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This breakfast recipe for soft poached eggs on a toasted sourdough slice with crushed avocado, ricotta and a spiced dukkah is delicious and healthy. If you are planning a Sunday brunch for the family, try our version of this popular brekkie worth getting out of bed for.

I usually don't eat breakfast at work. Just a bowl of cereal or a banana at the most. Though I can't say the same about coffee 😁 I need at least 2 cups of coffee to start my day and even more at times to keep me going!

breakfast set up on table with Slice of sourdough with ricotta, crushed avocado, cut poached eggs with yolk flowing, cherry tomatoes, basil and dukkah

Things are different on my day off however. I love to get up early and whip up a fancy breakfast at home for the family.
I love cooking early morning in the kitchen and setting the table for breakfast, before my family wakes up. They too deserve a special breakfast once in a while🤗

In Australia, breakfast is a thing! Its a known fact that you get to eat some of the best breakfast dishes in Australia! Every cafe and Restaurant is busy for breakfast be it a weekday or weekend.

One dish I discovered only after moving here, was Poached Eggs with Avocado on Sourdough or Smashed Avo on toast as the Aussies like to call it.

There are so many versions of it but my favorite is got to be with Poached Eggs. This dish is also on my Restaurant menu and it is definitely one of the most popular breakfast item.

breakfast set up on table with Slice of sourdough with ricotta, crushed avocado, poached eggs cut with egg yolk oozing out, , cherry tomatoes, basil and dukkah

The version we have made today for this recipe, is with Ricotta and Dukkah, simple, flavorful and so easy to make.

What is Dukkah?

Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of toasted nuts, seeds and spices. There are many varieties of Dukkah - some spicy, some mild, there is no right or wrong.

Dukkah ingredients in a round white wooden plate

Dukkah is like a seasoning, it is great for salads, soups, grilled meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. Packed with flavor when made fresh, it has the ability to transform the most boring dish into something exciting!

How to Make Dukkah

The process of making Dukkah is very simple.

We are using a mix of nuts, seeds and some spices. If you are making a small portion then you can chop the ingredients by hand but if making a larger batch then best to use a blender.

For the Dukkah in this recipe, I have used ingredients suitable for breakfast, like Pepitas and sunflower seeds. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, these are great additions to the first and most important meal of the day! When toasted with chopped cashew nuts and sesame seeds, they make a tasty combo.

I also used Cumin powder, Coriander powder and a bit Togarashi chili to give the Dukkah a mild kick. Add some sea salt and just toss it all together in a hot pan for 3-4 minutes.

Tip: The best thing about Dukkah is, if stored in a air tight container, it stays fresh for a good week or two.

How to Poach Eggs

Poaching eggs can be a frustrating exercise but don't give up! Practice, Practice, Practice.

At work we have a trick to cook poached eggs😉 We pre-cook the eggs in their shell at 63 degrees in a steamer. Doing so ensures all eggs look the same and are perfectly cooked. At home I don't have a steamer so I use the swirling method.

What is the Swirling Method?

Bring a deep pot of water to boil and add a spoon of white vinegar. Reduce the heat to low and using a whisk, swirl the water.

Swirling method, pot of hot water, whisk and egg in a ramekin

Next, crack the egg into a bowl or ramekin. Pour the egg out of the bowl/ramekin into the swirling water. That way the whites swirl around the yolk and the egg takes a nice shape. Once the egg has cooked for about 3-4 minutes, place it carefully in a bowl of ice cold water.

taking out a Poached egg with a slotted spoon from a pot of hot water

After you have poached four nice eggs, then start preparing the rest of the breakfast dish.

Tip: When everything is ready to be assembled, heat the eggs up in hot, salted water for a few minutes and drain them on to a kitchen towel until ready to plate up.

How to plate up a cafe style breakfast at home?

Follow our step by step plating idea to put together your very own cafe style brekkie at home! Just make sure all your ingredients are ready before hand and your poached eggs on sourdough with avocado is ready in minutes.

Bread: sourdough, rye bread or spelt bread are good options when you have a lot of toppings, alternatively serve it on spelt bread. Cut the sourdough into nice thick slices and then pop them into a toaster.

Ricotta: A lighter alternative to heavier creams and cheeses, it has a smooth, creamy consistency which makes it ideal as a spread. Alternatively you can use crumbled Fetta cheese as a topping too. Or why not make your own?

Spreading ricotta cheese on a slice of toasted sourdough

Avocados: You can use any type of Avocado but we prefer the Hass variety as these are readily available here in Australia. Just make sure your avocados are ripe and firm.

Taking a spoonfull of the crushed avocado from a bowl to spread on a slice of toasted sourdough

Lemon/Lime juice: Citric acid in lemon/lime juice is a strong antioxidant that dramatically slows down the browning process. Once you have crushed the avocados, add a generous amount of lemon/lime juice.
Eggs: I love my poached eggs but Shilpi cannot stand the yolk. So feel free to opt instead for a fried egg or scrambled eggs or for a vegan option, just completely skip the eggs (and the Ricotta)!

Placing a poached egg on top of avocado mix on toasted sourdough slice

Tomatoes: I prefer to use mixed medley tomatoes as the different colors makes this dish look vibrant and colorful! If unavailable you can use regular cherry tomatoes.

Medley of cut cherry tomatoes being placed around poached eggs on the slice of toasted sourdough bread

Dukkah: We love to use this smoky, salty, nutty spice mix over just about everything! Pretty sure you will love this blend too but if you feel these flavors are not for you, just add a generous drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil with a balsamic glaze or reduction.

Sprinkling dukkah with a spoon on top of poached eggs and tomatoes on toasted sourdough

Basil: You don’t need a huge amount, just a few leaves. Besides adding color, it gives freshness to this dish. Some people also use coriander/cilantro but for brekkie I think, basil is a more subtle option.