Happy New Year! I’ve been spending my mornings trying to reboot from what is always a busy, food-and-drink-filled holiday season. This recipe is one I eat most mornings, when I’m busy and in need quick & clean sustenance. It is technically a salad, but I find it to be more of a quick assemblage of ingredients I already have on hand. No matter how simple, it never fails to be exactly one I need - no more and no less - for mornings when you need something lasting, but have little brain space for meal-making.
Arugula Breakfast Salad with Toasted Pistachio, Radish & Soft Eggs (serves 2) Gluten-free, DAIRY-FREE
This recipe gives you the foundation for pretty much any breakfast salad. Feel free to use whatever green you have on hand - kale, tiny gem lettuces, rainbow chard, spinach, etc. For the toppings, I always include an egg or two, something with crunch (I like a fresh crunch - radish, cucumber , fresh herbs - and a nut or seed) and whatever else you have on hand. This is the perfect way to use leftover grains or veggies that aren’t enough for a whole meal, but need to be used somehow. If you don’t stray from dairy, a shaved parmesan or pecorino would be amazing on this and as always, avocado makes everything better.
- 2-4 large eggs
- 3 large handfuls wild arugula
- 2-3 radishes or 1 small watermelon radish, sliced in matchsticks
- 1 small handful toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- Leftover quinoa or any other grain, about 1/3 cup or a couple spoonfuls
- 1 small lemon
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
Fill a saucepan with water (enough to cover a couple eggs) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and slowly submerge eggs, one at a time. (*I use 1-2 eggs per serving, depending on how hungry I am). Cook at a roiling boil for exactly 6 1/2 minutes (less, if you like a softer egg, and more, if you like it harder). In the meantime, prepare an ice bath.
In a medium serving bowl, add arugula, radishes, toasted pistachios and leftover quinoa (or whatever else you have on hand). Squeeze the juice of about one lemon over top and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss everything together until well combined. Season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Once eggs are done cooking, add to ice bath for a couple minutes. Then, shell the eggs and halve them overtop the salad. Divide into bowls and serve immediately.
