Food factors into environmental sustainability in a HUGE way. The way in which we consume food, and what we consume, greatly impacts our environment. Eating more vegan or vegetarian meals is one way to embrace being a responsible purchaser and support the well-being of the planet.
If you think that means faking a smile as you eat a salad once a week…think again! Vegan and vegetarian meals and snacks can be packed with flavor and textures your palette will crave.
If you are looking to impress your friends with a fancy-upscale-café-looking brunch, this savory sourdough toast is it. This mouth-watering, vegetarian dish only takes 15 minutes from start to finish. You can also easily transform it into a vegan dish or swap out ingredients with nearly anything on-hand. In my opinion, you can pretty much top toasted sourdough with anything and it’s going to taste amazing!
Ingredients (for one serving)
- 1 large slice sourdough toast
- 3-4 cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 king trumpet mushrooms diced (sub any mushroom)
- 1 slice *fake bacon, diced
- ½ diced shallot
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbl cubed butter
- Olive oil
- Flaked salt and cracked pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh thyme and rosemary
Directions
Step 1. Preheat skillet. Once hot, add olive oil to coat.
Step 2. Meanwhile, fill a pot with water, add a sprig of rosemary and bit of cracked pepper and turn on the heat to prep for poached egg (last step).
Step 3. Once the skillet oil is hot, add in the diced *fake bacon and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Next add in the shallot, mushrooms and cubed butter. Season with flaked sea salt and pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly browned.
Step 4. Add in tomatoes, fresh thyme leaves and a heavy splash of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Mix together and turn heat off. (Now is the time to get the bread toasting!)
Step 5. The water should be boiling for the egg. Remove the rosemary sprig. Use a whisk to create a tornado-like funnel in the middle. Crack the egg into a small dish first, then gently drop egg into the center of the vortex. Set a timer for 2 minutes and continue to keep a gentle swirl going with a small utensil while the egg cooks without touching it. After 2 minutes, remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon and place it on a small dish towel to absorb some of the water. Lightly season the poached egg with flaked salt and pepper.
Step 6. PLATING: Remove the toast from broiler or toaster and place it in center of a plate. Top with the mix from the pan first, then gently place the poached egg on top and pierce it with a sharp knife.
- Make it vegan by removing the butter and only using olive oil and either removing the egg or replacing it with your choice of protein or substitute egg product.
- *After trying many (many, many, many) bacon substitutes, I’ve become obsessed with LightLife Smart Bacon. But feel free to eliminate the bacon from the recipe or switch in your favorite fake-bacon option.