Creamy Avocado Toast with Lemon, Chili Flakes, and Crispy Sourdough

Since trying this avocado toast at a small café in Nashville one summer, I’ve made it every week. I always liked avocado toast, but this version made me LOVE IT.

Two pieces of loaded avocado toast with feta, shallot, sliced red chilli, seeds and coriander (cilantro) on a dark grey background. There are ingredients scattered around and a dark grey napkin on the left of the frame. There is a pinch pot of seeds at the top right of the frame.

After a night exploring bars in Nashville, Chris and I chose this for breakfast while feeling rather fragile. I didn’t think I’d manage more than a few mouthfuls, but I was wrong — it was the best avocado toast we’d ever had and we both felt a million times better after eating it.

I came home determined to recreate it, and this is the version I now make whenever avocado toast is on the menu.

A piece of loaded avocado toast with feta, shallot, sliced red chilli, seeds and coriander (cilantro) on a wooden board. There is a further piece, just in shot at the top of the frame.

👩‍🍳PRO TIP How to find the perfect avocado

Good avocados can be tricky to find in the UK. These simple checks help me pick the best ones:

Hass avocados are my go-to. They have dark, pebbly skin and the richest, creamiest flavour. Other varieties with smoother, greener skins (like Fuerte or Ettinger) tend to be less buttery.
Give it a gentle squeeze. A ripe avocado should give slightly to firm pressure. Rock-hard means unripe; very soft means overripe.
The skin should feel bumpy rather than smooth.
Pull the small stem at the top. If it comes away easily and the flesh underneath is green, the avocado is ripe. If the flesh is brown, it’s overripe. If the stem is hard to remove, it’s not ready yet.

🍽️ Flavour swaps and additions

A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil — great if your avocado isn’t as soft or buttery as you’d like.
Crispy chopped bacon — one of Chris’s favourite extras.
Rub the toasted bread with the cut side of half a garlic clove for a subtle garlicky boost and a bruschetta vibe.
Very thin slices of tomato — I like yellow or green heritage tomatoes for their milder or tangier notes, or thin red cherry tomato slices when available.
Swap the quick pickled shallots for marinated red onions if you prefer a more mellow, sweet-tangy topping.

I often keep marinated onions on hand — they’re wonderful on sandwiches, salads, stews and BBQ food.

Marinated sliced red onions in a glass jar with a metal spoon sticking out. The jar is on a vintage steel surface.

The café that inspired this was Two Hands in Nashville — thanks for the inspiration.

Two pieces of loaded avocado toast with feta, shallot, sliced red chilli, seeds and coriander (cilantro) on a wooden board on a dark grey background.

🍲 More fantastic avocado-based recipes

Sauces and Dips

Easy Guacamole Recipe

Chicken

Cajun Chicken with Coriander and Lime Rice

Vegetarian

Avocado Chocolate Mousse Bowl with Roasted Cherries

This chicken and quinoa salad makes a fantastic energy-boosting lunch!

Salads

Chicken and Quinoa Salad Bowl

Pineapple Avocado Detox Smoothie - Creamy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet and full of health packed ingredients.

Breakfast & Brunch

Pineapple Avocado Feel Good Smoothie

Breakfast & Brunch

Guacamole and Egg Breakfast Bowl

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4.67 from 3 votes

Avocado Toast

By Nicky Corbishley

Not your average avocado toast — a levelled-up version topped with feta, sliced chilli, pickled shallot, seeds and fresh coriander.

Prep Time:15 minutes

Total Time:15 minutes

Servings: 2

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Ingredients

Avocado and toast:

1 large ripe avocado
1 tbsp lime juice (approx. the juice of half a lime)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 thick slices of sourdough bread

Pickled shallot:

1 red shallot
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Toppings:

1 red Fresno chilli sliced
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander cilantro
3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Make the pickled shallot: peel and thinly slice the shallot.
Place the sliced shallot in a small bowl and pour over the red wine vinegar. Stir and leave to sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest.
Halve the avocado, remove the stone and scoop the flesh into a bowl.
Add the lime juice, salt and pepper, then roughly mash with a fork. I prefer a slightly lumpy texture, but mash to your liking.
Toast the sourdough slices and place on plates.
Top the mashed avocado with sliced chilli, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, chopped coriander and crumbled feta.
Add 6–7 pickled shallot slices to each plate and serve, keeping the remaining shallots available to add more while eating.

Notes

Additions:

A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if you want more richness.
Crispy chopped bacon for a savoury crunch.
Rub the toasted bread with half a garlic clove for a light garlicky flavour.
Very thin tomato slices — yellow, green or red cherry tomatoes all work depending on the flavour you prefer.

Nutritional information is approximate, per slice.
Avocados are calorically dense but delicious — use the nutrition values as a rough guide.

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 27g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.

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