Swiss Chard Eggs Florentine, plus Tomato Hollandaise

Swiss Chard Eggs Florentine, plus Tomato Hollandaise is a good poached egg dish based on the popular brunch favorite- Eggs Florentine (meatless Eggs Benedict). Using Swiss chard instead of spinach adds a bright, earthy flavor, and satisfying texture. It's finished with an easy (blender-made) tomato hollandaise sauce for a unique taste and a pop of color that everyone will love!

Why aren't we talking about Swiss chard more? We mean it has the most beautiful pink, yellow or orange stalks. Have you seen them in your vegetable section? It sings to us, and we love finding new ways to use it.

Cooking with Swiss chard is as easy as cooking with s pinach. It wilts down like spinach, and the stalks can be cooked along with the leaves adding a wonderful crunch.

Lastly, what would an egg Florentine be without a drippy sauce to accompany it? like our eggs benedict with chipotle hollandaise we fancied up this easy blender hollandaise sauce by adding some tomato paste for a sweet and tangy twist.

Here is what you need to make this meatless eggs benedict with Swiss chard (aka Eggs Florentine).

• Swiss chard A green leafy vegetable belonging to the same family as beets and spinach. Choose Swiss chard with crisp, vibrant, and glossy leaves. Avoid any leaves that appear wilted, yellow, or have signs of browning or damage. The stems will be firm and brightly colored ranging from pink, to yellow, to orange, depending on the variety.
• Garlic For flavoring the Swiss chard.
• Lemon You will use the zest and the juice.
• Eggs Fresh eggs are best for poaching. You will need whole eggs for poaching and egg yolks for the hollandaise sauce.
• Tomato paste For flavoring the hollandaise sauce.
• English muffins
• Butter For the English muffins and for the sauce.
• Salt and pepper
• Crushed red pepper Optional for garnishing.

See the recipe card for quantities.

You will need a medium sauté pan for cooking the Swiss chard, and a medium pot for poaching the eggs. To make the hollandaise, you will need a blender or immersion blender.

Instructions- Poaching the eggs

We like to poach our eggs one at a time. If you are new to poaching eggs, this might be helpful. See the recipe card for the full list of instructions.

Step 1. Start by adding room-temperature eggs to a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. This will allow some of the excess whites to drain off. We use a separate small bowl/ramekin for each egg. Step 2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then lower the heat. Using a heatproof utensil, swirl the water into a funnel. Step 3. Lower the egg into the funnel, and cook, undisturbed for about 2.5 minutes. Step 4. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Assembling eggs Florentine

The best part (aside from eating it) is assembling your brunch-worthy dish. Take a look below to see how easy it is to layer it all together.

Toast your English muffins in a toaster or in a buttered pan on the stove, until lightly golden brown. If desired, butter your muffins.

Divide the Swiss chard on top of the muffin halves.

Gently place the poached egg on top of the Swiss chard.

Drizzle some hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with additional salt and pepper.

Serve immediately with additional salt, pepper, or crushed red pepper.

Expert tips

1. Use fresh eggs for poaching.
2. To reheat poached eggs, warm some water in a small bowl in the microwave. Place the poached egg in the warm water for about 20-30 seconds. Remove the eggs and use immediately.
3. When making the hollandaise, cover the top of the blender loosely with a towel while drizzling in the hot butter.
4. For more flavor, butter the English muffins after toasting them.

Serving suggestions

1. Fresh fruit: Serve alongside a cup of your favorite sliced fruit.
2. Bacon: Ok, so this will no longer be vegetarian, but a side of bacon pairs perfectly.
3. Side salad: A simple salad of fresh greens or vegetables keeps this light.
4. Oatmeal: Whether you like your oatmeal hot or cold it's the solid pairing to round out the meal.

Keeping leftovers

Eggs Florentine is best eaten right away, however you can cook the Swiss chard in advance to save time. When ready to serve, poach the eggs and make the hollandaise sauce.

Hollandaise sauce can be stored for up to 2 days in the fridge, and gently rewarmed in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.

Kitchen questions

What is the difference between Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine?

Eggs Florentine is a classic breakfast or brunch dish that consists of poached eggs served on a bed of sautéed spinach, topped with hollandaise sauce. It is a variation of Eggs Benedict, which traditionally features poached eggs, Canadian bacon or ham, and hollandaise sauce on an English muffin.

Our hollandaise sauce is too thick. What should we do?

While the blender is still running, you can add a little hot water to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency. The sauce as is will thicken slightly after it sits a bit, so don't thin it out too soon without checking.

Our hollandaise sauce separated. What did we do wrong?

You want to ensure that the butter is hot when being poured into the egg yolk mixture. If not the sauce may not emulsify.

Favorite pairings

These are some of our favorite recipes to pair with eggs.

Ingredients

Makes 2 (1 English muffin each, and 2 poached eggs)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• ⅛ tsp Kosher or fine sea salt
• ⅛ tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 English muffins, separated into 4 halves
• additional butter for spreading
• crushed red pepper (optional for garnish)
• 8 tbsp tomato hollandaise sauce (recipe follows)

Tomato Hollandaise Sauce

• 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ tsp Kosher or fine sea salt
• ½ cup (4 ounces or 1 stick) unsalted butter

Equipment

• medium pan
• blender or immersion blender
• medium pot

Method

1. Wash and dry the Swiss chard. Roll it into a cigar shape and cut the chard into ribbons. Chop the stems into ½ inch pieces.

2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, but not brown. Add the Swiss chard (it will look like a lot, but it will cook down), salt and pepper. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes until the leaves are wilted and stems are tender. During the last minute of cooking, add the lemon juice. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, then set aside.

3. Poach the eggs: Crack each egg over a fine mesh strainer into a small ramekin/bowl to remove excess runny whites. Bring a medium pot to boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the temperature to low heat. Using a heat-proof utensil, create a whirlwind/funnel in the center of the pot. Lower 2 of the eggs (spread apart), into the funnel and cook undisturbed for about 2½ minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Do the same with the remaining 2 eggs.

4. Assemble the Eggs Benedict: Toast, then butter the English muffins. Divide the Swiss chard among each one. Add a poached egg to each half. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of tomato hollandaise over the poached eggs. Garnish with additional salt, pepper, or crushed red pepper (if using). Serve immediately.

Tomato Hollandaise Sauce

1. In a heat-proof bowl, melt the butter in the microwave (you can also do this on the stove).

2. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, tomato paste, and salt to a high-powered blender, and blend on medium-high for about 15 seconds.

3. Remove the top cap from the blender, and have a paper towel ready to cover the top while you blend. With the blender running on medium-high, slowly add the hot melted butter to the eggs, and blend until it comes together and is thickened/emulsified, about 5-10 seconds. If it's too thick, or you prefer a thinner sauce, you can thin it out with a few splashes of hot water. Pour the sauce into a small bowl, and use immediately (or up to 30 minutes).

Kitchen notes

1. Use fresh eggs for poaching.
2. To reheat poached eggs, warm some water in a small bowl in the microwave. Place the poached egg in the warm water for about 20-30 seconds. Remove the eggs and use immediately.
3. When making the hollandaise, cover the top of the blender loosely with a towel while drizzling in the hot butter.
4. For more flavor, butter the English muffins after toasting them.