This savory Mother’s Day brunch/breakfast option is incredibly simple and insanely delicious. When I lived in Portland, I used to treat myself to a toast just like this when I worked at one of my favorite coffee shops, Cup & Bar. Whole milk ricotta gets whisked with lemon zest, olive oil, and salt for a luscious and light toast topper. That gets topped with slices of creamy avocado, more lemon zest, a drizzle of oil, flaky salt, and pepper for a truly special toast. If you can’t have dairy, make my vegan lemon ricotta option.
Ingredient Highlight
Ricotta cheese! This soft, mildly sweet cheese is loaded with calcium and selenium and is a great source of protein, packing in 14g per 1/2 cup.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 10 minutes Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted
- 2 avocados, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
Vegan Lemon Ricotta (vegan/dairy-free option)
- 2 cups raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight, drained*
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- *For a quick soaking method, simmer the seeds in water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. This is what I always do!
- Add protein! ~ serve with a side of scrambled eggs or bacon.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add ricotta, lemon zest, oil, and salt. Use a whisk or electric beater to whisk/beat until smooth. For an ultra creamy ricotta, whisk in a splash of heavy cream.
- For vegan ricotta, add soaked seeds, lemon, oil, and salt to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and add more lemon or salt, if needed.
- Top each toast generously with the whipped ricotta and place the avocado slices on top, pressing gently to adhere. Top everything with a drizzle of good olive oil, more lemon zest, flaky salt, and black pepper.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make ricotta mixture (regular or vegan). If making vegan, be sure to soak overnight or quick soak your seeds.
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, make Vegan Lemon Ricotta (see recipe).
- To make gluten-free, use gluten-free toast.
Storage:
- Store leftover ricotta mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. Vegan ricotta will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Leftover ricotta mix can be used to top grain bowls, pasta, or cooked spring veggies (think asparagus, snap peas, greens, etc…).
- Leftover vegan ricotta is delicious on toast or you could thin it out with some water (add salt/lemon) and mix it with pasta. It’s also delicious dolloped on top of grain bowls.
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