An egg and avocado sandwich is the kind of breakfast that comes together faster than the coffee brews, yet delivers far more staying power than a plain slice of toast with jam. Avocado brings healthy monounsaturated fat and a naturally creamy texture, while the egg adds quality protein that keeps hunger at bay for hours.

The trick to getting it right is starting with an avocado at the right ripeness: it should yield gently to a light squeeze without being mushy all the way through. An avocado that’s too firm won’t mash into anything creamy, while an overripe one browns fast and picks up a slightly bitter edge.

The egg can go a few different ways — fried sunny-side up with a runny yolk that spills over the toast when you cut into it, poached, or soft-boiled. Each version changes the whole character of the sandwich: a runny yolk makes it richer and almost saucy, while a firm white with no runny center makes for a lighter, leaner bite.

This sandwich is easy to adapt to whatever’s on hand — a slice of tomato, a little crumbled feta, some crisp bacon, or a few drops of soy sauce instead of salt. The one step worth not skipping is toasting the bread properly: a crisp crust holds up under the moist avocado and keeps the toast from turning soggy too fast.