Baked eggs with cherry tomatoes, wilted spinach and sourdough soldiers
Comforting oven-baked eggs in a tomato‑spinach nest, gooey yolks and buttery sourdough soldiers — perfect for breakfast in bed.
This is the kind of breakfast in bed that feels indulgent without being fussy — oven‑baked eggs set in a garlicky tomato and spinach nest, with buttery sourdough soldiers for dunking. It’s quick, looks lovely on a tray and you can chat while everything finishes in the oven.
Make it for a slow weekend morning or when you want to impress with minimal faff. Timing is forgiving: watch the eggs in the last few minutes for your preferred yolk wobble.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 200 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 100 g baby spinach
- 1 sourdough loaf — about 300 g
- 30 g butter
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 garlic clove — finely chopped
- 1 brown onion — small, finely chopped
- 40 g vegetarian hard cheese — grated
- 30 ml double cream
- 5 ml sea salt
- 0 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 5 g fresh chives — finely snipped
- 1/2 lemon — zest and a little juice
Equipment
- ovenproof ramekins
- frying pan
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Put four small ovenproof ramekins on a baking tray.
Make the sourdough soldiers: cut the sourdough loaf into 1½–2 cm‑thick slices, then into long soldiers. Melt half the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the soldiers in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes each side. Keep warm wrapped in a tea towel.
Warm the olive oil in the same frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the cherry tomatoes, season with a pinch of sea salt and a little black pepper, and cook until they begin to soften and split, about 3 minutes. Stir in the baby spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in half the grated vegetarian hard cheese and a little lemon zest.
Divide the tomato‑spinach mixture between the four ramekins and make a little well in the middle of each. Crack one egg into each ramekin, season with the remaining salt and pepper, then spoon about 7–8 ml (½ tbsp) double cream over each yolk and finish with the remaining grated vegetarian hard cheese.
Bake the ramekins in the preheated oven for 12–14 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks still wobble. If you prefer fully set yolks, bake for 15–17 minutes.
While the eggs bake, reheat any soldiers briefly in the frying pan with a knob of the remaining butter for 30–60 seconds to crisp again. Remove the ramekins from the oven, sprinkle over the snipped fresh chives and a light grate of lemon zest, and serve immediately with the warm sourdough soldiers for dunking.
Tips
- Use ovenproof ramekins of roughly the same size so the eggs cook evenly.
- Prep the tomato‑spinach mix ahead and keep in the fridge; assemble into ramekins and bake when you’re ready for breakfast.
- If you like your soldiers extra crisp, dry the sourdough slices briefly in the oven at 150°C fan/170°C conventional for 5 minutes before frying.
- For easier plating and no drips, place ramekins on a small tray or saucer before taking to bed.
- If one yolk breaks while cracking, discard that egg and add an extra — it’s better to keep yolks intact for dunking.
Substitutions
sourdough loaf → granary or farmhouse loaf, same quantity
Stays closevegetarian hard cheese → crumbled feta (use slightly less, 30 g)
Noticeably differentbaby spinach → kale (use 120 g, remove stalks and fry a little longer)
Noticeably differentdouble cream → single cream (use same quantity) for a lighter finish
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 840
- Calories
- 32 g
- Protein
- 78 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
How do I know when the eggs are cooked perfectly?
Baked eggs are ready when the whites are opaque and set but the yolks still wobble in the centre. Check from 12 minutes and add a minute at a time until you reach the wobble you like.
Can I assemble the ramekins ahead of time?
Yes — make the tomato‑spinach mix and assemble the ramekins up to a day ahead, keep covered in the fridge and bake straight from chilled (you may need an extra 1–2 minutes).
Can I make this for one person?
Absolutely — halve the ingredients and use two ramekins (or one larger one) and one or two eggs depending on appetite.
Can I replace the sourdough soldiers with toast?
Yes — thick slices of any good bread work. For dunking, slightly thicker fingers hold up better than thin toast.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!
