Avocado Toast with Egg

There's something about the ritual of avocado toast that caught me off guard the first time I made it deliberately. I'd been throwing things on bread for years without thinking, but one morning when I sliced into a perfectly ripe avocado and the knife glided through like butter, something clicked. The way it smashed so easily, the bright green color, the smell of lemon hitting the bowl—it felt like I was finally doing it right. That breakfast tasted better than any I'd made before, and I realized it wasn't complicated at all, just attentive.

I made this for someone I was trying to impress once, and halfway through mashing the avocado I realized I was overthinking it. They walked into the kitchen just as I was finishing, saw the golden toast and green spread waiting, and said it looked restaurant-quality. That's when I understood: sometimes the simplest things feel luxurious just because you gave them your full attention.

Ingredients

• Whole-grain or sourdough bread, 2 slices: The bread is your foundation, so pick something with character and structure that can handle the moisture without falling apart.
• Ripe avocado, 1: This is the whole dish, so it matters—pick one that yields gently to thumb pressure, not one rock-hard or bruised.
• Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon: Prevents browning and cuts through the richness with brightness you didn't know you needed.
• Sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon: Magnifies every other flavor quietly, the way good salt does.
• Freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon: Fresh ground tastes sharper and more alive than the pre-ground stuff.
• Red chili flakes, 1/8 teaspoon (optional): A pinch adds warmth and a little complexity that makes people pause mid-bite.
• Large eggs, 2 (optional): If you're cooking them, this is breakfast becoming a real meal.
• Fresh chives or cilantro, 1 tablespoon chopped: Green herbs brighten the plate and add a subtle sharpness that cuts through the richness.
• Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon (optional): A good olive oil drizzled at the end adds both flavor and a silky finish.

Instructions

Toast your bread until it snaps with crispness:

The bread should be golden brown and firm enough to hold the mashed avocado without softening immediately. Listen for the slight crackle when you press it.

Prep the avocado while heat is still working:

Cut lengthwise around the pit, twist gently to open, and scoop the flesh into a bowl using a spoon. Work quickly so it doesn't brown.

Mash and season the avocado:

Use a fork to break it down into something between smooth and chunky—you want texture, not baby food. Add lemon, salt, pepper, and chili flakes all at once.

Cook your eggs if you're using them:

Fried or poached both work beautifully; aim for a runny yolk so it mingles with the avocado when you cut into it.

Spread the avocado mixture onto warm toast:

Use the back of a fork to distribute it evenly, creating gentle peaks and valleys that catch the toppings.

Top and finish:

Add the egg if using, then scatter chives or cilantro over top and drizzle with olive oil. Eat it immediately while everything is still warm and the textures haven't begun to blur.

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My grandmother once told me that she didn't understand avocado toast until she tasted one I'd made with good bread and an egg that actually had a runny yolk. She said it reminded her of things she used to eat in the 1970s when avocados first became available. That conversation shifted something for me—suddenly this simple breakfast felt connected to time and memory and generational taste.

The Art of the Ripe Avocado

Finding a perfectly ripe avocado is part skill, part intuition, part luck. You learn by touching them, by cutting into enough that go bad, by watching how they change over a few days in your fruit bowl. Some people buy them hard and wait; I've learned to buy them at different stages so I always have one ready. It's not overthinking—it's respecting the ingredient enough to plan ahead.

Bread Matters More Than You Think

Cheap white bread will absorb the avocado and turn mushy within minutes. A good sourdough or hearty whole grain holds its structure and adds its own flavor story. The bread isn't a vehicle—it's a partner in the dish. When you get this pairing right, the toast becomes the thing you think about between bites.

Making It Your Own

The beauty of this dish is how honestly it shows what you add to it. A drizzle of hot sauce, a pinch of smoked salt, crispy bacon, fresh tomato slices—each addition is visible and matters. I've made this a hundred different ways depending on what's in the kitchen and what my body seems to need that morning.

• Add feta cheese or crumbled goat cheese for tanginess and a salty contrast.
• Layer in smoked salmon or crispy bacon if you want to make it feel more substantial.
• Try sliced radish for crunch, or cherry tomatoes for sweetness and acidity.

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This is the kind of breakfast that tastes like you're taking care of yourself without any of the effort feeling like a chore. It's become my answer to the question of what to make when I want something nourishing and real.