People often ask me where I get the ideas and inspiration for my recipes. For me, it is almost always on my shopping trips to either the grocery store or the farmer’s market.

So on this trip, I was roaming the aisles of Whole Foods, cart in hand, when I remembered my raw sauerkraut craving. I picked out some sauerkraut, and right next to them: bread and butter pickles. My fave pickle variety. Buttery, crispy, slightly spicy, sweet and sassy. So I added them to my cart too.

I made my way to the checkout line. The girl in front of me was placing her items on the conveyer belt and I had serious cart envy. She had a giant bag of apples, loads of greens and also Wyoming sourdough bread and tempeh bacon from Lightlife. Suddenly I wanted those things too – well the bread and tempeh, at least. (Btw, this is exactly why I need to stick to my list when I grocery shop.) I hopped out of line, grabbed that same loaf of bread and slung some tempeh into my overflowing hand cart. I also picked out some garlic hummus. My toast idea was in motion.

When I got home, I made my first variation of this Bread & Butter Pickle Tempeh-Bacon Toast and let me say I was hooked! Salty sweet with loads of texture and enough protein to be filling. Plus, you know pickles are technically vegetables, right?? So this is clearly a complete meal.

I made this recipe two more times the next day. I had to go back to the store for more pickles and hummus. Hi.

I really didn’t know if this simple toast was a blog-worthy recipe, but I think it has proven its worth from the number of (many) times I have made it the past few weeks. Hm, maybe lunch today…

So pickle toast it is!..

So is this toast healthy?? I say yes, absolutely. It is similar to an avocado toast, only I add in hummus and protein-rich tempeh and of course pickles. Pickles are technically cucumbers, a veggie! But one caveat, if you are watching your sodium intake, be wary of how many pickles you add. This is a salty, robust toast!

Actually, for just that reason, the rich sodium content, I love eating this a few hours after working out. I know most people need to worry about eating too much sodium, but for folks (like me) I actually have to worry about getting enough of it! I lean towards low blood pressure and it can really effect the way I feel sometimes, leading to dizziness and fatigue. So actually making sure I add enough salt to my diet is a good thing. I prefer pink Himalayan salt, but bread and butter pickles work too 🙂

My doctor actually told me once, “If you don’t like salty foods, you can try salt pills.” Whoa. Huh? Who doesn’t like salty foods?? This was madness to me. But at least I had doctor’s orders to eat plenty of bread and butter pickles!

Ok, one more thing. B&B pickles also have a good amount of sugar – which is what helps make them sweet – so watch that too if you need to. Ok covered all that. Back to toast bliss..

If you want to tweak this recipe, you certainly can. Here are a few ways:

– Bread. Sub a gluten-free or whole grain bread – or a bagel, pita or wrap.
– More Veggies. Add some leafy greens on top!
– Simplify. Omit the avocado or hummus and just use one or the other.
– Vegan Bacon. Instead of tempeh bacon, try shiitake bacon or coconut bacon.
– Pickles. If you don’t like the sweetness of bread and butter pickles, you could always try sliced dill pickles or sauerkraut.
– Meal it. Make it a meal by serving alongside a salad or soup!

If you make this and love it as much as me please let me know! I would love to hear that I am not the only one who thinks this combo is insanely delicious. Enjoy.