This Eggs Florentine Benedict recipe makes a healthy, delicious breakfast with poached eggs, sautéed spinach, and a creamy hollandaise sauce. It’s the perfect brunch recipe to impress your friends and family!
What’s in Eggs Benedict Florentine?
This eggs florentine is the perfect hot meal to start your day. The poached eggs on top of English muffins with a creamy, homemade Hollandaise sauce scooped over them are picture perfect.
- English muffins are the classic eggs Florentine base. Feel free to swap them for sourdough toast or a biscuit! Both are delicious options. For a gluten free/keto option, use half of an avocado or a piece of romaine lettuce.
- Spinach is what makes this dish eggs Florentine. Feel free to swap it out for another tender green.
- Poached eggs are key to a great eggs Florentine. Make sure to use eggs straight from the fridge, as warm eggs will not take as long to cook.
- Butter is the base of our Hollandaise sauce. It adds richness and delicious flavor. No need to clarify it for this recipe.
- Egg yolks are the other key base of our Hollandaise. They thicken the sauce and make it rich and velvety. The key is to only use low heat on the sauce. We don’t want the yolks to scramble.
- Lemon adds freshness and acidity to the sauce. Freshly squeezed lemon is key. Don’t substitute bottled juice!
- Dijon adds a delicious zing and helps prevent the eggs from scrambling as well.
- Chives and Paprika are classic eggs Florentine toppings!
Pro Tip: Use the freshest eggs possible. Fresh egg whites will be thicker and spread less in the water.
Variations on Eggs Florentine
- Instead of an English muffin, serve eggs Florentine atop a biscuit, slice of sourdough toast, baked potato, fresh salad, or halved avocado.
- Try arugula, Swiss chard, kale, or grilled asparagus instead of the spinach.
Eggs Florentine is a classic brunch dish that is very similar to Eggs Benedict. It consists of a toasted English muffin topped with a gently poached egg, cooked spinach, and Hollandaise sauce.
While the two dishes are nearly the same, what differentiates them is their toppings. Eggs Benedict is often topped with Canadian bacon, while eggs Florentine is topped with cooked spinach instead.
To poach an egg, fill a large, high-sided skillet with water. Add 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar and bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Crack an egg into a small bowl and then drop it into the water. Swirl a spoon gently around the egg to create a small vortex. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and dab gently with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
If the sauce starts to break, add an ice cube to the bowl. Whisk vigorously (as hard as you can) and the sauce should come back together. If it doesn’t, discard it and start over.
How to Make Ahead
Poach the eggs up to 2 days in advance. Reheat them in boiling water for 30-60 seconds when ready to serve.
Make the Hollandaise sauce up to 1 day ahead and gently reheat it set it over a very low flame just until it begins to steam or in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.
I do not recommend toasting the English muffins or making the spinach ahead of time, as the muffins will become soggy and the spinach will turn slimy.
How to Store
Store fully-assembled eggs Florentine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Store poached eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing eggs Florentine.
Serving Suggestions
Serve eggs benedict with a side of fresh greens, roasted potatoes, or fruit salad. It’s also great with some sweet French toast sticks!
Eggs Florentine Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 English muffins
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 9 ounces fresh spinach
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for the English muffins
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 egg yolks
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh chives optional, for topping
- Paprika optional, for topping
Instructions
- Butter the English muffin halves and place them on a large sheet pan, cut side up. Place the pan under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the English muffins are toasted.4 English muffins
- Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add in the spinach, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until wilted. Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Place the spinach in a strainer to drain the excess liquid.1 tablespoon olive oil, 9 ounces fresh spinach, 1 clove garlic, Kosher salt
- In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Crack the eggs into small bowls or ramekins. See notes. Then, reduce the heat so the water is barely simmering with just a few tiny bubbles at the bottom of the pan. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to the water. Bring the ramekins close to the water and gently drop in the eggs, 2 to 4 at a time. Cover the pan, letting the eggs poach for about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to a plate lined with paper towel.8 large eggs, 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Add the lemon juice, dijon mustard, egg yolks, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender or food processor and blend for a minute until smooth. Keeping the blender running, slowly stream in the melted butter and blend until the mixture reaches a smooth and slightly thickened consistency.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 4 egg yolks, Freshly ground black pepper
- Place one small pile of spinach on each English muffin half. Then, top with a poached egg. Spoon Hollandaise sauce over each egg. Finish with a sprinkle of chives and paprika, if desired.Chopped fresh chives, Paprika
Notes
- Instead of an English muffin, serve eggs Florentine atop a biscuit, slice of sourdough toast, baked potato, fresh salad, or halved avocado.
- Try arugula, Swiss chard, kale, or grilled asparagus instead of the spinach.
- Use an egg poaching pan if you have one.
- To reduce the white strings that form around eggs when poaching, first crack your eggs into a small mesh sieve and hold over a bowl to strain off the excess watery egg whites. Then, transfer to a ramekin.
- Use the freshest eggs possible. Fresh egg whites will be thicker and spread less in the water.
- Don’t add salt to the water. This will cause the eggs to spread more.
- If you’re having trouble poaching more than 1 egg at a time, just cook them one at a time. Poaching eggs takes time to master.
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