Description
A healthy and flavorful alternative to traditional avocado toast! Baked sweet potato slices serve as the “toast” base, topped with creamy avocado and a refreshing lemon-basil chickpea salad with cucumber and feta. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a light lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sweet Potato “Toast”:
- 1–2 medium to large sweet potatoes
- Olive oil (for brushing or tossing, optional)
For the Lemon-Basil Chickpea Salad:
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped cucumber (English or Persian recommended)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Zest of 1/2 a lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2–3 tablespoons)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (plus extra for topping)
- 7–8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus extra for topping)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
For Assembly & Topping:
- 1–2 ripe avocados, pitted and sliced or mashed
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (for avocado)
- Extra crumbled feta cheese
- Extra chopped fresh basil
- Extra fresh lemon juice, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
-
Bake Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Pierce the sweet potatoes 5-6 times each with a fork. Place them on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. You want them to be tender enough to slice but still on the firmer side (not mushy).
- Let the baked sweet potatoes cool for 15-20 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
-
Make Lemon-Basil Chickpea Salad (While Potatoes Bake/Cool):
- In a medium bowl, combine the drained and rinsed chickpeas, chopped cucumber, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, juice of 1 lemon, dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
- Stir to combine. Gently stir in 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese and 7-8 chopped fresh basil leaves.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and let chill in the refrigerator while the potatoes finish baking and cooling to allow flavors to meld.
-
Prepare Sweet Potato “Toast”:
- Once the baked sweet potatoes have cooled slightly, slice them crosswise into 1/4-inch thick rounds or lengthwise into planks.
- Toast the sweet potato slices in a toaster oven or a regular toaster until lightly golden and slightly crisped. You may need to run them through a couple of cycles. (Alternatively, you can pan-fry them briefly in a lightly oiled skillet).
-
Prepare Avocado: Pit and slice the avocados. If mashing, place avocado flesh in a small bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and mash to desired consistency.
-
Assemble Toasts:
- For each toast, take a slice of toasted sweet potato.
- Top with sliced or mashed avocado.
- Spoon a generous amount of the lemon-basil chickpea salad over the avocado.
- Sprinkle with extra crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh basil.
- Add an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top, if desired.
-
Serve: Serve immediately.
Notes
- Sweet Potatoes: Choose sweet potatoes that are relatively uniform in shape for even “toast” slices. Bake them until just tender so they hold their shape when sliced and toasted.
- Chickpea Salad: This salad is also delicious on its own! Adjust lemon juice and seasonings to your preference.
- Toasting Sweet Potatoes: Toasting the sweet potato slices gives them a nice texture, similar to bread toast.
- Storage: Store leftover baked sweet potatoes, chickpea salad, and avocado separately. Assemble toasts just before serving for best results. Chickpea salad will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.