Meet the Industry Beans Avocado Smash: a timeless classic that's been a staple at our cafes for over 10 years.
We've had dozens of different iterations over the years, but sometimes the original is the best - so, in November 2023, we brought back this OG version for our tenth birthday. It's fresh and flavourful with a blend of avocado, feta, mint, and citrus.
Keep reading for our top five tips to make the perfect Avocado Smash, and the recipe we use in our cafes!
Our five essential tips to create the perfect Avo Smash:
- Selecting The Perfect Avocado: Gently press the top of the avocado where it was picked from the tree. If it’s soft there then it’ll be soft all over and you won’t bruise the avo!
- Freshness Is Key: The smash must be made to order because there is citrus and seasoning. If you pre-make the smash, it’ll lose all of the bright, fresh zingy flavours.
- Smashing In The Right Order: Although it might sound simple, getting the perfect smash is all about the order as you smash it (see in our recipe below!)
- Load Up On Herbs And Citrus: You can almost never have enough - getting a full-flavoured smash is about generous amounts of herbs, citrus (and of course seasoning)
- Plating: Take your time to plate up nicely. We want to create height on the plate to showcase the delicious mix of ingredients. So build up your smash as tall as you can!
"Our original Avocado Smash dates back to the old days when cafes were only just starting to realise the power of the avo. My brother and I had just started our first café at the ripe ages of 21 and 23. There was avo crush, avo mash, avo everything – but an avocado smash was what we set our eyes on! With the help of a good mate of mine (thankyou Heman!) in the kitchen we crafted the most flavoursome and fresh mix of avo, herbs, citrus, feta and seasoning. I reckon we ate it every day for a year. Over the years we have tried many variations of this however in celebrating ten years of Industry Beans we thought we’d bring back the original and the best so here it is, the original Avocado Smash." - Trevor, Co-founder of Industry Beans
Industry Beans Avocado Smash
Ingredients
- 1 whole ripe avocado
- 5 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 5 mint leaves, roughly chopped
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Drizzle of olive oil (or avocado oil for a lavish touch!)
- Danish feta
- Sea salt flakes
- Freshly ground pepper
- Sourdough
Recipe
- Toast your sourdough to perfection (or, char on a grill or skillet).
- Carefully remove the seed from the avocado and scoop out into a mixing bowl.
- Add chopped herbs, lemon juice, and oil.
- Begin smashing and scoop the mix with the side of a large spoon to smash, but maintain texture - we're not making guacamole here!
- Gradually add salt and pepper as you continue to smash.
- Just before finishing, crumble in the feta and give the mixture a final, gentle smash. *Aim for 1-2cm avocado chunks, with feta, herbs, and seasoning throughout.
- Cut your toast in half and stack it up.
- Spoon the avocado mix on top and serve with your favourite toppings.
Topping Suggestions:
- Chilli oil (we used to make a delicious house-made version with fresh red chillies and olive oil).
- Poached egg
- Bacon
- Balsamic mushrooms
- Any form of citrus (we make a gel at Industry Beans which takes some effort, but a lemon wedge works perfectly fine, too)
We'd love to see your Avo Smash!
If you're giving this recipe a go, tag us @industrybeans - we'd love to see it!
Local to our cafes?
Come in to Fitzroy, Chadstone, Newstead or York St. to try our Avocado Smash!
