A Toast to Avocados

A Toast to Avocados

Excerpted from The Vegetable Eater: The New Playbook for Cooking Vegetarian by Cara Mangini

Serves 2 to 3 as a light meal or 4 to 5 as an appetizer

Elevate an everyday avocado toast to a crunchy, complex, restaurant-worthy meal with a few easy upgrades. The real game changer here: a mix of nuts, seeds, and spices (inspired by the Egyptian spice mix dukkah). Make a batch and keep it on hand for weeks to sprinkle over your daily avocado toast or use it when a dish needs a pop of flavor and crunch. Fresh microgreens, Maldon sea salt, and high-quality olive oil make all the difference.

Avocado Toast

Makes 2-3 Toasts. Depending on the size of your bread, 1 large avocado will make 2-3 toasts.

If you want more than 2 large toasts, keep extra avocados on hand.

Ingredients

2 large slices (about ½-inch thick) good-quality sourdough or multigrain sandwich bread

1 large avocado

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

2 to 3 teaspoons high-quality olive oil

Turmeric Nut-Seed Mix (see recipe)

1/2 to 1 cup mixed microgreens (may substitute baby arugula or finely chopped spinach)

Instructions

1. Toast bread until golden and crisp on edges while slightly soft in the middle. It must be sturdy enough to hold the toppings.

2. Meanwhile, halve and pit the avocado. Transfer the flesh to a small bowl and use the back of a fork to mash it.

3. Spread the avocado over each toast (about 1/3 cup per large slice of toast) and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

4. Drizzle each toast with about 1⁄2 teaspoon oil, then evenly sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the nut-seed mix over top. Top each toast with a generous pinch of microgreens, another pinch of flaky sea salt, and a final drizzle of oil.

Turmeric Nut-Seed Mix

Makes enough to sprinkle 12+ toasts

Ingredients

1/2 cup shelled raw pistachios (or sliced almonds)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds

2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350F with rack in the middle position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine pistachios or almonds, white sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, turmeric, salt, and a generous 1/4 teaspoon of pepper (or to taste) in the bowl of a food processor.

3. Pulse and process just until the pistachios are finely and evenly ground with a coarse, gravel-like texture. Stop before the nuts and seeds turn into a paste.

4. Transfer the mix to the prepared sheet pan and spread it out.

5. Bake until fragrant and toasty, 5 to 7 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds over top, and let mixture cool completely.

7. After using for recipe, store the remaining mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place or in the fridge.

Take Note

This Turmeric Nut-Seed Mix makes an excellent gift—fill up a jar for a friend!