Cheesy Plant-Based Protein Tostadas
with Pico de Gallo & Smoky Crema
- Soy
- Wheat
- Milk
Can’t decide between the mouthwatering flavors of your favorite taco and the satisfying crunch-factor of a plate of nachos? Enter: the tostada, aka the perfect marriage of the two. Here, you’ll oven-toast your tortillas for a flat, golden base. Then, you’ll layer on all your toppings—think Mexican cheese blend, zesty spiced ground plant-based protein, sautéed green pepper and onion, homemade pico de gallo, smoky crema, and hot sauce. Crispy goodness awaits!
Ingredients
1 unit
Red Onion
1 unit
Tomato
¼ ounce
Cilantro
1 unit
Lime
1 unit
Long Green Pepper
8 ounce
Tex-Mex Ground Plant-Based Protein
1 teaspoon
Chili Powder
6 unit
Flour Tortillas
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
½ cup
Mexican Cheese Blend
(Contains: Milk)
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoon
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Halve and peel onion; thinly slice one half. Finely chop remaining onion until you have 2 TBSP. (For 4, thinly slice whole onion; finely chop a few slices until you have 3 TBSP). Dice tomato. Roughly chop cilantro. Quarter lime. Halve, core, and thinly slice green pepper into strips.
• In a small bowl, combine chopped onion, tomato, cilantro, juice from half the lime, and a pinch of salt and pepper. • In a separate small bowl, combine paprika and sour cream. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add plant-based protein*. Using a spatula, press into an even layer; cook, undisturbed, until browned on bottom, 3-4 minutes. • Break up protein into pieces and cook until browned all over and warmed through, 3-4 minutes more. • Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 5-7 minutes. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper. • Return plant-based protein to pan; stir to combine. Stir in ¼ cup water (½ cup for 4 servings). Cook until mixture is thickened and saucy, 1-2 minutes. TIP: If mixture seems dry, add another splash of water.
• Meanwhile, drizzle tortillas with 1 TBSP oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings); brush or rub to coat all over. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Gently prick each tortilla in a few places with a fork. (For 4, divide between 2 baking sheets; toast on top and middle racks, flipping tortillas and swapping baking sheet positions halfway through toasting.) • Toast on top rack, carefully flipping tortillas halfway through, until lightly golden, 4-5 minutes per side. TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.
• Divide tortillas between plates; evenly sprinkle with Mexican cheese blend. Top with plant-based protein mixture, pico de gallo, and smoky crema. Drizzle with hot sauce to taste. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.
Ground Plant-Based Protein is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the plant-based protein's taste and texture, finding it surprisingly similar to real meat 🌱
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, though some found the crumbles messy to cook as they popped in the pan
- Suggestions: Consider adding extra garlic and cheese for more flavor; some preferred less chili powder for a milder taste
- Portions: Several felt the plant-based protein portion was too small; consider increasing for heartier servings
- Tortillas: Some found the shells puffed up or burned easily; try microwaving or reducing cooking time for better results
Reviews from our home cooks
Since I started ordering meals through HelloFresh, I've been trying a lot of the vegetarian and vegan options. This one in particular stood out to me because I've tried very few plant-based meat alternatives. I was pleasantly surprised by the texture of the protein (it had the crumbliness of ground beef) and the tex-mex spice added a nice kick to it. I also loved the smoky crema (In fact, this may have been the meal that introduced me to the more peppery cremas HelloFresh uses and made them one of my favorite ingredients!)
Plantly crumbles tasted just like real meat. Nice spice level--chose not to add the water or additional spice packet--it didn't need it! Like the little touches that I don't normally do at home: easy pico de gallo...I need to do that more often; spicing up sour cream to create crema.
I was surprised to find that the plant-based protein from Plantly was so effective in this recipe. Taste, texture and satisfaction were all equal to a meat protein recipe. Good work making it happen. Thanks.
Instructions for crema did not include adding water until drizzle consistency as I think was meant, implied by "creme." This was DELICIOUS but I would change this to vegan (dairy change) since you've already used the plant-based "meat." BTW, the "meat" was so delicious with the Mexican spices that I kept picking at it while I was cooking the veggies. Yum!
This was another experiment for my family, as we've never ordered the plant-based protein before. I felt weird the entire time I was cooking it (that's on me... I've never made plant-based stuff before). The only reason I am giving this two stars is because the portion size was way too small. I felt like there was not enough plant-based protein.
What a great introduction to Hello Fresh. On the advice of my doctor I have started exploring a plant based diet. The Plantly protein was extremely flavorful and provided a satisfying texture that I was afraid I would miss by cutting meat out of my diet. Can't wait to try more recipes like this.
My family didn't even know that it was plant based protein!
The shells were a little tough when I fixed them according to instructions. I normally put them between two paper towels and place them in the microwave for 20 seconds. If I order this again (and I probably will), that's the way I'll handle the shells.
This was absolutely delicious and my 6-year-old, who is QUITE PICKY, keeps requesting it again! SUCH A GREAT vegetarian meal, one of our new favorites!
DELICIOUS! no weird after taste like some meatless meats. One of my fave meals on hello fresh to date!
