Zesty Smashed Chickpea Avocado Toast Recipe

Avocado toast may no longer be the viral fad it was in the mid-20-teens, but it hasn't gone away, either. Instead, it's evolved into any number of different iterations. This one from recipe developer Deniz Vergara mixes in some chickpeas. This addition, she says, "gives it a bit more texture and makes it more filling."

While some may find plain avocado toast to be on the bland side, this recipe is anything but. As Vergara tells us, "It is important to always be generous with your acid." Here she's using both lemon and lime juice to give the avocado and chickpea mixture a little bit of zing, as well as red onion for "an extra punch of flavor and color." Vergara also says that you could "add some crumbled feta on top when you want to add a little pop of salty and tangy flavor." If you want a real protein boost, you could pile on a fried egg, as well.

The main ingredients in this dish are chickpeas, an avocado, and a few slices of bread (Vergara opts for sourdough). Auxiliary ingredients consist of butter, red onion, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, cilantro, and a scallion.

Toast the bread.

Spread the butter evenly onto both slices and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the diced red onion and lemon. Set aside. (This step takes the bite out of the raw onion.)

In a medium bowl, smash the chickpeas and avocado using the back of a fork. Keep the mixture a little chunky and avoid mashing until completely smooth.

Mix in the lime juice, salt, cilantro, scallion, red onion, and lemon juice.

Spoon the smashed chickpea and avocado mixture onto the toasted bread.

Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, if desired, and enjoy right away.

While Vergara likes to make this chickpea avocado toast with sourdough bread, she does say that you can use another type of bread if you would prefer to do so. "I would recommend any baked loaf that is crusty on the outside," she says, suggesting that whole grain, rye, or country-style breads would all be good sourdough substitutes. The reason why these work, she explains, is because "they have a great crust and are still a bit soft in the center."

Not every kind of bread can be swapped for the sourdough, however. Brioche or Hawaiian breads might be too sweet, while cinnamon-raisin and banana would be right out. Vergara also notes that soft bread "won't hold up as well when you pile on the chickpea avocado mash." The ideal bread for this chickpea avocado toast needs to be pretty sturdy and without any flavorings that may clash with the avocado/chickpea topping.

If you take a look at the ingredient list for this chickpea avocado toast recipe, you may notice that the dish is very nearly vegan. There's just one ingredient preventing it from being entirely plant-based, though: the butter. This need not impede you from making the dish plant-based, however, as Vergara says that "you can absolutely use vegan butter." Although, if the brand you have on hand isn't salted, she suggests adding a tiny bit more salt to the avocado mix. Another option is simply to skip the small amount of butter that is used in the recipe. Vergara says, "The butter isn't necessary," although she personally enjoys its flavor.

While the bread itself is very likely plant-based, you may still want to check the ingredients label or even look for bread specifically labeled as vegan. This will help you avoid any loaves made with eggs or milk powder or ones with an egg wash or honey glaze on the crust.