Lemony Avocado Toast with Arugula

A smear of creamy avocado mash on multi grain toast topped off with peppery arugula makes for a quick and satisfying breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Avocado toast. Chances are you’ve seen it on the menu at your favorite little brunch place at some point over the past couple years. It’s a deliciously healthy alternative to stack of pancakes or a cheesy omelette. I love it topped with a runny egg or thick slice of tomato, but perhaps my favorite is the recipe I’ll share with you today: avocado mixed with loads of lemon and topped with peppery arugula. It’s so simple and satisfying and not only a great breakfast, but a perfect option for a quick lunch or dinner.

Avocado was not in my vocabulary, let alone on the table when I was a kid. It didn’t marry well with the red-sauced Italian dishes we favored and our vegetables of choice were typically steamed broccoli, carrots or peas. Our grocery store simply didn’t carry all of the different greens you can easily find today, so our salads regularly consisted of iceberg lettuce mixed with diced tomato and cucumber. Not a leaf of baby arugula in sight! Well, happily times have changed and so have our options. From the variety of fresh, organic vegetables available to the locally sourced selections, making healthy choices has never tasted so good.

Three items that I now always have on hand are avocado, arugula and lemons. My younger son is a guacamole junkie, so I know I’m making guac for him at least once a week. And salads are in heavy rotation at our house, with baby arugula being my favorite green. So you know you can count on a package or two of that in my crisper drawer. I also favor a simple salad dressing most nights and the one I whisk together most is a basic lemon vinaigrette.

Put these three staples together and you have my favorite version of avocado toast.  The creamy avocado is mashed with lemon juice and zest, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes for a little kick, and just a drizzle of olive oil. I love it paired with a rustic multi-grain bread, all toasted and crunchy, and finally I top it off with a handful of arugula, lightly dressed in lemon vinaigrette.

While I love avocado toast for breakfast, I honestly find myself having it for lunch or dinner just as often. My boys’  busy social calendars had them elsewhere for dinner the other night, so I grabbed a ripe avocado and made myself dinner for one. And let me tell you, avocado toast and coffee for breakfast has nothing on avocado toast, sauvignon blanc and a good book for dinner!

5 from 2 votes

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Lemony Avocado Toast with Arugula

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

A smear of creamy avocado mash on multi grain toast topped off with peppery arugula makes for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner.

Course: Breakfast/Lunch

Author: Cathy Roma | whatshouldimakefor.com

Ingredients

• Lemon Vinaigrette
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  
• Avocado Mash
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  
• 2 slice multi-grain bread toasted
• A couple handfuls of arugula

Instructions

1. Vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients until emulsified.
2. Avocado Mash: Cut avocado in half and remove the pit. Score the avocado halves and then scoop the avocado out into a small bowl.
3. Add the zest, lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil and mash together.
4. Spread the avocado mash on the toast.
5. Toss arugula with the dressing and place on top of the avocado mash. Enjoy!