Avocado Bruschetta with Tomatoes and White Beans

These avocado and white bean toasts are ready in about 20 minutes, and work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Cooking dinner in the summertime is always an interesting challenge. Each night (well, most nights anyway) I ask myself, how can I make a complete meal with a carb, a protein, and a vegetable, all while doing the least amount of cooking possible? Because like many New Yorkers, we don’t have central AC in our apartment, so the amount of time the stove is on needs to be calculated wisely.

These garlicky avocado toasts with tomatoes and white beans are my latest go-to for hot and humid evenings. It’s basically avocado bruschetta, but piling the toppings onto hearty sourdough instead of the more traditional crostini – as well as adding beans – takes the vegan meal from appetizer to main course territory. 

The only actual cooking you need to do is making the skillet toast, while the toppings require zero stove time.

What Makes This Recipe Special

Skillet Toasted Bread

Instead of simply popping bread in a toaster, I recommend drizzling it with good olive oil and toasting it in a cast iron skillet. The resulting bread will be crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and have a rich texture thanks to the oil. Cast iron also lends a hint of smokiness.

If you don’t have a cast iron pan, cook the bread on a grill pan (or any other skillet). 

Garlicky Bread

While the bread is still hot, rub it vigorously with a garlic clove; this step is pretty common when making bruschetta. The residual heat will release the garlic’s oils, infusing the bread with an extra layer of flavor. The result is more subtle than adding raw chopped garlic to the tomato topping.

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• Good Bread: Because this recipe is so simple, the quality of the ingredients you use will come through. A whole wheat sourdough boule from a local bakery – cut into thick slices – is your best bet. If that’s not an option, use ciabatta or another country-style loaf. Whatever you use, it’s best to slice it yourself since pre-sliced bread is too thin and may buckle under the weight of these toppings.
• Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are sweet and juicy, so they add a ton of flavor to basic canned beans. Alternatively, you may use a ripe heirloom tomato.
• White Beans: Cannellini, great northern, navy, or butter beans would all work here.
• Herbs (Optional): This is a great way to use up leftover herbs, be it parsley, dill, cilantro, or basil.

How to Make Avocado Bruschetta (Step-by-Step Photos)

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Toast the Bread

Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast in a hot cast iron skillet until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Step 2: Rub with Garlic

Cut a garlic clove widthwise and rub the surfaces of the hot bread with the cut side.

Step 3: Prep the Tomato Topping

While the bread is toasting, combine the tomatoes and beans, and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Mash the Avocado

In a separate bowl, mash the avocados with lemon juice and salt until smooth.

Step 5: Serve the Toasts

Divide the avocado mash among the toasts and top with the tomato mixture. Serve immediately.

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

The Full Recipe

Notes on Serving + Storage

These avocado white bean toasts are great any time of day, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacktime. Serve by themselves or with a green side salad. They are also great as a party appetizer.

Avocado bruschette are best eaten right away – within about an hour of assembly – as the avocado will eventually turn brown. However, the tomato-bean mixture can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More Summer Dinners to Try

• Pearl Couscous Salad with Chickpeas
• Cold Udon Noodle Salad
• Tuscan Beans on Toast
• Lemon Zucchini Pasta