Easy Eggs Florentine Recipe

This is my low-key, high-reward brunch move: silky hollandaise, soft-yolk poached eggs, garlicky spinach tucked onto a toasty muffin. It tastes like a fancy cafe morning, minus the line and the $18 bill. It’s Eggs Florentine, but friendly and doable even when the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet. Creamy, lemony, the good kind of messy.

My husband calls this “green Benedict” and eats it like a sandwich with sauce on his face, which honestly feels like the correct spirit. The kid will pick every last leaf of spinach off his muffin like a tiny botanist, then ask for “more sauce,” so… we are who we are. This has become our Sunday thing: pajamas, an extra squeeze of lemon, and someone inevitably burns the first muffin. We survive. We thrive.

Kitchen Talk

– Spinach gets sneaky-wet. Sauté it, then really, truly squeeze it. Paper towels, clean dish towel, whatever you’ve got. Otherwise your muffin takes a bath.
– I tried arugula once. Peppery and fun, but it wilts into nothing and turns watery. If you do it, add it at the very last second and don’t overcook.
– Blender hollandaise: warm butter matters. Cool butter = meh texture and you start bargaining with the sauce like it can hear you.
– Poached eggs hate a hard boil. Think quiet hot tub, not splashy pool. And a gentle swirl does help, but don’t make a tornado or you’ll lose an egg to the vortex. Learned that the wet way.
– English muffins are classic, but a slice of toasted sourdough with raggedy edges? Rustic perfection. I’ve even done it on a leftover biscuit. I regret nothing.
– Lemon on top at the end—just a whisper. Brightens the whole situation.

Shopping Tips

– Eggs: Fresh, large eggs make the best poached eggs. Check the carton date and avoid any with cracks.
– Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is easiest—no chopping needed. Frozen works too, just thaw and squeeze out the water.
– English muffins: Classic base for Florentine. Whole wheat or sourdough muffins give a twist.
– Butter: Unsalted butter is key for making a smooth hollandaise sauce.
– Dairy: Heavy cream or whole milk helps enrich the sauce.
– Budget swaps: Use frozen spinach instead of fresh, or regular sandwich bread toasted if you can’t find English muffins.

Prep Ahead Ideas

– Wash, dry, and de-stem spinach the day before; I’ll even sauté it and keep it chilled, then rewarm quickly so breakfast moves fast.
– Separate your egg yolks/whites if you’re doing a hand-whisk hollandaise, or just cube the butter and set it ready for melting.
– Split muffins the night before and leave them loosely wrapped; they’ll toast faster and more evenly.
– Store the components in separate containers so nothing sogs out. Morning: toast, warm spinach, poach, blitz sauce, stack. Evening: repeat for brinner.

Time-Saving Tricks

– Frozen chopped spinach is a legit move—thaw and squeeze like your brunch depends on it.
– Blender hollandaise is the shortcut I actually trust at 8 a.m. Just keep everything warm-ish.
– Poach eggs ahead: slip them into an ice bath, then rewarm in hot water for a minute when you’re ready. Feels like wizardry.
– Don’t rush the muffin toast or the sauce rest; a minute of patience = crispy base and a calm, glossy sauce.

Common Mistakes

– Watery spinach that floods the plate. Fix: squeeze again, then toss back in the pan for 30 seconds.
– Broken hollandaise. Been there. Rescue: add a fresh yolk to a clean cup, whisk/blend in the broken sauce gradually, thin with a spoon of hot water.
– Overcooked eggs (chalky yolks). Pull them earlier than you think—carryover heat is real.
– Garlicky bitterness. If your garlic goes too dark, start over. Burnt garlic is a bossy little tyrant.

What to Serve It With

– Crispy breakfast potatoes or hash browns.
– A quick arugula salad with lemon and olive oil.
– Smoky bacon or prosciutto for the carnivores.
– Berries and melon to keep it bright.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Simmering water, not boiling, for poaching; a splash of vinegar helps the whites behave.
– Warm plates keep the sauce happy.
– Salt the spinach after it wilts; it releases less water that way.
– If the muffin’s soft, toast longer—not hotter—so it dries and crisps without scorching.
– Sauce too thick? Loosen with a spoon of hot water. Too thin? Blend in a bit more melted butter.

✔Storage Tips

Leftovers are a mix-and-match situation. Keep spinach, sauce, and muffins separate in the fridge. Hollandaise is fussy but survives a day; reheat gently over a warm water bath or in short, low microwave bursts while whisking like you mean it. Poached eggs can chill in water and rewarm briefly in hot water—shockingly decent. And yes, I’ve eaten a cold half-stack straight from the fridge. No shame, still tasty.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Base swap: English muffin, toasted sourdough, biscuit, or even a halved baked sweet potato for a gluten-free hug.
– Greens: Baby spinach is easiest; kale works if you steam/sauté it longer. Swiss chard brings a nice earthiness.
– Protein add-ins: Smoked salmon, crisp prosciutto, or a slice of tomato for freshness.
– Sauce lane: Traditional hollandaise, or cheat with a lemony Greek yogurt sauce when you’re buttered out.
– Dairy-free: Use a neutral oil or dairy-free butter for the sauce; it won’t be classic, but it gets the job done.
– Citrus: Lemon is standard; a tiny splash of white wine vinegar in the sauce is lovely too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Eggs Florentine Recipe

Classic Eggs Florentine with silky blender Hollandaise, garlicky sautéed spinach, and perfectly poached eggs on toasted English muffins—ready in 30 minutes.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2 English muffins split and toasted
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 4 cups baby spinach packed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and hot
• ▢ 2 egg yolks for Hollandaise
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar for poaching water
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• ▢ 0.25 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• ▢ 0.13 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Melt the butter until fully liquid and hot but not browned; keep warm.
• Make the Hollandaise: In a blender, add egg yolks and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Blend for 10 seconds. With the motor running, slowly stream in the hot melted butter until thick and silky. Blend in the cayenne. Keep warm in a small thermos or a bowl set over warm (not hot) water.
• Sauté the spinach: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add spinach and 0.25 teaspoon salt; cook, tossing, until wilted and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Finish with black pepper. Keep warm.
• Poach the eggs: Bring 2 to 3 inches of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup. Swirl the water and slide the eggs in one at a time. Poach until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; lightly season with a pinch of salt.
• Toast the English muffins until golden.
• Assemble: Place muffin halves on plates, top with sautéed spinach, then a poached egg on each half. Spoon Hollandaise over the top and serve immediately.

Notes

Keep Hollandaise warm, not hot, to avoid splitting. For a lighter version, use half the butter and whisk in 2 tablespoons warm water at the end. Add a pinch of nutmeg to the spinach for a classic bistro touch.