentil mixture is the consistency of refried beans. Stir in sour cream and Monterey jack cheese until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
  4. Spread ¼ of lentil mixture on a tostada shell. Top with remaining ingredients sprinkled on top. Repeat three times for a total of four tostadas.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
3.2.1230

 

« Roasted Shrimp Poblanos Rellenos Recipe
20 Minute Skillet Chilaquiles Recipe »

Sharing is caring!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol Hicks

    May 14, 2013 at 10:06 am

    Very clever to think of this.
    Also, I'm impressed that anyone would have a can of lentils on hand.

    Reply
    • Donna

      May 15, 2013 at 1:29 pm

      Thnaks so much - come on over for dinner and I'll make this for you. Surprisingly yummy!

      Reply
  2. Kalyn

    May 15, 2013 at 5:44 am

    I rarely use OMG, but I think it is appropriate for this recipe, Just a brilliant idea.

    Reply
    • Donna

      May 15, 2013 at 1:30 pm

      To have a "brilliant" from you just makes my day - no, my whole YEAR. Thanks so much!

      Reply
  3. Winnie

    June 12, 2013 at 8:01 am

    Love lentils and never thought to use them in this way. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  4. Sheri

    May 24, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    I'm having lentils for the very first time. A friend insisted I try some, so searched recipes and found this one!! Looks yummy! Here I go!!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      May 26, 2017 at 12:28 pm

      Good luck! This is one of my sister's recipe, I'm sure you will love it.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  

Primary Sidebar

Hi, Welcome to Everyday Southwest.

I'm Sandy, a Southwest born and raised girl who loves cooking it's food and sharing it's culture.

Join me for some of my favorite recipes. We have everything from longtime family favorites to modern recipes with a healthy twist.

I'm glad you are here!

More about me →

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • X

Top Posts & Pages

Easy Carne Picada Recipe (One of The Best Beef Recipes)
Bacon Wrapped Sonoran Hot Dog Recipe
Easy Jalapeno Chicken Thighs with Honey and Lime
Cheese Crisp Recipe from Arizona
Fresh Masa for Tamales - Easy Recipe and Video
Taco Ring Recipe with Crescent Rolls

Mom's Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipe

Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipe

Steak Fajitas Recipe

Easy Steak Fajitas with Marinade Recipe

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • X

Copyright © 2025 · Privacy Policy