Avocado & Black Bean Tortas

This colorful sandwich, inspired by a Mexican torta, is packed full of fresh vegetables. You can use good-quality canned refried beans or make your own — they may seem like an unusual sandwich spread, but they add protein and flavor to this meatless meal. If your market doesn’t carry Mexican cheeses, crumbled fresh goat cheese is a good substitute.

 

Avocado & Black Bean Tortas

 

1 cup (3 oz./90 g.) thinly shredded cabbage

1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped

2 large radishes, thinly sliced

1 Tbs. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. hot-pepper sauce

2 crusty sandwich rolls, split

2/3 cup (5 oz./155 g.) low-sodium refried black beans, warmed or at room temperature

1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g.) crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese

1 small ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

 

Put cabbage, tomato and radishes in a bowl and drizzle with lime juice and hot sauce and mix well. Set aside.

 

Using your fingers, remove some soft bread from insides of roll halves, making a hollow for sandwich filling. Toast rolls in a toaster or warm oven.

 

Spread half of refried beans over bottom half of each roll. Top with cheese and avocado slices. Divide vegetable mixture equally between sandwiches, mounding it on top of avocado. Replace top half of rolls and serve right away, or wrap well and pack to go. Makes 2 sandwiches.

 

Make fresh, nutritious, home-cooked meals easier than ever with our cookbook Healthy in a Hurry, by Karen Ansel & Charity Ferreira.