Sprouts on toast

Who invented avocado on toast?

If you wondered who first came up with the idea to put mashed-up plants on toast and charge fifteen quid for it, blame (or perhaps don’t, since he very sadly passed away in 2025) the Australian chef Bill Granger. In the 1990s Sydney, Bill first introduced ‘smashed avo’ in his restaurant. But it was in the 2010s that the dish (if you will call it that) spread like a wildfire in trendy cafés and on social media of the US and Britain.

It is a very nice thing to have for breakfast or brunch, though there are some ethical issues related to avocados. It’s the usual suspects: there’s the environmental damage including deforestation, high water usage and carbon footprint left by the avos flown across the world. Its cultivation in deprived regions questionably involves child labour and exploitation. And that’s all before we consider the hazard of ‘avocado hand’ injuries at home!

Beyond avocado

All the risks mean café owners and chefs have started looking around to find a sustainable and noble replacement to smash and pile on toast. Those include peas or broad beans, both very fitting replacements in my view. Other beans have not taken off so much, perhaps due to not being green. I also do like a slightly more different version, which is strawberries and ricotta on toast. Still, the colours are wrong.

Hummus or mushrooms are very nice but old news and far removed from avo. And thus my proposition is a sure winner, being seasonal, cheap, sustainable, local, green and morally unambiguous: good old Brussels sprouts!

How to cook sprouts for the toast

Preparation does take a bit longer than to peel an avocado but it’s injury risk-free and really simple.

The sprouts, trimmed and washed, halved if enormous specimens, need to be seasoned very well with salt and black pepper, then drizzled generously with olive oil. No need for expensive extra virgin: decent quality standard olive oil will suffice. Massage the seasoning into the sprouts and turn them all out onto a roasting tray.

After about forty minutes they will be wonderfully crisp-charred on the outside and soft in the middle. To ensure they cook and crispen evenly, give the tray a shake once or twice whilst roasting.

Toast the bread, thickly sliced sourdough recommended, when the sprouts are almost ready to come out, but there’s no need to butter it thanks to the olive oil used for the sprouts.

Mashy-smashy

You can mash the sprouts gently in the tray, then spread them on toasted slices. If they are very soft and the bread sturdy, pile them on and smash with a fork on the toast. That will make sure the oil and juices flavour the bread.

Don’t discard the crispy, blackened bits! Unless you left the sprouts in the oven for much too long and they have turned bitter, those will be the nicest bits, scattered all over. A sprinkling of flaky salt, and a few gratings of Parmesan and your brunch/breakfast/snack is ready to tuck in.

They are really delicious on toast – and so says I, no great lover of sprouts. Wholesome and comforting, the textures are lovely and the whole thing tastes like good autumnal or wintry fare – which no avocados can ever do.

Mushroom option

My recipe includes mushrooms: a few chestnut closed cap champignons will go incredibly well with the sprouts. For that, add them whole or halved in with the sprouts, aiming for same sized chunks. Mushrooms will shrink considerably and obviously they are not smashable, but provide a very nice variety of textures.

Other options

Instead of mushrooms, try diced chunks of butternut or acorn squash. Another idea that will work well is diced celeriac or sweet potato. In both latter cases you might consider adding a touch of mixed dried herbs to the seasoning, as the squashes and the roots are somewhat bland.

More Brussels sprout recipes

Shaved Brussels sprout salad with toasted walnuts and Manchego cheese. The sprouts are raw, the walnuts are toasted and the cheese is mashed into a dressing. Feed it to a sworn Brussels hater and see what happens.

Brussels sprout heads and Brussels sprout tops, two side dishes out of a sprout stick. The sprouts are roasted in olive oil until caramelised and gorgeous, and the tops are blanched and tossed with toasted almonds.

Best Brussels sprouts recipe, perfect for Christmas dinner. Brussels sprouts with bacon, Parmesan and crushed walnuts - that's Brussels sprouts with three crumbs.

More brunch toast recipes

Chanterelles on toast: fresh chanterelles sautéed in a little butter, piled on thick slices of toasted bread, make lunch, starter or a snack fit for gods. Scottish or French chanterelles, sunny yellow wild mushrooms, are autumn’s best.

Broad bean and smashed pea bruschetta with herbs, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil is a starter, lunch or appetiser to kill for. It gives a completely new meaning to beans on toast!

Crab butter with Thai chilli flavour, fantastic on toast or fresh bread. Chilli crab butter is easy to make and can be served as a dip or sandwich spread.