Savory Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl With Eggs and Greens
Smoky roasted sweet potato cubes, garlicky wilted greens, avocado, quick pickled red onion, and two fried eggs with soft yolks. Fully savory, high in protein, and built to be prepped in parts.
Servings 2 bowls
Ingredients
For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 1 ½ lb sweet potatoes about 2 medium, peeled and cut into ¾ inch dice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
For the Quick Pickled Red Onion
- 1 small red onion halved and sliced thin
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Bowls
- 4 large eggs 2 per bowl
- 4 cups baby spinach or 3 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard
- 2 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 medium avocado halved and sliced
- flaky salt and black pepper to finish
- red pepper flakes and torn cilantro optional
- 4 links breakfast sausage optional, or 4 slices bacon
Instructions
Roast the Sweet Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Toss the sweet potato cubes with the olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne until every face is coated.
- Spread them on a sheet pan in a single layer with visible space between the cubes. Use two pans if they will not fit. Crowded cubes steam instead of caramelizing.
- Roast 25 to 30 minutes, turning once at the halfway point, until the edges are deep brown and slightly crisp and a cube gives to a fork but still holds its shape.
Quick Pickle the Red Onion
- Pack the sliced red onion into a jar or small bowl.
- Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until steaming and the sugar has dissolved, then pour it over the onions and press them under the liquid.
- Leave 10 minutes while the potatoes roast. They keep 2 weeks in the fridge.
Cook the Greens and Eggs
- Warm the butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the sliced garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the greens. Spinach needs under a minute. Kale or chard needs 3 to 4 minutes with a splash of water and a lid, then uncovered to dry off. Salt in the pan and move to one side.
- Add a little more fat to the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low, and fry the eggs 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks are still soft.
Build the Bowls
- Spread the roasted sweet potatoes across the base of each bowl.
- Add the greens beside the potatoes rather than underneath, so the heat does not steam them grey.
- Fan the avocado slices along one side and salt them directly.
- Set two eggs on top so the yolks break over the potatoes, then spoon the pickled onions over. Finish with flaky salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes at the table.
Notes
- Space on the pan: Cubes that touch trap steam and go pale and wet. Visible gaps are what gets you caramelized edges.
- Salt before roasting: Salt added afterwards sits on the surface. Undersalted sweet potato reads as dessert.
- The yolk is the sauce: Fried or poached beats scrambled here, since nothing else in the bowl plays that role.
- Acid is structural: Sweet potato, yolk, and avocado are three rich round flavors in a row. The pickled onion is what keeps the bowl from going heavy.
- Meal prep in parts: Potatoes 4 days, greens 3 days, pickles 2 weeks, hard boiled eggs 5 days. Cut avocado fresh.
- Reheat in a skillet: 3 minutes in a hot dry pan or 4 minutes in an air fryer at 375°F. The microwave softens every edge.