Avocado Toast Recipe

Place the thinly sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl or jar.

In a small saucepan, combine apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring just to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.

Pour the hot brine over the sliced onion so they are fully submerged. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours) to develop flavor.

In a small food processor or blender, combine basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, garlic clove, and lemon juice. Pulse to chop.

With the processor running, drizzle in the 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil until a smooth but slightly coarse paste forms. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer pesto to a small bowl and set aside.

Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash lightly with a fork, leaving some larger pieces for texture.

Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt. Mix gently and taste; adjust seasoning as needed.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of each sourdough slice lightly with the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.

Toast the bread 1–2 minutes per side in the hot pan until golden and crisp with good char marks. Alternatively, grill or use a toaster oven. Remove and set on a cutting board.

While still warm, sprinkle the toasted slices with the 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt to season the crust.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of the prepared pesto evenly over each toasted sourdough slice.

Divide the mashed avocado among the four slices, spreading it gently to cover the pesto layer (about 1/2 cup mashed avocado per slice).

Top each slice with a few pickled onion slices (drain excess brine) and sprinkle crumbled feta evenly (about 15 g / 1 tbsp per slice).

Finish with a drizzle of 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil across all slices, a light dusting of lemon zest, flaky sea salt to taste, and a scattering of microgreens or baby arugula if using.

Serve immediately so the toast stays crisp. Offer extra lemon wedges and red pepper flakes at the table.