Spinach Pesto Sourdough Toast

There's something about the smell of sourdough toasting that makes a Tuesday morning feel like a weekend breakfast, and that's exactly when I first put together this spinach pesto toast with a soft-boiled egg. I'd been standing in my kitchen with a bunch of spinach that needed using, some basil getting a little tired in the drawer, and absolutely zero desire to make anything complicated. The whole thing came together almost by accident, and somehow it tasted like I'd planned it for weeks.

I made this for my friend Sarah on a lazy Saturday morning, and she literally closed her eyes on the first bite and didn't say anything for a full ten seconds. When she finally looked up, she just shook her head like I'd been holding out on her. We ended up making it twice more that week because it's the kind of dish that feels fancy enough to impress but simple enough that you don't need a sous chef to pull it off.

Ingredients

• Fresh baby spinach: Use 2 cups packed tight, and if you squeeze it in your hand first, you'll release some of its moisture and the pesto will have better texture.
• Fresh basil leaves: Go for 1/4 cup and tear them by hand rather than cutting if you have time, because the bruises matter less when you're blending anyway.
• Toasted pine nuts: Use 1/4 cup, and if you haven't toasted them yourself, do it now in a dry pan for two minutes because the difference in flavor is genuinely shocking.
• Garlic clove: Just 1 small one, because garlic can become a bully in pesto if you're not careful.
• Grated Parmesan cheese: 1/4 cup, and buy a block and grate it yourself if you can, because pre-grated has anti-caking agents that change everything.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Use 1/4 cup and taste it before you buy it at the market if that's an option, because you're building flavor here.
• Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed, and it's the ingredient that keeps the pesto from tasting heavy and dark.
• Salt and black pepper: Season to your taste, and remember you can always add more but you can't take it out.
• Sourdough bread: 2 large slices, and the tanginess in sourdough is what makes it sing with pesto instead of just disappearing.
• Large eggs: 2 of them, and they should be at room temperature or close to it so the cooking time stays true.
• Unsalted butter: 1 tablespoon optional, for brushing while the toast is still hot so it melts into every corner.
• Flaky sea salt: For garnish, and it catches the light and makes everything look intentional.

Instructions

Make the pesto while everything else happens:

Throw spinach, basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, and lemon juice into a food processor and pulse until it's chopped fine and looks like wet sand. Drizzle in olive oil while the motor runs, and stop when it's smooth and spreadable, not when it's totally silky because you want it to have a little character.

Get the eggs into boiling water with intention:

Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle boil, then lower the eggs in with a spoon so they don't crack from the shock. Set a timer for exactly 6 minutes because that's when the white is set but the yolk is still soft and golden inside.

Move the eggs into ice water immediately:

The moment the timer goes off, fish them out with a slotted spoon and plunge them into a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes to stop the cooking dead. This is how you get that perfect yolk and not the gray ring around it.

Toast the bread until it's golden and crisp:

While the eggs cook, get your sourdough into the toaster or a grill pan and watch it until it's the color of honey, not cardboard. If you're using butter, brush it on while the toast is still hot and it will soak right in.

Peel the eggs gently under a little running water:

This makes the shell come away like it wants to, and keeps the white intact and beautiful. Start peeling from the wider end where the air pocket is.

Assemble without overthinking it:

Spread the pesto generously across each slice of toast, then halve the soft-boiled eggs and place them on top so the yolk can start running down. Finish with flaky sea salt, black pepper, and whatever else you want.

Save

My neighbor knocked on my door once because she smelled the combination of toasting sourdough and fresh basil wafting into her kitchen and just had to know what I was making. We ended up sharing breakfast on my front stoop, and that's when I realized this dish has this magical thing where it tastes better when someone else is eating it with you.

Why This Works as Breakfast or Lunch

The protein from the egg keeps you full without making you feel heavy, and the greens in the pesto give you that hit of something alive and good for you. The sourdough gives you enough substance to feel like you've actually eaten something, but it's still light enough that you don't need a nap afterwards. This is the kind of meal that works equally well at 8 a.m. on a Sunday or at 1 p.m. on a Wednesday when you need something that feels special.

How to Customize Without Losing the Magic

This recipe is honestly built to bend without breaking, and the best version of it is probably the one you make with what you have. I've made it with walnuts instead of pine nuts when I was out, and with almonds once because a friend had them, and both times it was still wonderful. The pesto is really forgiving as long as you keep the ratios of greens to nuts to oil roughly balanced, so don't be afraid to swap basil for arugula if that's what's calling to you.

Small Moves That Change Everything

The details here are what turn toast into something worth talking about, and most of them are small enough that they feel silly until you taste the difference. Buying good olive oil, squeezing fresh lemon, using real Parmesan—these aren't fancy flourishes, they're the foundation. The difference between a soft-boiled egg that's perfect and one that's a little rubbery is literally 30 seconds, so having a good timer or just counting on your fingers makes all the difference.

• Toast the pine nuts yourself in a dry pan for two minutes because store-bought toasted ones have often been sitting around longer than they should.
• If you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge, add 30 seconds to the boiling time or they'll finish cooking in the ice bath instead of stopping cold.
• Make the pesto just before you eat it so the spinach stays that bright, almost neon green that makes the whole plate look alive.

Save

This is the kind of breakfast that makes you feel like you did something good for yourself, even though you barely did anything at all. Make it when you need to feel taken care of, and it will deliver every single time.

Recipe Questions & Answers

→ How do I make spinach pesto smooth and creamy?

Use a food processor to blend spinach, basil, nuts, garlic, Parmesan, and lemon juice, then gradually add olive oil while blending until smooth.

→ What’s the best way to soft-boil eggs for this dish?

Boil eggs gently for 6 minutes, then place them in an ice bath for 2 minutes before peeling to ensure a tender, jammy yolk.

→ Can I use other nuts besides pine nuts in the pesto?

Yes, walnuts or almonds make great alternatives and add a different but tasty texture and flavor.

→ How can I make the toast extra crispy?

Toast sourdough slices until golden brown, optionally brushing them with unsalted butter while hot for added crispness and flavor.

→ Are there good add-ons to enhance this dish?

Consider adding avocado slices, roasted cherry tomatoes, chili flakes, or microgreens for extra flavor and texture.