Vegetarian pesto eggs with feta on wholegrain bread

Vegetarian pesto eggs inspired by the TikTok trend: fried eggs cooked in homemade basil pesto, on wholegrain bread with feta and cherry tomatoes. Breakfast in 20 minutes.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 8 min
• Total time: 18 min
• Calories: 536 kcal per serving
• Protein: 27 g
• Fat: 34 g
• Carbs: 28 g

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of basil
• 15g pine nuts
• 15g vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 120g wholegrain bread
• 40g feta
• 100g cherry tomatoes
• 1 pinch of chilli flakes

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · stick blender · chopping board · knife

1. Blend the basil, pine nuts, hard cheese, garlic and olive oil into a coarse pesto.
2. Put the pesto in a non-stick frying pan and heat it over a medium heat for 1 min, until it sizzles.
3. Crack in the eggs, season with salt and fry them, covered, for 3 to 4 min, until the egg whites are set and the underside is crisp.
4. Toast the wholegrain bread and halve the cherry tomatoes.
5. Place two pesto eggs on each slice of bread, crumble the feta over the top and arrange the tomatoes alongside.
6. Sprinkle with chilli flakes and serve the bread straight away.

Good to know

With pesto eggs, the pesto replaces the frying fat, and the edges of the eggs turn crisp and green. The video went viral a while ago and is back on many lists of trending recipes in 2026. With homemade pesto, you decide which oil goes in.

Swaps

Basil pesto → rocket pesto (more peppery). Pine nuts → pumpkin seeds (cheaper). Feta → cottage cheese. Wholegrain bread → gluten-free bread.

Cooking tips

The pesto spits briefly as it heats – have the lid ready. Over a medium heat, the edges turn crisp without the basil burning.

Storage

Leftover pesto covered with olive oil keeps for 5 days in the fridge; always fry the eggs fresh.

Allergens

Contains egg, milk, gluten and pine nuts. In pregnancy, fry the eggs until the yolks are firm and only use feta made from pasteurised milk.

Frequently asked questions

How long do pesto eggs keep in the fridge?

Leftover pesto covered with olive oil keeps for 5 days in the fridge; always fry the eggs fresh.