Lemony Greens & Grains with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Forgot to meal prep? It’s cool, so did I. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a gourmet-looking meal on the table in less than an hour. This simple dinner (or lunch) relies on three main ingredients: rice, eggs, and spinach. Dress the dish to your liking, and nobody will know your refrigerator is nearly empty. (Plus, if we’re being real, a boiled egg with a runny yolk is always ‘grammable.)

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Lemony Greens & Grains with Soft-Boiled Eggs Recipe

Lemony greens & grains with soft-boiled eggs is a simple but polished meal with only a handful of ingredients and minimal active cooking time.

Makes: 4 servings

Prep time: 5 mins mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice, uncooked
• 3-4 large handfuls spinach
• Generous drizzle of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
• Juice of a lemon (about 2 tablespoons) for a very lemony dish, use half as much for a milder flavor
• 4 eggs
• 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the brown rice according to package instructions.
2. While the rice is cooking, bring water to a low but continuous boil in a sauce pan or pot. The water level should be high enough to completely cover eggs.
3. About 15 minutes before the rice finishes cooking, add the eggs to the boiling water using a slotted spoon, and allow them to boil for exactly eight minutes to achieve a runny, but not totally liquid yolk.
4. Remove the eggs from the boiling water with the slotted spoon, and allow to cool for five minutes. Peel the eggs gently, and slice each egg in half lengthwise.
5. When the rice finishes cooking, reduce the heat to low and add the spinach, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir until the spinach is wilted.
6. Plate the rice and top with eggs and additional seasonings as desired.

Notes and Nutrition Information

• Eggs and spinach are best served fresh; only make what you need. Make rice ahead of time and store in the fridge up to four days.

• Feel free to use quick-cook brown rice that is ready in 10 minutes—the pantry includes regular brown rice because it is usually more cost-effective, but quick-cook varieties can be great to have on hand for rushed weeknight meals. With quick-cook brown rice, this recipe takes only about 20 minutes start-to-finish.

• One fourth of the recipe as written contains approximately 474 calories, 14 grams of fat, 74 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, 0.5 grams of sugar, and 118 milligrams of sodium.