Garlic Tomato Cottage Cheese Toast

The short answer: This cottage cheese toast is a 6-minute meal with about 20g of protein. Toast thick sourdough, rub it with raw garlic, pile on cottage cheese, then top with salted tomatoes, basil, olive oil and chili flakes.

When you have five minutes and zero patience, toast is the answer. But not plain toast. This is the kind of toast that tastes like an Italian summer.

It’s one of the meals from our guide to what to eat when you’re too tired to cook, and it’s built the Clean Fit Fab way: real food, big flavor, and no seed oils.

Why this cottage cheese toast works on tired nights

• Cottage cheese is loaded with protein. A half cup brings about 12 to 14g.
• The garlic rub is everything. Raw garlic on hot toast melts right in.
• Real sourdough. The fermentation makes it tangy and satisfying.
• No cooking beyond the toaster. Dinner in 6 minutes.

Want to know how dairy fits in? The Harvard Nutrition Source on dairy covers what the research says.

The flavor: what makes it taste so good

The trick is salting the tomatoes first. That pulls out their juice and concentrates the flavor. Then garlic, basil and good olive oil make it taste far fancier than it is.

• A raw garlic clove rubbed on hot toast
• Ripe tomatoes salted with flaky salt
• Fresh basil and cracked black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes
• Everything bagel seasoning, if you love it

What you need

Here’s a quick look at the ingredients. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Ingredients: ripe tomatoes, flaky sea salt, sourdough bread, garlic clove, full-fat cottage cheese, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, red pepper flakes

Also, a note on fat: we cook with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, butter or ghee. They taste better, and they’re real food.

How to make cottage cheese toast

First, slice and salt the tomatoes. While they sit, toast the bread and rub it with garlic. Then spread the cottage cheese, top with tomatoes and herbs, and finish with olive oil. The full recipe card is below.

Garlic Tomato Cottage Cheese Toast

Garlic-rubbed sourdough with cottage cheese, salted tomatoes, basil and olive oil.

6minutes

20gprotein

330calories

2toasts

Servings

1x2x3x

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Ingredients Uncheck all

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• 2 medium ripe tomatoes sliced
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
• 2 thick slices sourdough bread
• 1 garlic clove halved
• 1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
• 6 leaves fresh basil torn
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

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1. Lay the tomato slices on a plate and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let them sit while you toast the bread.
2. Toast the sourdough until deeply golden. While it's hot, rub the cut side of the garlic clove all over the top.
3. Spread the cottage cheese thickly over each slice.
4. Top with the tomatoes and basil. Finish with olive oil, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Calories 330 Protein 20g Carbohydrates 32g Fat 13g Fiber 3g per serving, estimated

Serving ideas

Serve it right away while it’s hot and fresh. Then add a simple side of sliced fruit, a handful of greens with lemon and olive oil, or a few olives and pickles for extra crunch.

Nutrition at a glance: each serving has about 330 calories, 20g protein, 32g carbs and 3g fiber. Numbers are estimates and change with your exact ingredients.

Swaps and variations

• Add a jammy egg or smoked salmon for more protein.
• Swap tomatoes for sliced peaches and honey in summer.
• Use ricotta instead of cottage cheese.
• Add sliced avocado and lime.

Make-ahead and storage tips

Cottage cheese toast is best eaten right away. However, you can slice and salt tomatoes up to a day ahead and keep them in the fridge in a covered bowl.

Frequently asked questions

Save this one for your next long day. Want more? Try our spinach scrambled eggs with scotch bonnet next.

Reviewed for accuracy by a Licensed Practical Nurse with 17 years of clinical experience. This article is for general information and is not medical or nutrition advice.