Easily make Avocado Toast. (Creamy and Quick)

• Food: Avocado Toast
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

This summer, we’re getting back to fundamentals, so let’s chat about avocado toast! One of my favorite quick dinners is creamy avocado spread on well-toasted bread.

In fact, it’s one of my all-time favorite dinners. It’s one of life’s simplest joys because it’s so tasty.

As is customary for me, I have strong feelings about what makes the best toast. So, today, I’m going to share my basic recipe, along with some of my favorite tips and adaptations.

If you’ve never had avocado toast, you’ve been missing out, and we need to change that right away.

If you’re already a fan of avocado toast, I hope you’ll discover some useful hints and entertaining new ways to spice things up. Onward!

What’s the Best Way to Make It?

Select excellent avocados.

Hass avocados should be ripe but not overripe. Choose avocados that yield slightly when gently squeezed, but avoid those that are mushy or stringy within.

When you cut them open, scrape out any bruised or brown portions and discard them before mashing the remainder.

Purchase decent bread and toast it thoroughly.

The best avocado toast, in my opinion, is made using firm, thick-sliced whole grain bread. The golden, well-toasted bread provides a solid foundation and a crunchy, jarring contrast to the creamy avocado.

Separately mash your avocado.

Avocado that has been mashed is more creamy and luscious than avocado that has been sliced (think guacamole vs. plain avocado).

However, don’t crush it on your toast! You run the danger of piercing or breaking your toast. Cut your avocados in halves, remove the pit, and mash the flesh with a fork in a bowl or on the side of your plate.

Using a large number of avocados at once? Instead of a meager fork, use a potato masher or pastry cutter.

Don’t forget to add salt to the mix.

At least a pinch of salt should be added to each avocado half. Are there any extra points? Finish with a little sprinkling of flaky sea salt on your avocado toast.

Bonus Suggestions for Avocado Toast

Here are a few simple ways to jazz up your toast. Choose one or several!

• Before adding the avocado, lightly brush a peeled raw garlic clove over the top of the bread, or incorporate a tiny amount of garlic powder into the avocado.
• You can add fresh leafy herbs or your favorite herb sauce: Avocado pairs well with chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, or parsley. Pesto, zhoug sauce (spicy cilantro sauce), or chimichurri are all good options.
• Add a fried egg: For added protein, I like to top my avocado toast with a fried egg (example here). If you prefer, you can make a poached or scrambled egg.
• Additional toppings include quick-pickled onions, radishes, or jalapenos, your favorite hot sauce, or sliced cherry tomatoes.

Variations on the toast

From top to bottom, here are my official fave avocado toast versions.

Avocado Toast on Everything Bagel

Top your avocado toast with a hefty sprinkling of everything bagel seasoning.

Buy it at Trader Joe’s or Williams-Sonoma, or make your own using my everything bagel blend recipe (affiliate link). Because these ingredients are salty, you don’t want to over-salt your avocado.

Toast with Loads

Combine fresh radish, green onion, jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed), and toasted sunflower seeds in a mixing bowl. Serve with a good amount of salt and pepper on your bread.

Avocado Toast with Tomato-Basil and Balsamic Drizzle

This is fantastic if you have great tomatoes on hand. Add sliced tomato, a thin drizzle of high-quality thick balsamic vinegar or certified balsamic glaze, and torn fresh basil leaves to your toast.

Toast in the Style of Cafe Gitane

This New York City eatery is credited with starting the avocado toast craze. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and a generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes and flaky salt over a thick layer of mashed avocado on your bread, spreading it out so it’s smooth and mounded.

Avocado Toast

This toast is rich, creamy, and filling. It’s an easy and delicious breakfast, snack, or light meal! Because avocado browns with time, it’s preferable to eat it right away.

As written, this recipe makes 1 piece of basic avocado toast; multiply as needed.

Ingredients

• 1 slice of toast (I like thick-sliced whole-grain bread best)
• 12 avocados, ripe
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Any of the extra toppings mentioned in this post are optional.

Instructions For Avocado Toast

1. Toast your bread slice until it is golden and firm.
2. Remove the pit from your avocado and discard it. Scoop out the flesh using a large spoon. Put it in a bowl and mash it with a fork until it’s smooth. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon) and season to taste.
3. Avocado should be spread on top of your toast. Serve plain or with any of the extras listed in this post (I highly recommend a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if you have it).

NOTES

• USE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD TO MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE. Megan, my assistant, recommends Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Bread from Natural Grocers.