avocado toast: picture: pexels
This year marks a decade since avocado toast became the poster child for quick, healthy, versatile Millennial meals. The immense popularity of this now-cult classic refuses to die down, as foodies the world over continue to reinvent avo on toast. What better way to celebrate the start of the 2025 South African avo season than with a look at how this iconic dish is still evolving 10 years on?
Avocado toast first made it onto the menu in the 1990s when Australian chef, Bill Granger, served it at his café. Granger served quarters of avocado on toast, drizzled with lime juice and olive oil, and topped with coriander, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
It was after Gwyneth Paltrow included a recipe for avo toast in her 2013 cookbook, It’s All Good, that this humble snack skyrocketed to stardom and took on a whole life of its own.
By 2015 it was one of the most Instagrammable foods, with #avocadotoast trending on all platforms. Today that hashtag has been used on more than 2.3 million Insta posts alone and is still gathering new #avotoast converts around the world.
In South Africa, a quick stroll through the pages of home cooks, pro cooks and foodie ‘influencers quickly reveals that avo toast is still slicing, dicing and smashing its way into everyday breakfast recipes.
That’s one of the reasons why avocado toast remains so popular – it can be enjoyed simply as is or dressed up into something a little more fabulous.
Think Avo Mayo, Feta and Fresh Veg Toast; Spicy Tomato Steak and Avo Hummus Toast; Tuna Aioli with Avo, Capers and Lemon Toast… and you get the idea!
On toast is not the only way to enjoy avo for breakfast. Avo can be added to any regular morning meal to give it a serious boost in the flavour department. We’re talking about Toasted English muffins with sliced avo topped with softly poached eggs and hollandaise; Avo waffles with savoury mince; and Sunny side up parmesan fried eggs with tomato jam, avo and baby spinach.
Aside from being dreamily delicious, easy to prepare and versatile beyond words (you can prepare your breakfast avos in a gazillion ways and add an avo to every meal, any time of day), avos also offer health benefits.
Three of the biggest food trends of 2025 are expected to be an increased focus on so-called brain foods, fibre and gut health.
Avos play a role in all three! Avocados contain healthy fats (like monounsaturated fats) and nutrients like lutein and fibre, which are essential for cognition and mental health. The good fats found in avos may also lower our risk for depression, anxiety and other mental disorders
Avos are also a good source of insoluble fibre (70%) and soluble fibre (30%). Research suggests that eating avos may help increase healthy gut bacteria.
With all this to their credit, adding an avo to breakfast – on toast or otherwise – or to any other meal of the day is an absolute no-brainer!
Spicy Tomato Steak and Avo Hummus Toasts
Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
FOR THE AVO HUMMUS
- 1 avocado
- 400 g tin chickpeas, drained
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) tahini (optional)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) avocado or olive oil + extra
- Juice of 1 lemon, to taste
- Salt and pepper
FOR THE SPICY TOMATO STEAK
- 300 g beef sirloin steak
- 250 g packet of cherry tomatoes
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) red wine vinegar
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) chilli flakes
TO SERVE
- 4-6 slices sourdough, toasted
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Handful basil
Method:
- For the avo hummus, blitz together all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- For the spicy tomato steak, heat a large frying pan over high heat until smoking hot. Add a splash of extra oil and fry the steak for about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare, or until cooked to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.
- Meanwhile, add the tomatoes to the hot pan with a splash of extra oil, vinegar and chilli flakes. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. Season with salt and pepper. Take off the heat and mix through the steak strips (don’t leave in the pan for too long, you don’t want to cook the steak further).
- To serve, spread the toast with avo hummus, and top with the tomato steak mixture, avo slices and basil.
Avo Mayo, Feta and Fresh Veg Toast
Makes 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
FOR THE AVO MAYO
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) white wine vinegar
- pinch garlic powder
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) avocado or olive oil + an extra splash
- Salt and pepper
FOR THE TOAST
- 6 slices seed bread, toasted
- handful of mint, chopped
- 500 ml (2 cups) fresh veggies, trimmed
- 1-2 avocados, cut to your liking
- 60 ml (¼ cup) feta, crumbled
- Handful of baby leaves or extra mint
Method:
- For the avo mayo, blitz together all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- For the toast, spread a layer of avo mayo on the toast. Mix the mint and a splash of extra oil through the veggies. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the veggies on the toast with the avocado, seasoned with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over feta and leaves.
Tip:
Use any of your favourite veggies such as sugar snap peas, cucumber, radishes, cooked corn kernels, chillies and red onion.
Compiled by: Protactic Strategic Communications
Also see: Recipes proven to boost wellbeing
