My Favorite Avocado Toast Recipe

This loaded avocado toast recipe makes a super easy healthy lunch or dinner! It piles creamy mashed avocado with cucumber, olives, feta, and pickled onions — plus, 10 more of my favorite toppings.

Many of the recipe ideas I have I pick up while traveling, and when I tried this delicious next-level Mediterranean avocado toast at a cafe in Montreal, I immediately knew I needed to recreate it at home.

Avocado toast might be basic, but this is such a fun flavor combination that it’s a legit meal: tomatoes, Kalamata olives, lemony cucumbers, pickled onions and a bit of feta cheese. It looks beautiful and it requires no cooking at all. To add protein, eat it with a scoop of cottage cheese, a fried egg, or my cannellini bean salad to serve alongside! I’m also sharing 10 more avocado toast topping ideas below.

The Best Bread for Avocado Toast

The most important part of a great avocado toast, outside of a ripe avocado of course, is the bread! Here’s what to use:

• Sourdough is a great choice; try my popular sourdough bread recipe if you have a starter on hand.
• A sturdy country loaf works well: try my easy no knead bread for a great simple homemade bread, no starter required.
• Whole grain or seeded bread is also great; try my multigrain bread or a purchased loaf.
• Remember, thin sandwich bread will fail you. A squishy store-bought loaf is just not as good!

Mashing the Avocado (& What I Add)

The most important part is starting with a ripe avocado! Squeeze it and find one that yields to gentle pressure near the stem, but you don’t want it to leave a dent when you touch it. If it leaves a thumbprint, it’s probably past its prime.

Halve it, pit it, and scoop it into a small bowl: you can also follow my tips for how to cut an avocado for the safest method.

What I add to make the flavor pop? I use ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder: it adds the best savory flavor! If you like, you can also add a squeeze of lemon, which also helps the avocado to stay green.

My Favorite Avocado Toast Toppings

Here’s the exact combination I made here, which you could also call Mediterranean avocado toast! I love that it feels fancy and substantial enough to make as a Mediterranean diet lunch or simple dinner with some sides.

• Thinly sliced English cucumber: I toss mine with lemon and salt. I actually like to use a mandoline to get it super thin!
• Kalamata olives: These add a briny pop.
• Cherry tomatoes: These add a sweet pop of brightness.
• Pickled red onions: Make a big batch of pickled red onions to add a tangy pop and a bright pink color.
• Crumbled feta: I add just a bit for a beautiful garnish.
• Red pepper flakes and dried oregano: These add intrigue in flavor with no effort.
• Fresh dill or herbs: These aren’t required for the flavor, but if you have them on hand it adds a nice vibe.

10 More Avocado Toast Topping Ideas

Here are the avocado toast toppings I rotate through depending on what’s in the fridge:

1. Everything Bagel & Jammy Egg: I can’t get enough of this one! Top with a soft-boiled egg or sunny side up egg over the mash and a good sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning.

2. Smoked Salmon & Dill: Makes a substantial meal. Add cold-smoked salmon, thin red onion, capers, dill, and a squeeze of lemon — like my smoked salmon toast.

3. Caprese. Sliced ripe tomatoes, torn mozzarella, basil, and balsamic glaze over the avocado. Like a deconstructed caprese salad.

4. Black Beans & Corn: Add black bean and corn salad over the mash, plus cotija, cilantro, and lime.

5. Pesto & Blistered Tomato: A swipe of basil pesto recipe under the avocado, blistered cherry tomatoes on top, shaved parmesan.

6. Hot Honey & Feta: Crumbled feta, a drizzle of honey, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.

7. Radish & Labneh: Spread homemade labneh first, then avocado, then paper-thin radishes and chives.

8. Crispy Chickpea & Tahini: Crispy roasted chickpeas, a drizzle of easy tahini sauce, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs.

9. Tzatziki & Cucumber: A spoonful of tzatziki sauce over the avocado with extra cucumber and mint.

10. Sweet: Honey, Pistachio & Sea Salt. Honey, chopped toasted pistachios, and flaky salt.

What to Serve With Avocado Toast

I usually like to add protein when I serve avocado toast. Here are some ideas for protein as well as some other side dishes:

• Eggs like sunny side up egg, poached egg, or hard boiled egg
• Cottage cheese, a big dollop alongside
• Bean salads like cannellini bean salad, dense bean salad, or Mediterranean chickpea salad
• Other salads like cucumber salad or strawberry arugula salad

Storage and Make Ahead Notes

Assembled avocado toast does not store well, because the avocado browns with exposure to air. The components do: slice tomatoes and English cucumber and keep pickled onions ready in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Dietary Notes

This avocado toast recipe is vegetarian. Make it vegan and dairy-free by omitting the feta or using a plant-based cheese, and gluten-free with your favorite gluten-free bread.

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My Favorite Avocado Toast Recipe

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This Mediterranean avocado toast makes a super easy lunch or dinner! Creamy mashed avocado gets topped with cucumber, olives, tomatoes, pickled onions, and feta: the kind of combination that makes a 5 minute meal feel like lunch on a patio.

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 1 1x
• Category: Breakfast, Lunch
• Method: No Cook
• Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
• Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small slices crusty bread
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the cucumber
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup very thinly sliced cucumber
• 6 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 handful pickled red onions
• 1 handful crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch dried oregano

Instructions

1. Toast the bread: Toast the bread until golden and crisp.
2. Mash the avocado: In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the kosher salt and garlic powder until mostly smooth with a few chunks remaining. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste and add more salt if desired.
3. Season the cucumber: Thinly slice the cucumber and toss it with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
4. Assemble the toast: Spread the avocado mash over the toast and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Top with the cucumber, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, and feta cheese (omit for vegan). Finish with the dried oregano and if you have any fresh herbs on hand, add a sprig or two. Serve immediately (I like serving alongside my Cannellini Bean Salad for more protein and fiber).

Notes

For extra protein: Top with a jammy soft-boiled egg, a few slices of hard-boiled egg, or serve with my Cannellini Bean Salad.

For a hummus base: Spread a layer of hummus on the toast before adding the avocado.

For more toppings: I love adding fresh herbs to top here, though they’re not required for flavor. Fresh dill is a nice touch!

For a heartier meal: Skip the bread and turn everything into a bowl over rice, quinoa, or farro (and that bean salad).

Bread notes: A sturdy sourdough, whole grain, or seeded bread holds up best under the toppings. Thin sandwich bread will get soggy quickly.

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