Poached Eggs with Avocado, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil
How do you like your eggs? I love mine with some gorgeous Mediterranean flavors, which is what inspired my poached eggs with avocado recipe, served with sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives, and aromatic fresh basil.
Poached Eggs with Avocado, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil
I’ve done this recipe many times for brunch with friends, and it always goes down a treat. No matter where my husband and I would travel, we would always come across rustic cafes serving eggs and avocado toast in some way, shape, or form – it’s a real crowd-pleaser.
We’ve spent a fair amount of time in Spain and Portugal over the years, so I wanted to combine some of those classic Mediterranean flavors with a breakfast dish my husband and I pretty much eat most mornings these days.
If you’re having friends or family over for brunch, I would definitely give this recipe a try. It’s got creaminess, crunch, and sweetness, laced with tart and briny notes, and you can tailor the eggs to everyone’s preference.
Oh, and if you’re new to poaching eggs, don’t worry – I go through a few tips in the step-by-step section on how I poach eggs and how I poach several at a time.
Recipe Ingredients
To make my Mediterranean-inspired poached egg and avocado toast recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Bread – 2 large bread slices or 4 small ones
- Eggs – 4 eggs
- Avocado – 1 medium avocado
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Olives – 1/4 cup olives (I used green olives but you can use any olives you like, including kalamata or black olives)
- Basil – 6-8 basil leaves
- Salt – pinch of kosher salt (or sea salt flakes)
- Pepper – 1/2 tsp black pepper
- White Wine Vinegar (optional) – 1 tbsp (for poaching the eggs)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and fresh basil, and then give everything a mix with a spoon.
Step 2 – Mash the avocado.
Step 3 – Toast the bread slices and spread the mashed avocado on them.
Step 4 – Make the poached eggs. To a large pot, over high heat, add water and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low so the water is only gently simmering, and optionally, add 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
Note: You can still poach the eggs without the vinegar!
Swirl the water with a large spoon to create a small vortex. Crack an egg into a small bowl and gently add it to the center of the small vortex. Repeat with the other 3 eggs. You can cook all 4 at the same time in a large pot.
Cook the eggs for about 3 minutes until the whites have set and are firm, but the yolks are still runny.
Remove the eggs from the water (using a strainer spoon or a slotted spoon) and drain the eggs on a paper towel. Add a pinch of salt to the eggs while still hot.
Step 5 – Place the eggs on the bread with mashed avocado.
Step 6 – Top the eggs with the sun-dried tomato, olives, and basil mixture, and add some freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
Serving Suggestions
So even though there’s a fair amount going on in this dish already, you can definitely get creative and add your own little twist to it.
As the flavors are rich and plentiful, this on its own is delicious enough. But if you did want to serve it with meat, you could give your guests the option of some smoked salmon or some cured meats, such as prosciutto ham. You could even serve these on the side, in the packet, to give people the choice.
A side of greens can be more than a nice garnish, such as some peppery arugula or some watercress, for example.
I’ve also done egg-on-avocado toast dishes with a side of roasted vegetables (think eggplant and bell peppers, for example) many times, and they always pair well together.
A side of fried or sautéed spinach, which you can put on the toast or serve alongside it, is another addition worth trying.
Alternatively, you could fry some asparagus in olive oil and serve that alongside it.
Lastly, if you want to go full brunch mode, make sure you get yourself some fresh orange juice and a bottle of Prosecco, so that you can do everyone a glass of chilled Mimosa.
Recipe Card
Poached Eggs with Avocado, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil
Ingredients
- 2 large bread slices (cut into triangles)
- 4 eggs
- 1 medium avocado
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olives
- 6-8 basil leaves
- a pinch of kosher salt (or sea salt flakes)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (optional, for poaching the eggs)
Instructions
- Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and fresh basil, and then give everything a mix with a spoon.
- Mash the avocado.
- Toast the bread slices and spread the mashed avocado on them.
- Make the poached eggs.
To a large pot, over high heat, add water and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low so the water is only gently simmering, and optionally, add 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
Swirl the water with a large spoon to create a small vortex. Crack an egg into a small bowl and gently add it to the center of the small vortex. Repeat with the other 3 eggs. You can cook all 4 at the same time in a large pot.
Cook the eggs for about 3 minutes until the whites have set and are firm, but the yolks are still runny.
Remove the eggs from the water (using a strainer spoon or a slotted spoon) and drain the eggs on a paper towel. Add a pinch of salt to the eggs while still hot. - Place the eggs on the bread with mashed avocado.
- Top the eggs with the sun-dried tomato, olives, and basil mixture, and add some freshly ground black pepper to taste.
You Might Also Like to Try
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- Creamy Avocado Egg Salad Recipe Packed with Goodness
Planning a breakfast or brunch and want to pull out all the stops? Keep my recipe for safekeeping, saved to one of your Pinterest boards.
