This Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast is fresh, creamy, and savory. The secret is the lemon olive oil, which ties everything together and takes this toast from simple to something really special.
When you have a loaf of homemade sourdough bread and a ripe avocado, what would you make? Avocado toast seems like the most logical answer.
My mother-in-law has a huge avocado tree, and this time of year is harvest season. We helped her pick fruit a few times, so we ended up with a bunch. I gave some to my sister, and my husband gave some to his co-workers. I still have 2 at home. They’re huge, easily double the normal size. Then on Saturday, my brother-in-law gifted us a beautiful sourdough loaf that he baked himself. It’s very tasty and not too tangy, and I knew I wanted to use it for a recipe.
This avocado toast comes together with just a few simple components, each one adding its own layer of flavor:
Lemon Olive Oil
This is the most important element that ties this dish together. It’s olive oil infused with lemon zest, and it’s incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is just combine olive oil and fresh lemon zest. If you can, let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. If not, a few hours at room temperature will also do. I used this olive oil to toast the bread and as a drizzle over the finished toast.
Avocado Topping
This is similar to how I make guacamole, but without onion. Mix the avocado cubes with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, breaking apart the cubes and stirring until the mixture becomes creamy with some small avocado pieces remaining. Don’t be shy with the seasoning. You want this topping to be a little tangy and well seasoned.
Bread
I used homemade sourdough bread. You can use any bread you like, but something a little thicker is preferred.
Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon is one of my favorite foods. Not all of them taste the same. Some are more flavorful than others. My go-to is the Santa Barbara Smokehouse Smoked Atlantic Salmon from Whole Foods.
Optional Toppings
Poached eggs would surely go well with the toast, so feel free to add those. I also love adding micro arugula. It adds an extra peppery flavor and a bright, fresh bite.
What I love most about this recipe is how effortlessly it all comes together. A few simple ingredients, a little bit of care, and you have something that looks stunning and tastes even better. The lemon olive oil alone will make you want to put it on everything. Once you try this recipe, regular avocado toast just won’t cut it anymore.
Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast
Ingredients
- 2 slices sourdough bread (½-inch thick)
- 4 ounces smoked salmon slices
- Poached eggs (optional)
- Micro arugula (optional)
Lemon Olive Oil:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Zest from 1½ lemons (washed throughly and pat dried)
Avocado Topping:
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 2 – 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- A few hours (or a day) before, combine olive oil and lemon zest. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature (keep in the fridge if using the next day).
- For the avocado topping, first prepare the avocado. Wash and pat dried the avocados. Cut in half lengthwise, remove the pit. Using a small knife, while the avocado flesh is still in the skin, cut the flesh vertically into ¼-inch slices, then rotate 90˚ and cut into ¼-inch cubes. Scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl. Repeat with the other avocado. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Mix and stir until creamy with some small avocado pieces, cutting some of the bigger pieces with the spoon. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice and salt.
- Lightly brush the bread slices with lemon olive oil. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm until hot. Add the bread and toast until nicely charred on both sides, pressing down occasionally, about 4 – 5 minutes.
- Cut the toast into halves if desired. Top with avocado topping. Divide the smoked salmon and place on top of the toast. Drizzle with a little bit more lemon olive oil over the salmon. Sprinkle with little bit of ground black pepper. Add some micro arugula and poached eggs if using.
Notes
- How to make poached eggs: Fill a medium saucepan with 2-inch of water. Bring to a simmer (190˚C). Add egg one at a time carefully in the water and make sure they are in the opposite part in the pan. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for 4 minutes. Trim the egg edges with slotted spoon. If not using right away, scoop to a bowl of cold drinking water until ready to use.
- The sourdough bread I used was made by my brother-in-law. It’s a big loaf. My slice is 9-inch long. If your bread is small, use more slices.
- For the olive oil, if you can make it a day ahead, please do that. That gives more time for infusing. There will be leftover olive oil. It should be kept in the fridge and use within a few days.
- When making the avocado topping, you want it to be a bit sour from the lemon and well seasoned. Don’t be shy about the seasoning. And the more you mix, the avocado will break apart and become more creamy.
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