Avocado Toast with Poached Egg
Creamy avocado on toasted sourdough, topped with a runny poached egg.
- Preparation
- 10 min
- Cook/bake time
- 10 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 701 kcal
- Servings
- 2
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cooking & baking
- 10 min
Creamy avocado on toasted sourdough, topped with a runny poached egg. A splash of vinegar in the water and a gentle swirl ensure the egg white stays together while poaching instead of spreading throughout the pot. This is the breakfast that has not missed a cafe trend for years.
Why this works
Fresh eggs have a thick white that wraps around the yolk as it coagulates. As the egg ages, carbon dioxide escapes through the shell, the pH level rises, and the white becomes thin. In water, it then shreds into wisps. The vinegar works in the opposite direction. It lowers the pH level at the surface and makes the egg white coagulate faster. The swirl wraps it around the yolk instead of letting it drift away.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Mix the avocado cream
Roughly mash the avocado flesh with a fork and mix it with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Intentionally leave some chunks, as a completely smooth cream looks less appetizing on the bread and loses texture. The lime also prevents browning.
- 2
Toast the bread
Toast the bread slices in a toaster or in a pan with a little olive oil until they are crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside. Sourdough bread is ideal here because its firm crumb can support the moist avocado and the egg without getting soggy.
- 3
Prepare the poaching water
Bring the water to a simmer in a wide pot. It should bubble slightly but never boil vigorously. Add the vinegar, which helps the egg white coagulate faster. Do not add salt to the water, as it softens the egg white and makes it more likely to shred.
- 4
Poach the eggs
Crack each egg individually into a small cup. Stir a gentle swirl into the water with a spoon and let the egg slide from the cup into the center. The swirl wraps the egg white around the yolk. After three minutes, the egg white is firm and the yolk is still runny. Take it out with a slotted spoon.
- 5
Serve
Spread the avocado cream generously on the toasted slices and place a drained egg on top of each. Sprinkle chili flakes, coarse salt, and freshly ground pepper over them, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with cress. Serve immediately so the bread stays crispy.
Our best tips
- Only poach very fresh eggs. With older eggs, the egg white is thin and inevitably shreds.
- No salt in the poaching water, only vinegar. Salt promotes the shredding of the egg white.
- The water must only simmer, not boil. Boiling bubbles will tear the egg apart immediately.
Tasty variations
With feta
Add crumbled feta and a few cherry tomatoes to the avocado to make it more filling.
With smoked salmon
Instead of or in addition to the egg, add smoked salmon, a squeeze of lemon, and dill.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 701 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| – of which sugar | 6 g |
| Fat | 45 g |
| Fiber | 17 g |
Where the 701 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
How do I recognize fresh eggs?
A fresh egg sinks to the bottom of a glass of water and stays there. If it stands upright or floats, it is older and unsuitable for poaching.
Can I pre-poach eggs?
Yes. Shock poached eggs in ice water and store them in the refrigerator, then warm them in hot water for 60 seconds before serving.
How do I ripen avocados?
Place them in a paper bag together with an apple. The released ethylene accelerates ripening to one to two days.
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