Celebrate summer flavors with this Whipped Ricotta Tomato Toast! With a creamy plant-based cheese, bright heirloom tomatoes, and vibrant fresh herbs, it makes the most of the season and is ready in just 10 minutes.
The classic late summer tomato sandwich of white bread, tomato, and mayonnaise has never really appealed to me. For one, I truly do not like the taste of mayo (both traditional and plant-based). Furthermore, untoasted white bread will turn instantly soggy with a juicy enough topping, making for a mushy and disappointing lunch.
However, tomatoes atop crusty, toasted sourdough with a creamy swath of airy whipped ricotta…this is more like it. We get a wonderful textural variation and the perfect combination of unctuous richness from cheese, sharp acidity from red wine vinegar, and subtle sweetness from cherry tomatoes. Because cherries have a higher skin-to-fruit ratio, they also often hold up a bit better texturally.
This entire recipe comes together in just about 15 minutes but truly epitomizes the best of late-summer flavors.
FAQs for this Ricotta Tomato Toast Recipe
A thick-sliced country sourdough bread is best. It has enough structure to support toppings without getting soggy or falling apart. I would avoid using sandwich bread in this recipe as it likely will not hold up under cheese and tomato salad.
Kite Hill’s plant-based ricotta has the most similar texture to traditional cheese, with a nice neutral flavor.
Yes, whipped ricotta can be made in a blender. Be sure to scrape down the sides as you mix it, to ensure it’s fully aerated.
Stored in a sealed container in the fridge, whipped ricotta will last for about a week. To know if it’s still good, just give it a smell for anything “off,” and look for signs of discoloration or mold (toss if you see any).
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Recipe Variations
- If you have the grill on for another recipe, consider grilling the bread over those grates as opposed to on the stovetop or in the toaster. It will take on a slightly smoky quality with nice char marks.
- If you don’t have access to plant-based ricotta cheese from the store, I encourage you to use the cashew ricotta from this recipe for Peach Caprese Salad or the tofu ricotta from this Asparagus Ricotta Galette.
- If you don’t have red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar is a nice substitute. Balsamic is a bit more aggressive but if you like that flavor, give it a try!
- For an even more flavorful dish, spread a layer of pesto underneath the ricotta.
Other Late Summer Tomato Recipes to Try Next
Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
Sweet Corn Pasta with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes
Whipped Ricotta Tomato Toast
Ingredients
For whipped ricotta:
- 1 cup vegan ricotta cheese such as Kite Hill
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt such as Morton (½ teaspoon if using Diamond Crystal)
- A few twists of black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For toast:
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large slices of country-style sourdough bread
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1 ½ cups mixed cherry tomatoes sliced into halves and quarters
- 2 TBS red wine vinegar
- Large pinch of salt
- A few twists of black pepper
- Fresh basil parsley, and/or mint, to garnish
Instructions
- Begin by making whipped ricotta. Add ricotta, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Turn on and stream in up to the full amount of olive oil, until you see a very light and airy texture (around 1 minute). This could probably be done in a blender as well.
- Next, make your toast base. Rub olive oil on both sides of the bread slices, coating them. Heat a skillet or grill pan to medium-high, and toast the bread for a couple of minutes each side until golden brown. Once bread is toasted and slightly cooled, rub the garlic clove over all sides to infuse it with more flavor. Set aside.
- Make tomato salad by combining in a medium bowl, add tomatoes, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
- To serve, thickly spread whipped ricotta over the toast slices (you will likely have extra cheese for next time). Next, pile a few big spoonfuls of tomatoes on top of ricotta. Finish with a nice array of fresh herbs, taking a generous hand with these as they’ll add a verdant brightness. Enjoy right away!
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