Avocado toast with poached egg

The classic done well: bread that doesn't go soggy, creamy avocado and a runny yolk.

10 min
Total time: 10 min
Hands-on: 1 serving
Servings: 520 cal
Per serving: Easy
Difficulty: Toaster and saucepan
Method

Photo: Andy Li · CC0

Ingredients

1 serving

Nutrition facts

per serving

520cal

Protein: 27 g20 %
Carbs: 38 g29 %
Fat: 30 g51 %
Fiber: 11 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 3 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

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Cover

Avocado toast with poached egg

The classic done well: bread that doesn't go soggy, creamy avocado and a runny yolk.

1Step 1 of 5

Toast the bread well

Toast it until it's truly golden and crisp, not just warm. That's what stops the avocado and the yolk from turning it into a sponge.

2Step 2 of 5

Mash the avocado with a fork

Cut it open, scoop it into a bowl and mash it with a fork, leaving some chunks. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix.

Tip: A blender gives you a smooth, boring paste. The chunks are half the fun.

3Step 3 of 5

Get the poaching water ready

Put a saucepan of water with the tablespoon of vinegar over medium heat. The water should shiver, with small bubbles rising, but never boil hard: that breaks up the white.

4Step 4 of 5

Poach the eggs

Crack each egg into a cup, stir the water into a gentle whirlpool and slide the egg into the center. Exactly 3 minutes for a runny yolk. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.

Tip: If poaching stresses you out, a fried egg with a soft yolk does the same job and never fails.

03:003 min · Poach the eggs

5Step 5 of 5

Assemble the toast

Spread the avocado over the bread, set the egg on top, break the yolk and finish with flaky salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

About this recipe

Avocado toast has become a cliché, and for good reason: when it's done well it's one of the best breakfasts there is. The problem is it's usually done badly, with soft sandwich bread that goes soggy and dull avocado.

Three things change it completely: bread with a real crumb, toasted hard; avocado mashed with a fork, not blended; and lemon and flaky salt without holding back.

With the egg on top it's 27 grams of protein, which turns a slice of toast into a complete breakfast.

Tips for getting it right

A ripe avocado gives slightly when you press near the stem. If it's hard, a couple of days in the fruit bowl next to a banana speeds it up.
The lemon isn't just for flavor: it stops the avocado from turning brown.
A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds or chili flakes takes the whole thing up a notch.

Variations

With tomato

Half a teaspoon of grated fresh tomato on the bread before the avocado, the Spanish way.

With salmon

A slice of smoked salmon between the avocado and the egg. It brings the protein up to 33 g.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I poach an egg without it falling apart?

Three things: the freshest eggs you can get (the white is firmer), water that shivers rather than boils, and a tablespoon of vinegar. Cracking the egg into a cup first and sliding it in gently also helps a lot.

Is avocado healthy if it has so much fat?

Its fat is mostly monounsaturated, the same family as olive oil. Half an avocado a day fits perfectly into a balanced diet.

What's the best bread for avocado toast?

One with a dense crumb: sourdough, rye or a real whole-grain loaf. Soft white sandwich bread gets soggy and falls apart in two minutes.

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