My Secret Technique For The Absolute Best Avocado Toast

For four years, I ran a vegan sandwich shop and among the many skills that business taught me, how to make plants taste incredible on bread was definitely No. 1. There is one secret I still utilize in my own cooking today, which is that the foundation of a sandwich or any food served on toast is just as important as the topping or filling. What do I mean by that? Well, when it comes to avocado toast specifically, instead of just seasoning and improving the avocado itself, I get to work the minute the toast is ready. 

While it's still nice and hot, I give the bread a drizzle with a good-quality olive oil, a sprinkling of salt, and maybe a quick rub with a garlic clove. This leaves me with a slice of toast that is salty, fragrant, and full of flavor before the avocado has even entered the picture. This is a trick that works with sourdough, whole wheat, and bagels, and isn't limited to just bread, either; you can make avocado waffles or sweet potato slices and give those bases the same special attention. 

Seasoning the toast is really the ultimate hack, especially if you often end up with avocado toast that feels a bit boring or bland. When the toast has been adequately seasoned, the avocado itself can stay quite simple. Keep the focus on its own flavor with just a squeeze of lemon, a little more salt, and maybe a few chile flakes. Once you have mastered this trick, you'll never order avocado toast in a restaurant again when it tastes way better at home and for a fraction of the price.

I really believe that great avocado toast shouldn't rely on complicated techniques or anything fancy sitting in the fridge — it should be a celebration of the avocado itself, avocado that is simply enhanced by flavorsome bread and a little contrast in texture. The crunch of the toast and the smooth avocado mixed together does most of the work here, but the easiest way to add more textural difference is to use both smashed and sliced avocado. I like to mash some of the avocado right onto the bread and then layer the rest on top in slices, which creates a contrast of firmness against the creamy layer below.

Finally, you have to give your avocado toast some crunch by topping it off with toasted seeds or fried shallots for simplicity, or get fancier with crispy capers or roasted chickpeas. Avocado toast was one of the internet's first favorite foods for a reason, and once you have truly mastered it with seasoned toast, a mix of avocado textures, and just a pop of crunch on top then you'll easily see why.