Spanish style toast with tomato (or Pan Con Tomate) is one of the most popular breakfast dishes in Spain. It’s made with crusty bread, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and salt. I’m combining it with my love for avocado toast for a delicious toast recipe!
Breakfast Variations Between Cultures
When I visited Spain a few years ago I learned that the Spanish are not big on breakfast. Traditional American breakfast is typically a large meal, especially when eating out. Usually you get an order of eggs, a side of pancakes or toast, bacon or sausage, and more. Typically in Spain, breakfast is very light, consisting of some kind of toast (pan con tomate) or a pastry, yogurt, or fruit.
Spanish Style Toast
Every morning during my travels, I was served Spanish style toast, or pan con tomate. I couldn’t get enough of it! Restaurants there served toasted bread infused with garlic, topped with juicy tomato chunks, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Simple and satisfying!
I even went to restaurants for dinner that often served crusty bread with a side of tomato puree and olive oil, instead of butter. A much more delicious and healthier way to top your bread!
Putting My Own Spin On It
The last few months I’ve been buying a lot of sourdough bread to make toast to go along with eggs. One morning, I had a craving for the Spanish style toast so I decided to try and make it. It was everything I remembered it to be and so much more. I’ve been making it nearly every morning since.
This recipe includes my own fresh take on the classic pan con tomate by adding mashed avocado (who doesn’t love avocado toast?!). The addition of the healthy fats from the avocado keeps me fuller longer. I also brush the piece of bread with good olive oil before toasting instead of drizzling it on top. I find the olive oil gets infused into the crispy bread.
Use High Quality Ingredients
With very few ingredients in this recipe, it’s important to use high quality and fresh ingredients. I use sourdough bread which works great, but any artisan or crusty bread like ciabatta or a baguette would work as well.
Any ripe tomatoes work well, just avoid cherry tomatoes as they are too small. I used Campari tomatoes and think larger ones would be even better. With fresh tomato season rolling in it’s the perfect time to make this recipe!
Invest in Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The most important ingredient is high quality extra virgin olive oil. The type you use will make or break this recipe. There’s a huge difference when you use and taste high quality olive oil, so invest in a great bottle. The high quality oils may be more expensive, but you should use them sparingly to really enhance meals, like this one!
This recipe also uses fresh garlic, peeled, and then you rub across the grain of the bread. The oil from the garlic infuses into the hot bread. Fresh garlic can have a pungent spicy bite, so I suggest going light and adjusting to your liking. Alternatively, you can substitute roasted garlic for a milder flavor.
Variations in Preparing
Spanish style toast can be made in a few ways. Some people grate tomatoes and scoop them onto the toast. Others just rub the flesh of a tomato onto the crispy bread down to the skin. If you’re making for a crowd, it may be better to grate the tomato flesh into a bowl and add olive oil and salt. Then you can have everyone scoop the tomato puree onto their toast and serve themselves.
However, if you are just preparing it for 1-2 people I would suggest rubbing the cut side of the tomato generously over the bread. The bread will mash up the flesh and leave a thin layer of pulp and juice over your toast.
Modifications
I think the addition of mashed avocado takes this recipe up another level. But it’s not necessary. The classic Spanish style toast is just as tasty. If you want to experiment, try adding the following: fresh herbs, an egg, hot sauce, or sautéed vegetables. In Spain they often add sliced meat, like jamon, or cheese. The possibilities are endless.
Looking for more great recipes?
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Spanish Style Toast with Avocado (Pan Con Tomate)
Ingredients
- 2 slices crusty bread (sourdough, rustic style bread, ciabatta, or a baguette sliced lengthwise
- ½- 1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1 ripe tomato halved
- Pinch kosher or sea salt
- Black Pepper to taste
- ½ ripe avocado
Optional additional toppings:
- fresh herbs
- egg (hard boiled, over-easy, scrambled)
- sliced meat (jamon, ham, sausage, bacon)
- hot sauce
- cheese
- sautéed vegetables
Instructions
- Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of bread slices.
- Toast the slices in a toaster oven, or regular oven at 350°F, until evenly golden and toasted.
- Rub the garlic clove on one side of each slice of toast. *
- Next, rub a half a tomato (flesh side down) all over the surface of each slice of bread. The tomato should ‘grate’ down and you will just be left with the skin. Discard the skin.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your liking.
- In a small bowl, mash the avocado. Divide the avocado in half and spread over each slice in an even layer.
- Add an other additional toppings and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
285 Calories, 12 gram fat, 8 gram protein, 39 gram total carbohydrate, 4 gram sugar, 5 gram fiber, 459 mg sodium ~nutrition facts will vary pending size of bread and amount of ingredients used~ Notes:
It’s important for the bread to be nice and crispy for the garlic and tomatoes to ‘grate’ well on top. Instead of grating the tomato directly on each slice, Using a cheese grater, grate tomatoes into a bowl, discarding the skins. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the toast. This is ideal when serving a crowd so they can make their own. The measurements for the ingredients can be adjusted to your liking. Find the balance of flavors you enjoy. *Raw garlic can be very spicy and pungent, I suggest going light and next time you can always make adjustments. Alternatively, you can use roasted garlic for a milder flavor. You likely won’t use the whole garlic clove, pending size. Wrap in plastic wrap to use another time. Serve immediately, as the bread will get soggy the longer it sits
Make this Spanish style toast with avocado for breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, appetizer or pair it with a fresh salad for a light dinner. It is the perfect summer recipe you will want to make over and over because it is seriously that good!
What’s your favorite toppings for toast? Share in the comments below. Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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