Spring Pea and Mint Smash on Seeded Toast with Soft Eggs
Bright smashed peas and mint on toasted seeded wholegrain, crowned with jammy soft-boiled eggs and lemon.
Best for A high-protein, high-fiber brunch that stays green and light
This is the Australian cafe brunch I keep coming back to when the first sweet peas arrive: a green, herby smash that leans on the legume rather than hiding it under cheese. The seeded wholegrain gives you real chew and staying power, the peas bring fiber and plant protein, and the jammy eggs turn a snack into a proper weekend plate. It reads simple, but the ricotta-lemon lift and torn mint make it taste like a $22 menu item.
Ingredients
- 4 seeded wholegrain bread , thick slices, sourdough or rye-style with visible seeds
- 250 g fresh or frozen green peas , thawed if frozen
- 10 g fresh mint leaves , plus extra to finish
- 4 large eggs , large, at room temperature
- 100 g ricotta , full-fat
- 1 lemon , zest and juice
- 30 ml olive oil , plus more for drizzling
- 1 garlic cloves , small clove, finely grated
- 20 g pea shoots or arugula , to garnish (optional – can be omitted)
- 1 fine sea salt , to taste
- 1 g red pepper flakes (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle boil. Lower in the room-temperature eggs and cook for 6 minutes 30 seconds for a set white and jammy yolk, then transfer straight to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. Leave them to cool while you build the smash.
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2
Blanch the peas in the same boiling water for 2 minutes until bright and tender, then drain. Reserve a small handful of whole peas for garnish and tip the rest into a bowl. Add the mint, grated garlic, lemon zest, half the lemon juice, the olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Smash with a fork or potato masher to a coarse, spoonable texture — you want visible pieces, not a purée.
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3
Toast the seeded bread until deeply golden and crisp at the edges. Stir the ricotta with the remaining lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then spread it thickly over each hot slice.
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4
Pile the pea smash onto the ricotta and press gently so it holds. Peel the eggs, halve them, and settle two halves on each toast. Scatter over the reserved peas, pea shoots or arugula and extra torn mint. Finish with flaky salt, black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve right away while the toast is still crisp.