There’s always a glut of chard and other hardy greens in early summer and autumn, and I’m forever looking for new ways to eat these greens. This easy way to make stovetop ‘baked’ eggs is a good method to insert plenty of greens – a whole bunch of chard between two people – and it tastes great.
It’s a simple recipe, with less than ten ingredients, and makes an excellent lunch or light dinner with a bit of bread (pictured with these pesto rolls) or cooked grains. If you like a savoury breakfast this is a good way to start your weekend, too.
If you have lots of chard that you’d like to use, use it in my lentil patties, chickpea pumpkin curry, and green monster Swiss chard frittata.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Swiss chard: substitute rainbow chard, spinach, kale, beet greens, or any other hardy greens you have on hand as preferred. You can remove the stems from the chard if you don’t want the extra texture.
- Pesto: this is carrot top pesto, but any type of pesto can be used (it can also be omitted). Substitute a heaping spoonful of marinara for a nice alternative.
- Eggs: the cooking time will vary slightly depending on the size of the eggs and how runny you’d like them to be. Mine as pictured are – in my opinion – a little overdone as I had to set up the picture, and the recipe as written should make for a runnier yolk. Just check on them and alter the time as needed.
- Add-ins: extra fresh herbs on top is a good addition, as are various other spices. Think South Asian spices here for a bit of a twist – cumin, turmeric, coriander, and so on.
Step by Step
Step 1: cook the onions until lightly golden, 3-4 minutes.
Step 2: add the garlic and chard and cook for another 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the spices.
Step 3: make divots in the greens and add a dollop of pesto to each.
Step 4: crack in the eggs, season, and cover. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the eggs are as set as you’d like. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have a heavy pot with a lid, you can pop another pan over whatever pot you’re using to act as a lid. The seal won’t be as good and the eggs will probably take a little longer to cook, but it will work.
I don’t recommend storing this for any length of time as the eggs will turn rubbery and unpleasant when refrigerated. Only make as much as you plan to eat immediately and reduce the recipe if needed.
The pesto can be left out if you don’t like it, but it does add an extra boost of flavour that can otherwise be missing. If you don’t want to cook your pesto, try adding it over the eggs after they’re done cooking instead. This will have a more intense flavour that can overwhelm the more delicate chard, but if you like raw garlic, go for it.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Season to taste: taste the chard mixture before adding the eggs and add salt or pepper if needed. Be sure to season the tops of the eggs before adding the lid as well.
- Wash the chard carefully: it tends to get a lot of splash-back dirt in a heavy rain, and the various crevices do fill with sand and soil. Give it a swish in cool water before rinsing and that should release any stubborn soil.
- Alter timing if needed: for other greens, the cooking time will change – spinach will need seconds to cook down, and kale will take a little longer than chard.
More Green Recipes
Super Green Pasta
Spinach Pancakes
Broccoli Pizza Crust
Quinoa Cakes
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Stovetop Baked Eggs with Swiss Chard
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard washed and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes to taste
- 4 tablespoons pesto
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Add the oil to a heavy Dutch oven and heat over medium. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden.2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ medium onion
- Stir in the chard and garlic. It will fill the pot but will quickly reduce as it heats up. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chard has wilted and the stems are softened.1 bunch Swiss chard, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the spices, stir well, and cook for another 30 seconds. Use a wooden spoon to make four divots in the chard, large enough for eggs.½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- Drop a spoonful of pesto into each divot, then top with the eggs. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to each egg.4 tablespoons pesto, 4 large eggs
- Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the eggs for 3-4 minutes, checking occasionally* until the yolks are cooked to your liking.
- Serve immediately with bread or some kind of cooked grain. This doesn't store well.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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