cooking for one should not mean eating crackers over the sink. solo green kale eggs are three eggs cooked right on top of a pan of garlicky kale spiced with turmeric and cumin, then crumbled with feta and covered until the yolks are perfectly jammy. one 8-inch skillet, one lid, one very happy person. grab your toast and drag it through all of it.

what makes this little pan so good

a pile of greens and three eggs. 

here's why it tastes like way more than that.

the spices go in before the kale. 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin hit the olive oil with the onion and garlic, so the base of the pan is already warm, earthy and fragrant by the time the greens show up. the turmeric also turns everything a little sunny, which I fully support.

water and a lid do the wilting for you. 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, lid on, and the kale steams down soft and silky in its own tiny sauna. no babysitting, no wrestling a mountain of raw greens around the pan.

you taste before the eggs go in. once the kale is wilted, check it for salt. this is your last real chance to season the greens, because in a minute they're going to be tucked under three eggs and a snowfall of feta.

3 to 4 minutes, covered, and that's it. the lid traps the steam so the whites set while the yolks stay jammy. that window is short, so start peeking at 3.

what you need (it's not much)

kale, 6 stalks, finely chopped. finely is the key word. small pieces wilt fast and evenly and settle in around the eggs instead of sticking up like a hedge.

feta, about 1/4 cup. it goes over the eggs right before the lid goes back on, so it gets soft, warm and salty in every bite. she's the finishing touch, and she knows it.

three eggs. one for each well. it's your pan, you're worth three eggs.

toast. for dragging, scooping and sopping up. non-negotiable. any bread you love works.

how to make green kale eggs

1. start with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in an 8-inch skillet with a lid. add 1 small chopped onion and grate in 1 clove of garlic.

2. spice it with 1/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin.

3. pile in the 6 finely chopped kale stalks and season with salt and pepper. it will look like way too much kale for one small pan. it isn't. trust.

4. wilt the kale: put the skillet on the stove and let the kale start to wilt. then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, cover with the lid and let it wilt all the way down.

5. taste the kale once it's wilted and check the seasoning. add more salt and pepper if it needs it. it should be tasty enough to eat on its own, because honestly, it is.

6. crack in the eggs: make 3 wells in the kale and crack an egg into each one. season the eggs with salt and pepper.

7. crumble about 1/4 cup of feta over the top.

8. cover the skillet and put it back on the stove for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still nice and jammy.

9. serve it straight from the pan with toast and enjoy.

how to keep the yolks jammy

the difference between jammy and hard is about a minute, so this is the one part of the recipe where you hover. lift the lid at 3 minutes and give the pan a little jiggle. the whites should look opaque and set, and the yolks should still wobble. if the whites around the yolks look a little see-through, lid back on and check again in 30 seconds. and serve it right away, since the eggs keep cooking in the hot pan the longer they sit.

faq

what kind of kale works best for green kale eggs?

whatever kale you've got. the important part is chopping it finely, so it wilts quickly and evenly under the lid and makes a soft, even bed for the eggs to sit in. bigger, chunkier pieces take longer to soften and leave the eggs with nowhere cozy to land.

how do I know when the eggs are done?

look at the whites first. once they're opaque all the way to the yolk, you're there. the yolks should still jiggle when you gently shake the pan. in an 8-inch skillet with the lid on, that takes about 3 to 4 minutes. if you like your yolks fully set, leave the lid on a little longer. it's your breakfast.

do I have to use feta?

nope. feta brings a salty, creamy hit that's really nice against the earthy spices and the kale, but you have full permission to use whatever crumbly or melty cheese is hanging out in your fridge, or to skip cheese completely and finish with an extra pinch of salt.

more eggs on the site, because there's always room for more eggs: dill and feta shakshuka, cheesy baked eggs and harissa eggs on labneh toast. and if you've got extra kale kicking around, my everyday winter kale salad is ready for it.

make this and tell me in the comments: what do you cook when it's just you at home?

xo,

e