You Only Need A Few Extra Ingredients For Gourmet Avocado Toast

Whether you love it or you hate it, there's no denying that avocado toast has made a lasting impact on breakfast culture around the world since its spike in popularity a few years back. In this trendy, often overpriced dish, toast acts as a blank canvas and an opportunity for creativity — and every artist has their own take on how it should be prepared. They may choose to smash the avocado into a guacamole-style spread or neatly slice it into a fan shape to display delicately over a piece of whole grain toast. Maybe they'll add some flakey sea salt and pepper, or maybe they'll leave it as-is with nothing but the buttery avocado to steal the show. However avocado toast is prepared, it's bound to impress, and Ronnie Ruffalo, co-owner and chef at Chicago's Disco Pancake, utilizes simple, fresh ingredients for a gourmet version.

"I love to add arugula, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes," Ruffalo said. These ingredients might seem basic and like nothing particularly special, but they are all intentional. Add them to your avocado toast, and watch it go from simple to sophisticated. If you're not a fan of arugula, try Ruffalo's recipe: The lemon juice and salt will help disguise the bitter green. Beyond that, be sure to use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, as it has a better flavor than just plain olive oil. And to top it all off, a little crushed red pepper adds color, texture, and a bit of a kick to your fabulous avo toast.

Beyond Ruffalo's suggestions, there are tons of other ingredients to enhance avocado toast depending on your preferences. One great topping, which also happens to be incredibly healthy and protein-packed, is a mix of seeds. We like chia seeds and pumpkin seeds best, but use whatever you've got in your pantry. If that's too plain for you, sprinkle a bit of everything bagel seasoning over it all for a nutty, salty addition.

Beyond crunchy seeds, sumac is one of our favorite toppings for avocado toast that will help give it new life. If you've never tried sumac, sprinkling a little over your toast is a perfect way to taste it. Sumac is made from dried berries from the rhus coriaria shrub, and it's got a sour lemon-like taste. If you tried Ruffalo's recipe and liked the addition of lemon juice, sumac provides a similar essence — plus, it's got a beautiful red and purple hue, which adds a layer of visual depth to your avocado toast's presentation.