breakfast/sides/snacks

Asparagus and Eggs, Two Ways

Posted April 17, 2014 by Stephanie
asparagus and eggs two ways

soft boiled eggs with asparagus - www.iamafoodblog.com

I’ve been having lots of issues with soft boiled eggs lately. Not the soft-boiling part, but the peeling. It’s strange because (not to be boastful or anything) I never used to have issues peeling eggs. I always wondered what the big fuss was – my egg shells always came off gloriously easily. I’m not sure if my eggs are too fresh, or if I’m being too rough, but egg peeling has become my most hated kitchen task.

asparagus and eggs two ways - www.iamafoodblog.com

Truth be told, these soft boiled eggs were supposed to be peeled, cut in half and garnished with dijon-lemon mayo, lemon zest and an asparagus spear. The peeling wasn’t working for me though, so I just lopped their tops off and called it a day. The dijon-lemon mayo, lemon zest and asparagus spears still happened, but I had to add a spoon to the equation. They were delicious, but isn’t utensil-less food so much better?

asparagus and eggs two ways - www.iamafoodblog.com

Of course some food items need utensils, like omelettes. I rarely make omelettes – I prefer scrambles which, essentially, are the same thing but without any of that fancy folding. I did manage to fold up my omelette here (yay for spatulas!), but really, it doesn’t matter if you scramble or omelette. This dish is more about the crisp-crunchy texture of the barely cooked asparagus rounds and the creaminess of the eggs.

easy asparagus omelette - www.iamafoodblog.com

There’s definitely something about eggs and asparagus together. Maybe it’s the green and yellow, maybe it’s the fact that asparagus heralds spring, or maybe it’s just that they taste so damn good together. How do you like to get your egg and asparagus on?

asparagus and soft boiled eggs - www.iamafoodblog.com

Easy Asparagus Omelette/Scramble Recipe
serves 1-2

  • 3-4 stalks asparagus
  • oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon sliced green onions
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro
  • salt and pepper
  • lemon zest
  • squeeze of lemon

Trim off the asparagus bottoms and then slice the asparagus like you would green onions so you end up with thin rounds. Stop 1-2 inches before you reach the tips and reserve for the soft boiled eggs. Lightly sauté the asparagus tips in a nonstick pan over medium heat until bright green, about 1 minute. Set aside for the soft boiled eggs.

Add the asparagus rounds to the pan and lightly sauté until bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from the pan. Lightly beat together the eggs, sliced green onions and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Heat up a bit of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the eggs to the pan and swirl. With a rubber spatula, gently move cooked eggs to the center of the pan, swirling to move uncooked eggs to replace. When the eggs look 70% cooked, add the cooked asparagus rounds. Gently fold together and serve with a sprinkle of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon. If you can’t be bothered to fold your eggs, skip the folding and just scramble gently over medium heat.

Soft Boiled Eggs with Asparagus and Lemon Recipe
serves 1-2

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
  • 1/4 teaspoon dijon
  • squeeze of lemon
  • lemon zest
  • salt and pepper
  • sautéed asparagus tips, as many as desired

Soft boil your eggs: Bring a pot of water with 3 inches of water up to to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat until the water is barely simmering. Using a slotted spoon, gently add your eggs and set a timer for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately and immerse in ice cold water.

Mix together the mayo, dijon and squeeze of lemon juice. Lop off the tops of the eggs and garnish with a dot of the dijon lemon mayo, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, a bit of lemon zest and an asparagus tip or two. Enjoy immediately!

easy asparagus omelette - www.iamafoodblog.com

Can’t get enough asparagus? Check out my Asparagus with Miso Butter!

18 Comments

  1. Add 1 tsp of baking soda to the water that’s gonna cook your eggs!!! Egg shell will fall so easily like you wouldn’t believe!

    1. steph says:

      Ahh!! I am out of eggs right now (it’s a travesty, I know) but I need to try this immediately!! Thanks for the tip Mandy!

  2. David says:

    Congrats on your Saveur win! Question – where did you get your dinosaur egg cups?

    1. steph says:

      Thanks David!! They’re tealight holders from CB2 :)

  3. I love eggs + asparagus so much together. This recipe rocks! Also, really digging your dino egg cups :)

    1. steph says:

      Thanks Katrina. Eggs and asparagus are one of my all time fave combos :)

  4. Yukiko says:

    I’d guess it might be also the origin of eggs: Japanese eggs are awful to peel: nothing works. The next tip works for Finnish eggs: when the eggs are cooked, pour away the hot water, leave the eggs to dry for 1 minute and then pour cold water on top and peel. Hope it works for you too :)

    1. steph says:

      I’ve never tried drying the eggs for a bit before the cold water step. Thanks for the tip!!

  5. phi says:

    dinosaurs are my favorite non-living entity. i’m practically obsessed with the beasts nearly as much as eggs. thank you for the your dino-love and eggy tips, which i am about to test out. xoxo

    1. steph says:

      :D so sad to think that the majestic dino is gone…at least we still have chickens…and eggs!

  6. Love the addition of lemon zest! The smell just makes me think of summer! Lovely photography once again, Stephanie!

  7. amanda says:

    dinosaurs as egg cups – major major food styling win! love it.

  8. Sarah says:

    I’ve also been on a streak of egg peeling messiness. Nothing is more frustrating! I love grilling my asparagus, then heaping it on toast spread with labneh, topping it with a soft boiled egg, and sprinkling some red chilli flakes over the whole lot. Yum!

  9. ok, those are the cutest little eggs and spears i’ve ever seen + the dinosaurs for the win!!

  10. Sophie says:

    Oh what a beautiful egg omelet with those asparagus rounds! This sounds so delicious. I will have to try Mandy’s tip with the baking soda… however, in my experience with peeling eggs, it matters a lot less about the age of the eggs or whatever as I was always told and more that there is a shock in temperature when the hot eggs are plunged into ice water. I used to just rinse in cold water repeatedly to cool, but now I prepare an ice bath. It does seem to really help with peeling!

    Congratulations on your amazing win! Your blog is wonderful and something I often reference and share with friends. Well-deserved indeed :)

  11. Steph says:

    Your eggs may be too fresh which usually happens in my case… Great recipe(s) as per usual!

  12. Celia says:

    How odd. I typically find that hard boiled eggs are so much harder for me to peel properly than soft boiled. It makes me mad! Embarrassingly, I’ve been known to cry over an egg that isn’t perfectly peeled. I need to try the baking soda trick.

    I like my asparagus in a frittata with potatoes and chèvre. Same effect as a scramble or omelette, but with crispy edges.

  13. keiko says:

    What a beautiful blog and photos !
    Very inspiring

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

$(function(){ var trigger = $('.hamburger'), overlay = $('.overlay'), isClosed = false; trigger.click(function () { hamburger_cross(); }); function hamburger_cross() { if (isClosed == true) { overlay.hide(); trigger.removeClass('is-open'); trigger.addClass('is-closed'); isClosed = false; } else { overlay.show(); trigger.removeClass('is-closed'); trigger.addClass('is-open'); isClosed = true; } } $('[data-toggle="offcanvas"]').click(function () { $('#wrapper').toggleClass('toggled'); }); bindBehavior.subscribe(); });