Veggie Breakfast Sandwich
The best veggie breakfast sandwich you'll ever have. Feel free to change up the toppings or just skip a few. Who says egg sandwiches are just for breakfast?
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
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Can I tell you a secret? These veggie “breakfast” sandwiches are a nice, simple meal for any time of day. This is a great back-pocket recipe for busy days.
Most breakfast sandwiches are rich and heavy, with lots of butter, cheese and bacon. This meatless breakfast sandwich is on the more healthy side. It features a modest amount of melted cheese and some fresh veggies to balance it out.
This egg cooking technique is so quick, your egg will be ready by the time your muffin pops out of the toaster. Feel free to add any crisp, raw vegetables in your drawer.
I’m a big fan of the onion and hot sauce components, which are bold on their own but balance out the richness of the eggs and cheese. Feta, raw spinach and roasted red pepper would be a nice alternative combo. You also can’t go wrong with goat cheese when eggs are involved.
How to Make the Best Breakfast Sandwich
The perfect breakfast sandwich offers layers of opposing textures and flavors. Here’s what I suggest
- Toast your English muffin, for a little bit of crunch and some warm, toasty flavor.
- Spread good mayonnaise across the bottom bun for some creaminess and tanginess. I recommend Sir Kensington’s brand.
- Mash up some avocado in a bowl. The mash spreads easily over the remaining bun.
- Once your cheesy egg is ready, place it onto the mayo side. If and only if tomatoes are in season, add a slice of red tomato.
- Then add some red onion for some pungent flavor and crunch to contrast the soft egg. If you’re sensitive to onion flavor, rinse the sliced onions under cool running water to talk off some of the edge.
- Top the red onion with a couple splashes of hot sauce. I love Tabasco. The tangy acidity almost makes the onions taste pickled, and breaks through the rich, creamy flavor of the eggs and cheese.
- Arugula offers fresh, peppery flavor. Load it up!
- Finally, place the avocado bun on top, avocado side down. To slice, carefully slide a sharp, pointed knife into the center of the sandwich, and slice across to one edge. Repeat in the opposite direction. Serve warm.
How to Cook the Egg
The scrambled egg muffins you see here are a stroke of Deb genius. I saw her cooking method on A Cup of Jo several years ago, and I’m a big fan.
Basically, you scramble up one egg with a tiny bit of water (the water helps prevent the egg from browning too soon). Pour it into a hot, medium-sized, buttered pan. It starts to set almost immediately.
Place a couple of slices of cheese in the center to melt, then fold one side over the middle, followed by the opposite side. Repeat with the remaining two sides. And you’re done!
Eggs cooked this way will please kids, as well as runny yolk-averse individuals and basically everyone. Try it, and you’ll see.
Please let me know how you like this breakfast sandwich in the comments! It’s a really great, simple recipe to keep in your back pocket.
If you love this recipe, be sure to check these out as well:
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- How to Make Frittatas (Stovetop or Baked)
- Simple Breakfast Tostadas
- Simple Breakfast Quesadillas
- Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
Veggie Breakfast Sandwich
The best breakfast sandwich you’ll ever have, seriously. These quick egg sandwiches are great for lunch and dinner, too. Feel free to change up the toppings. Recipe yields 1 sandwich; cook one egg at a time and assemble sandwiches as needed.
Ingredients
- 1 whole wheat English muffin, sliced in half and toasted (or two fairly small slices of bread, toasted)
- 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- ½ ripe avocado, mashed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
- 2 small slices of cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (about ½ ounce, any other melty cheese will do)
- 1 slice of ripe red tomato, if tomatoes are in season (optional)
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Several dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)
- Small handful arugula or sprouts
Instructions
- To prepare your sandwiches, spread the mayonnaise over the lower half of your toasted muffin. Spread the mashed avocado over the other half, and sprinkle it with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. In a bowl, scramble the egg with the water and a few dashes of salt and pepper.
- Once the skillet is hot, add a pat of butter and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Pour in the scrambled egg and immediately swirl the egg in the bottom of the pan to make an even layer.
- Immediately place your cheese in the center of the egg mixture as shown. Once the egg is set enough to fold over onto itself with a spatula (this could take 30 seconds to 1 minute), fold one side over the middle, then the opposite side over the middle. Repeat with the other two sides so you have a cute little egg and cheese envelope. Let it cook for another 15 to 30 seconds, until it’s set enough that you can transfer it to a plate.
- Place the cooked egg on the mayo-covered bun. Top with a slice of tomato, if using. Add with several slices of red onion, a few dashes of hot sauce, and a little handful of arugula. Top it with the remaining bun, avocado side down.
- To slice it in half, insert a sharp knife into the center of the sandwich, and slice across to one edge. Repeat in the opposite direction. Serve warm! If you’re making more sandwiches, reduce the stove temperature from medium-high to medium, as the pan only gets hotter the longer it’s on the stove.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Deb’s recipe for The Best Egg Sandwich You’ll Ever Have, via A Cup of Jo.
Make it dairy free: Simply skip the cheese.
Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free English muffins or slices of toasted gluten-free bread.
Change it up: You can replace the mayonnaise with additional mashed avocado, if preferred. An alternative flavor combination that would be good? Try feta cheese, spinach instead of arugula, and a slice of roasted red pepper.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
YUM! such a great combo… made it on turkish this morning <3
I think this really a GREAT recipe! Only problem is that it’s great for me, but not the ‘boss’ of the house as eggs are not really a vegetarian item – as you will undoubtedly know, they’re derived from an animal and so can’t be classed as vegetarian. However, that won’t stop me from making this a regular weekly addition to my munchies routine to be had at ANYTIME! Thank you!
Love this sandwich! This and your halloumi “BLT” are in my constant rotation. This comes together so quickly and is a perfect satisfying lunch.
I love both of those! Thank you for your review, Kaitlyn.
Delicious! I used just one slice of bread to reduce the carbs and it was equally good. The hot sauce / cheese / avocado combination was tangy but yummy!
Absolutely fabulous veggie bun. Packed a real punch. Hubby love it!
Pam
Oh my Word Kate!! This is egg sandwich nirvana!! Get up RIGHT NOW and make this eggs- actly as The Great Kate instructs you! It was amazing! May want another for dinner!!
I’m excited you loved it, Marion! I appreciate your review.
This is such a great idea! Since I started making my own sourdough we love any excuse for sandwichy stuff for dinner, and being able to use eggs in this way is genius. I also plan to quick-pickle the red onion for a bit of extra bite, and will serve a vege soup on the side. Thanks so much for the recipe!
So simple and delicious! Even my meat loving husband asked for seconds!
That’s great, Ashlee! Thank you for your review.
I am interested in making soup, breakfast, salad and dessert food.
Do you think this would be okay packed in a lunchbox, or does it need to be eaten out the pan? (Thanks for this great looking recipe.)
I think it is best right away, but could be fine cold for lunch as well. Let me know what you think!
This sandwich is soooo good! I added some vegan chorizo to make it more hardy. Very simple and Very delicious!
This sandwich is amazing! So delicious and easy to make, it tastes like a cheeseburger.
This is over the top delicious. No tomatoes at this time of year. I added fermented red kraut, used 2 kinds of goat cheese. Mrs Dash in place of pepper. And some fresh broccoli sprouts. Soooo good!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you added your own twist, Joy. I appreciate your review.
Dear Kate and Cookie
I bought your cook book and love it so much I bought another as a gift for my friend, who also loves it!
Scrolling through the website, I found this recipe and decided to make it for dinner. I substituted english muffins for crusty rye and used gouda cheese I had, plus sliced tomatoes (which are in season).
Since its dinner, I had a deliciously refreshing Kona Big Wave Golden Ale along with it. It was sooo good❣️ I will probably make this in different variations several times a week. Love it!!
Thank you for all of your support, Bettina! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
LOVE these, the balance of flavors is perfect!!
I’m happy you enjoyed it!
This was incredible! Made mine w arugula and guacamole.
Great to hear, Jodi!