Like an Italian version of Shakshuka, Eggs in Purgatory is a delicious savory meal featuring eggs poached in a flavorful tomato sauce. Serve it for breakfast or dinner with a hunk of crusty sourdough bread for soaking up the fresh sauce and runny egg yolks.
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From Shakshuka to Huevos Ahogados to Eggs in Purgatory, many different cuisines all have their own version of eggs poached in tomato sauce.
All made from simple ingredients, each is incredibly delicious in its own way.
While similar in appearance, besides the tomatoes and eggs, the other seasonings and vegetables differ, giving each a unique flavor profile. Shakshuka typically features seasonings like cumin and paprika while huevos ahogados has ingredients like cilantro and jalapeno.
For Eggs in Purgatory, think a sauce with fresh herbs such as basil and oregano and flavor similar to a tomato based pasta sauce.
In short, it's fantastic! While we typically serve it for an easy weekend brunch (or Mother's Day brunch), it is equally great for a quick weeknight dinner (I am never opposed to eggs for supper).
The Ingredients
- Avocado Oil- For sautéing the vegetables. You can use olive oil or butter instead.
- Bell Pepper- I typically use red or orange but any color will work.
- Yellow Onion- If needed, you can use a red or white onion.
- Garlic- A teaspoon of garlic powder will also work.
- Cherry Tomatoes- Fresh cherry (or grape) tomatoes are just so flavorful (as they are in cherry tomato soup). If needed, though, you can use regular tomatoes or even canned tomatoes. I go into detail below under "Make it Your Own".
- Balsamic Vinegar- Just like in this turkey meat sauce, a bit of balsamic vinegar adds depth of flavor. If needed, you can substitute with red wine vinegar (or even red wine).
- Baby Spinach- A bit of spinach adds some greens to the recipe. Feel free to sub in baby kale or arugula. Or you can leave it out.
- Dried Oregano + Basil- For the Italian flavor! If you have fresh, you can use 1 tablespoon each chopped instead.
- Sea Salt- Table or kosher salt will work as well- adjust to taste.
- Black Pepper
- Eggs- This recipe is pretty flexible with the number of servings- I find that it fits up to 6 eggs fairly easily so you can probably serve more than two depending on how many eggs you cook and how much sauce you want per serving.
The Method
1. Sauté. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan or deep skillet over medium low heat. Add the pepper and onion and sauté until softened and starting to caramelize. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
2. Simmer. Increase heat to medium and stir in the tomatoes and water. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and have burst. Stir in the seasonings and vinegar.
3. Add Spinach. Stir in the spinach until wilted.
4. Cook Eggs. Crack eggs into sauce and cover pot. Simmer over medium to medium low heat until whites are set and eggs are as desired, about 7-12 minutes.
5. Serve. Scoop eggs and sauce into bowls and serve warm with desired toppings and toast.
6. Enjoy!
Leftovers and Storage
Make Ahead: The tomato sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
To Store: These are best eaten immediately after they are made. If you don't expect to eat the full amount, cook only the amount of eggs you plan to eat and refrigerate the extra sauce in airtight containers for up to 1 day.
To Reheat: Bring the sauce to a simmer in a pot over medium-low heat and then follow the directions for cooking fresh eggs.
Make it Your Own
- Add Beans- To make it more filling, you can stir in 1-2 cups of white beans or chickpeas just before the spinach.
- Include Meat- A cup of cooked and crumbled spicy Italian sausage makes this even more filling and adds so much flavor.
- Make it Spicy- If you'd like to make it spicy, try adding ¼-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Use Different Tomatoes-
- Full Size- Dice 2 cups of full size tomatoes and add them to the recipe as directed.
- Canned- Use one 14 ounce (400 mL) can of tomatoes- don't drain.
- Shortcut- Want an extra quick breakfast? You can substitute one can of your favorite tomato pasta sauce. Simply heat it up, add the spinach if desired and poach the eggs.
Serving Ideas
Eggs in Purgatory is one of those meals that is exceptional and becomes even more so with the right toppings and garnishes! I recommend finishing it off with:
- Chopped Fresh Herbs such as basil or parsley
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- A couple of slices of toasted sourdough or chunks of foccacia
And alongside, you could serve it with:
- Fruit salad or fresh fruit
- A simple spinach berry salad
- Roasted potatoes
- Blueberry muffins
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Eggs in Purgatory
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 bell pepper diced, about 1 cup
- 1 yellow onion chopped, about 1 cup
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1 pint
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
- 2-4 eggs
For serving:
- sourdough bread sliced and lightly toasted
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- freshly chopped italian herbs such as parsley or basil
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan or deep skillet over medium low heat. Add onion and pepper and sauté until softened and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute.
- Increase heat to medium and stir in the tomatoes and water. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and have burst. Stir in the seasonings.
- Add spinach and stir until wilted.
- Crack eggs into sauce and cover pot. Simmer over medium to medium low heat until whites are set and eggs are as desired, about 7-12 minutes.
- Scoop eggs and sauce into bowls and serve warm with desired toppings and toast.
Cathy says
I’ve always been an eggs Benedict kinda gal but these were delish. I’ll have to change it up now. This is so good
Janessa says
Thank you for your kind review, Cathy! I'm glad you like this recipe.