Roasted Vegetable Mexican Torta

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This roasted vegetable Mexican torta is an irresistible sandwich, stuffed full of roasted veggies, cheese, refried beans and avocado – an amazing combination!

A vegetarian Mexican torta filled with roasted vegetables, cheese and avocado.

It’s easy to feel uninspired by vegetarian sandwiches. Shops and cafés all seem to sell the same few options – cheese, egg mayonnaise, maybe some chutney if you’re lucky… But it doesn’t need to be that way! Get excited by lunch again with these roasted vegetable Mexican torta sandwiches, made with refried beans, avocado, and melted cheese.

A Mexican torta on a board, with roasted veggies, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

What is a Mexican torta?

A Mexican torta is basically just a glorified sandwich – at least my version is, anyway. I’m sure I’ll get lots of messages from Mexican readers educating me about how a Mexican torta is so much more than a sandwich (which I welcome, by the way!) – but, this version is basically just a sandwich.

Now, don’t let that put you off! A sandwich doesn’t have to just be a limp, sorry-looking piece of bread at the bottom of your lunchbox, with an apple-shaped dent in the top. This Mexican torta was definitely one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten – one of the messiest too, but definitely one of the best.

Tortas can come with all sorts of fillings, both vegetarian and not – this roasted vegetable Mexican torta is just one option.

A vegetarian torta in a crusty roll, filled with cheesy roasted vegetables, refried beans and salad.

Is this an authentic Mexican torta?

In a word, no. I would be very surprised if it was, anyway!

I’m British, so the only recipes I can ever claim are properly authentic are my British recipes – otherwise, I can only take inspiration from other countries.

This roasted vegetable sandwich is just inspired by my favourite Tex-Mex ingredients and flavours. But whether it’s authentic or not (read: not), it’s insanely delicious, and just the sort of thing that makes me look forward to lunchtime!

A Mexican sandwich cut in half, showing cheesy roasted vegetables and avocado.

What’s in this Mexican torta?

My Mexican torta has all sorts of amazing layers:

  • spicy refried beans
  • soft and sweet roasted vegetables
  • melted cheese
  • lettuce and fresh tomatoes
  • mashed avocado

…all sandwiched inside a crusty bread roll.

Roasted vegetables in a baking dish, before and after roasting.

Roasted vegetables

To begin, roast up your veggies. I used aubergine (eggplant), red pepper, and mushrooms.

You want to cut your veg into fairly big pieces, so they stand a chance of staying in the sandwich – tiny bits will just fall straight out the sides!

I added a pinch of chilli powder to my veg as they roasted, just for an extra bit of heat. The spiciness goes perfectly with the sweet roasted peppers and earthy roasted mushrooms.

Cheesy roasted vegetable sandwiches before and after baking.

Cheesy roasted vegetable sandwiches

Next, add the roasted veggies to some crusty rolls, along with some refried beans. I used shop-bought refried beans from a can. They look a bit like cat food when you first open the tin, but my word, they are tasty.

Top it all with a slice of cheese. I used Monterey Jack cheese, but anything will be tasty – slices of cheddar, gouda, etc. would work well too. You could even use a spicy Mexicana-style cheese.

Pop them in the oven until the cheese has melted and started to turn golden (drooool), and the bread is getting nice and crispy.

Crusty rolls on a baking tray with salad and mashed avocado.

Mexican torta sandwiches

Finally, it’s time to complete your sandwiches! Add some salady bits and some mashed avocado, and you’re all done.

This Mexican torta has a bit of everything – it’s crispy, creamy, soft, juicy, gooey, and everything in between. Such a perfect combination of ingredients!

I’ll admit, this is a pretty messy sandwich – it’s possibly even a knife-and-fork job. Be prepared for your refried beans to drip everywhere, for your roasted veggie slices to slowly squeeze their way out from between the bread, and for you to end up with food all around your big, stupid grin. And be prepared to love it! Just make sure you have a tissue to hand (or maybe a bib).

A vegetarian sandwich cut in half, filled with cheesy roasted veg and mashed avocado.

If you like your sandwiches full of flavour and bursting at the seams with tasty ingredients, you will love these roasted vegetable Mexican tortas!

A hand holding up half a vegetarian Mexican torta, stuffed with vegetables, cheese, avocado and refried beans.

Roasted vegetable Mexican torta

This roasted vegetable Mexican torta is an irresistible sandwich, stuffed full of roasted veggies, cheese, refried beans and avocado – an amazing combination!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 568kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium aubergine (eggplant), cut into thick slices
  • 1/2 red pepper, cut into large pieces
  • 4 medium mushrooms, cut into thick slices
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/4 tsp hot chilli powder
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 large bread rolls, e.g. tiger rolls, ciabatta, etc
  • 3 tbsp refried beans
  • 2 slices cheese, e.g. Monterey Jack, cheddar, gouda, etc.
  • 1/2 avocado, mashed
  • Small handful lettuce leaves
  • 3 cherry tomatoes, halved

Instructions

  • Add the sliced vegetables to a baking tray, and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with chilli powder and a little salt and pepper. Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for about 30 minutes (turning halfway), until soft.
  • Cut the bread rolls in half, and spread one half with refried beans. Top the beans with the roasted veggies, and a slice of cheese. Return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes, until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted.
  • Spread the mashed avocado on the other half of each roll, and sandwich the two pieces together with some lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Roasted vegetable Mexican torta
Amount Per Serving (1 sandwich)
Calories 568 Calories from Fat 226
% Daily Value*
Fat 25.1g39%
Saturated Fat 7.5g38%
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 791mg33%
Potassium 900mg26%
Carbohydrates 69.2g23%
Fiber 13.4g54%
Sugar 8.7g10%
Protein 19.4g39%
Calcium 184mg18%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

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15 Comments

  1. As an American who lives in a Mexican neighborhood, shops as a Mexican supermarket, and eats tortas constantly, your sandwich is brilliant! The only thing that would make it more authentic, but still vegetarian, would be a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, if you can find that in the U.K., and a Mexican cheese, like Cotija. But in my 14 years in Ireland, I never saw it. I would suggest perhaps instead a cheddar, a few slices of manchego! But otherwise beautiful! Made them for my son and myself. Loved it!