The Ingredient That Will Change Your Avocado Toast Forever

Avocado toast has become a culinary icon. Though it's been on brunch menus for years, an Australian real estate mogul's comments linking avocado toast to a lack of millennial homeownership in 2017 solidified this relatively simple breakfast food as the representative dish of millennial brunch, according to InsideHook. Say what you want about this generation, but they sure know how to prepare a wide variety of convenient, substantial, affordable, not to mention extremely simple, and delicious meals. But as it turns out, this foodie favorite has been around for a few decades already — far before the advent of camera phones and social media. While people have been smashing and smearing the green fruit on bread in some form or another for millennia, avocado toast is credited to Sydney restauranteur Bill Granger, according to BBC, who introduced the item to his menu in 1993.

The cool thing about avocado toast is that it contains a slew of nutrients from various food groups and is wildly customizable, as it is typically built from multiple contrasting and complementary flavors. Some of the most popular toppings for avocado toast include eggs, smoked salmon, shrimp, lime zest or juice, hot sauce, cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, salt, and lots of herbs and spices such as crushed red pepper, cilantro, and fresh dill. There is one ingredient, however, that adds a bright pop of color as well as a zesty flavor and crisp texture.

Next time you're craving a thick slice of toast smothered with a generous layer of mashed avocado and topped with whatever toppings your heart desires — whether it's late Sunday morning or a weekday afternoon — be sure to have a jar of pickled red onion within reach. For anyone who has ever sprinkled a dollop of slivered pickled red onions over tacos, salads, burgers, and grain bowls, it can be said that they possess an eye-catching fuchsia hue, a zippy tang, and a subtle crunch in every bite. This versatile allium makes a healthy, vibrant garnish in every sense.

Thankfully, whipping up a jarful of pickled red onions is super simple. Love & Lemons offers a recipe that calls for a handful of ingredients you may already have on hand: red onions, white vinegar, cane sugar, sea salt, and garlic. Depending on how thinly you slice the onions, these pretty pink all-stars will be fully pickled and ready to eat in about an hour or overnight — just in time for the best meal of the day.