Avocado Artichoke Toast with Poached Egg

Elevate your morning with a restaurant-style twist on a traditional breakfast staple. Blended with fresh basil, lime juice, and spices, Avocado Artichoke Toast with Poached Egg creates a sophisticated flavor profile with added protein, making it perfect for a high-end brunch or lunch.

To elevate the flavor profile, add fresh basil leaves and ground cumin (perfect flavor pairings for this topping. A splash of fresh lime juice provides a bright acidity while helping to preserve the vibrant green color of the avocado.

Picking Avocados

Look for ones that yield slightly to gentle pressure in the palm of your hand. Ripe ones should feel firm yet supple; if it feels mushy or leaves a dent, it is likely overripe.

How to Ripen and Store

Check the color of the skin under the small stem cap – a vibrant green indicates a fresh, ready-to-eat interior, while brown suggests bruising or age. If you are shopping ahead of time, choose firmer ones and allow them to ripen at room temperature. 

Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for approximately 2 to 3 days (uncut). The cooler temperature slows the ripening process significantly, helping the fruit maintain its peak texture without becoming mushy.

Artichokes

For the avocado toast topping, I took inspiration from a brunch dish I had some years ago in Santa Barbara. I find that either canned or jarred – plain or marinated – blend up better than fresh artichokes for a smooth texture. Blending them with avocado adds a nutty earthiness and a whipped, plush consistency that holds its shape on the toast.

The subtle acidity from the jarred artichokes also cuts through the rich fat of the avocado for a more balanced flavor. If you enjoy this creamy consistency, my Artichoke Cream Dip is another excellent way to use this pantry staple.

Best Bread to Use

The choice of bread serves as the foundation contributing significantly to the overall flavor profile. To elevate this dish, avoid standard white sliced bread in favor of fresh, unsliced loaves that offer more texture and character.

As alternatives, rosemary bread, sourdough and Italian ciabatta are all good options and I’ve used all these to great success in the past. So when it come so choosing the bread, choose a fresh, unsliced loaf that appeals to you.

On any given day, there are so many amazing, freshly baked loaves of bread available in bakeries and grocery stores. When I formed this recipe for photographing, I used a fresh, delicious loaf of olive bread.

I grilled the bread on my stove top grill because I just prefer how it grilled bread tastes, but toasting is also fine.

Poaching Eggs

While poaching an egg may seem intimidating, the process is straightforward with the right technique. You can follow my How to Poach an Egg tutorial for consistent results. To elevate the final presentation, garnish the dish with fresh arugula, or omit it for a simpler profile.

If you prefer an alternative, sunny-side-up or sliced hard-boiled eggs work equally well. To keep the dish plant-based, simply omit the egg entirely.

Optional Additions

Elevate this dish further by blending ricotta cheese with the avocado and artichokes for added creaminess. For a more savory profile, add two slices of crispy bacon or fresh tomato slices before topping with the egg.

Alternatively, you can serve the avocado-artichoke mixture as a standalone appetizer dip. For those who prefer a little spice, a pinch of red pepper flakes provides a subtle spicy kick.