This is one of my favorite quick, savory breakfasts and I’ve made about a hundred versions of it. It’s going to seem gross or weird to a lot of you, but I LOVE it. Plus, I got so many questions about it when I used a picture of a similar version for this soft boiled egg post, that I knew at least some people would be interested. :)
The basic formula is rice, greens, a soft boiled egg, and a splash of hot sauce. You can use different types of rice, different seasonings, different types of sautéed greens, and even different kinds of fat. My favorite combination is jasmine rice (white or brown), virgin coconut oil, jerk seasoning, and spinach. The coconut oil is absolutely magical in this breakfast bowl, but for the SNAP challenge, I used butter to save a few pennies. I love this Mccormick jerk seasoning, but can’t find it at my usual grocery store, so I made the seasoned rice instead, to hopefully make up for it. So, here is the SNAP version of my favorite savory breakfast, packed with fiber, greens, and a deliciously creamy soft boiled egg. (directions for making a soft boiled egg here)
Spinach Rice Breakfast Bowls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked seasoned rice ($0.11)
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach ($0.16)
- 1/2 Tbsp butter ($0.08)
- 1 large egg ($0.21)
- pinch of salt and pepper ($0.03)
- splash of hot sauce ($0.05)
Instructions
- Place one inch of water in a small sauce pan. Bring it up to a boil over high heat with the lid on top. Once it reaches a full boil, add the egg in the pot, replace the lid, and let boil/steam in the shallow water for exactly six minutes. After six minutes, pour out the hot water, rinse with cool water, then peel immediately.
- While the egg is cooking, add 1/2 cup of precooked seasoned rice to a bowl along with 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach. Microwave on high until heated through (about two minutes, stirring once half way through). Season the spinach and rice with butter and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Once the egg is cooked and peeled, add it to the bowl with the spinach rice, drizzle hot sauce over top, and eat.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
See my full tutorial and video on how to soft boil an egg here.
How to Make Spinach Rice Breakfast Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Begin by bringing one inch of water to a full boil in a small pot. Once it begins to boil, add the egg, cover the pot, and let it boil/steam for exactly six minutes. After six minutes, pour out the hot water, and rinse with cool water. Peel the egg immediately.
While the egg is cooking, add 1/2 cup of precooked seasoned rice to a bowl along with 1/2 cup of frozen, chopped spinach. Microwave on high for about two minutes (stirring once half way through), or until the rice and spinach are hot.
Once the rice and spinach are fully heated, season with 1/2 Tbsp butter (or virgin coconut oil) and a pinch of salt and pepper. You can experiment with adding extra herbs here. Sometimes I add a little thyme and red pepper flakes.
Finally, add the cooked and peeled soft-boiled egg and drizzle with hot sauce (I use sriracha! Woo!). And that’s one of my all time favorite breakfasts! (yes, I’m a little unusual)
I am definitely going to try this one. I like the soft-boiled egg idea in particular, because it is healthy like a poached egg and has the runny yolk, but seems easier to cook than a poached egg.
I think im going to try the skillet. Life is hard without a microwave.
Oh, thank you for reminding me about this! I loved this idea when I initially tried it and then it gradually got forgotten in a sea of recipes, meal plans, cold breakfasts, etc.
This is actually one of my favorite easy warm breakfasts, so I’ll have to remember to get it back into the rotation as the weather cools!
I use broccoli and onion with an egg, served with a side of homemade kimchi.
I chop the broccoli and onion once or twice a week, and keep a container of each in the fridge so it’s not a pain in the morning.
Just made it this morning with the coconut oil. So delicious! I can’t believe I’ve never tried a soft-boiled egg before. I’m clumsy at frying eggs, so this is the perfect solution. I’ve been daydreaming about eating soft-boiled eggs all morning now!
I don’t like cooked spinache (I know, I know), but I can definitely see doing this with maybe some grits in the morning and maybe adding some sauteed cherry tomatoes (those are very cheap where I live) with the egg. Yum!
Man, this looks so good… I recently heard that there are some health risks associated with runny egg yolks, though, which makes me sad. :(
I make this every morning! It’s so tasty! I like to switch up my greens: spinach, kale, collard greens (whatever is cheaper) Everyone should eat this tasty and nutritious breakfast filled with whole grains (fiber) , protein, and tasty greens with more fiber and vitamins!
I love a soft boiled egg atop a lot of dishes that usually wouldn’t involve an egg. Creamy pasta, anything with sauted or fried potatoes, even a burger…I’m all over it! Now that I’m living in South Korea, a hard boiled, soft boiled or even partially raw egg atop a meal is not uncommon at all. Given the fact that I was all about it back in the States, I’m surprised at how off putting it can sometimes seem to me now. Trying to get over that!
I used seasoned rice to make this:http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sausage-spinach-rice-bowl-50400000120279/
I had some mushrooms that needed to be used, so I added those. Leftovers with an egg sounds like a meal to me.
I’ve never made a soft boiled egg before, but this breakfast bowl is definitely calling my name! Love how easy this is to whip up for breakfast…Will try it tomorrow morning:)
If you don’t feel like cooking an egg, a dollop of plain yogurt works well with this, too.
Good idea Ali. I’m trying to avoid all the fat in yolks.
man oh man, who would think this is gross? put an egg on anything and I’ll eat it! I do basically this same thing but on top of a sweet potato instead of rice. but I am super stoked to try rice (why did I never think of that..? ;) ) Love the SNAP posts, keep em coming!
This sounds amazing! I’m not a fan of hot sauce. Could you suggest something else that would work well as a replacement?
You could use soy sauce or no added sauce at all. Let the runny yolk be the sauce.
Soy sauce or teriyaki sauce would probably be good.
Use salsa or a red pasta sauce. Fresh tomatoes within dried herbs and salt are also great.
This dish sounds really yummy to me! Since we don’t own a microwave, can you see sauteing some fresh spinach (with perhaps some onion, garlic and tomatoes) and then warming the rice over the top? I know the above add might take you over the SNAP Challenge requirements.
Also, how many minutes more would I need to cook that egg to get it a bit more hard without going over the top (the hubs doesn’t like runny yokes, but I love them)?
Brenna,
I don’t have a microwave and I often to a quick saute of already cooked rice, greens and whatever else sounds good…and then put an egg on it!
I learned how to soft boil from Beth and left poaching behind. I do a 7 minute egg and the yoke is soft but not too runny. I just experimented with the time until I got what I wanted.
Yep, you could definitely saute both the rice and the spinach in a skillet. It will almost be like fried rice with an egg on top. :) I haven’t experimented with longer cooking times on the egg to know how many minutes will get you a solid yolk, but I would guess around ten.
Sent this recipe to my son (in college). He loves it!
I’m probably going to make it myself with fresh arugula (I have a ton that needs to get eaten) and leftover couscous.