Lemony zucchini ribbons on avocado toast (vegan)

I’ve been chasing that dream ever since.

What made this particular toast so memorable?

It was topped with big, lemony ribbons of zucchini. I'd ordered it at a restaurant in Omaha, and that simple idea stuck with me long after the place had closed.

Recently, I ran out of pickled onions for my usual avocado toast with pickled red onions. But as luck would have it, I still had one zucchini left from this CSA summer season.

It was finally zucchini’s time to shine.

I used an ordinary vegetable peeler to cut several long, wide strips of zucchini, tossed them in lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Then let them quickly marinate while making the rest of the toast.

For such a simple dish, it’s amazing how delicious zucchini avocado toast tastes. So fresh, and the tang of the lemon brightens the avocado.

This summery toast is great for breakfast or a snack, on its own, or with eggy tofu and fruit.

And hey, if you want to Instagram about it, pretend it’s 2018 all over again, and do it.

In this post:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Zucchini: Any type of zucchini or summer squash works here – including yellow summer squash or Zephyr.

You’ll only need a few strips of zucchini for this toast. You can save the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for more toast the next day, or use it in other recipes. (See ideas at the bottom of this post.)

Extra virgin olive oil: A little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil carries the lemon juice flavor, and adds its own Mediterranean flair.

Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best.

Salt and pepper: A touch of salt and freshly ground pepper make the flavors pop.

Bread: A hearty whole wheat or multigrain bread is my preference for avocado toast. Silver Hills Sprouted Bread, Dave's Killer Bread, and Alvarado St. Bakery all have good vegan options. For a milder flavored bread, toasted sourdough bread works nicely.

To make it gluten-free, choose a gluten-free bread.

Avocado: For this recipe, I like to use half of a small, ripe avocado.

This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

1. With a vegetable peeler, peel about 4 long, thin ribbons from a zucchini. Toss the ribbons in a small bowl with:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt

Use your fingers to combine, making sure the ribbons are evenly coated. Then set aside.

2. Toast a slice of bread in the toaster.

For simplicity’s sake, I generally use a toaster. But it’s even better lightly buttered (with vegan butter, of course) and toasted in a dry skillet, flipping once, until browned on both sides.

3. Top the toast with sliced avocado, and smash it with a fork. Add a sprinkling of salt.

4. Wrap a zucchini strip around your pointer and middle finger, going from knuckles to fingertips. Then lay the ribbon on the avocado toast. Continue with the remaining zucchini ribbons.

5. Sprinkle with a dash of pepper, and dig in while the toast is still warm.

Tip: I don’t recommend making this vegan breakfast ahead of time. It’s best to eat while fresh.

You can tweak this recipe to make it your own by varying the ingredients.

Vary the bread: Try whole grain bread, multigrain, sourdough, or any sturdy bread that you enjoy. For a gluten-free option, opt for gluten-free bread.

Vary the toasting method: Use a toaster to toast the bread. Or lightly oil the bread with vegan butter or eggless mayo and toast it in a skillet.

Vary the amount of avocado: I like to use half of a small avocado, but if you prefer, you can use all of it, or use half of a large avocado and really pile it on.

Vary the spread: Replace smashed avocado with vegan cream cheese, vegan feta cheese, vegan ricotta cheese, or homemade hummus.

Vary the seasonings: If you like, add more seasonings like granulated garlic, granulated onion, cayenne, or red pepper flakes. Replace lemon juice with lime juice.

Vary the toppings: Add fresh herbs like cilantro, dill, parsley, or basil. Sprinkle on microgreens, sprouts, pea tendrils, or chives.

Add crunch: Add toasted sunflower seeds, pepitas, hemp seeds, or sesame seeds.

Add extra tang: Get tangy with pickled onions or pickled shallots.

This easy avocado toast is terrific on its own for a quick breakfast or filling snack. But you can also round it out with other dishes.

Serve it with any of these protein-packed brunch dishes:

• Eggy tofu vegan eggs
• Tofu scramble with kale
• Chickpea scramble
• Silken tofu scramble
• Vegan breakfast skillet

Use any leftover zucchini in one of these tasty recipes:

• Fried zucchini slices (air fryer or pan-fried)
• Sauteed summer squash and zucchini
• Grilled vegetable skewers
• Air fryer lasagna with zucchini

📖 Recipe

Lemony zucchini ribbons on avocado toast (vegan)

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 2 votes

Light and bright strips of zucchini are folded onto everyone's favorite – avocado toast. It's a quick and delicious breakfast that's a step outside of the ordinary. It's great on its own or alongside eggy tofu and fruit.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: 5 minute recipes, easy breakfast, vegan brunch

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 wide ribbons of zucchini plus more if desired (peeled from any size zucchini)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ 1 slice bread
• ▢ ½ small avocado sliced with pit removed
• ▢ Dash of pepper

Instructions

• ▢
  Use a vegetable peeler to peel about 4 ribbons of zucchini in long, wide strips. (Save the rest of the zucchini in a covered container in the refrigerator for another use.)
• ▢
  Put the zucchini ribbons in a small bowl. Add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

  Use your fingers to combine, making sure the zucchini ribbons are evenly coated. Then let the zucchini marinate while you make the rest of the toast.
• ▢
  Toast a slice of bread in the toaster.*
• ▢
  Once the bread is toasted, top with half an avocado. Use a fork to smash it onto the bread, and sprinkle with salt.
• ▢
  Take one of the zucchini ribbons, and wrap it around your pointer and middle finger, going from knuckles to fingertips. Then lay the ribbon on the avocado toast. Continue with the remaining zucchini ribbons.
• ▢
  Sprinkle the finished toast with a dash of pepper, and dig in while the bread is still warm.

Notes

*For a more decadent take, lightly butter the bread on both sides with vegan butter, then toast it in a dry skillet, flipping once, until browned on both sides. It makes for a richer, more luxurious toast.

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Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg