This eggs Florentine recipe consists of poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and sautéed spinach on a toasted English muffin. It's a delicious brunch!
This classic eggs Florentine recipe is a restaurant-worthy brunch dish that you can make at home! A fresher spin on eggs Benedict, it consists of poached eggs, creamy homemade hollandaise sauce, and silky sautéed spinach on a toasted English muffin (no Canadian bacon here!). I garnish mine with a sprinkle of chives to take it over the top.
While I might turn to breakfast casserole or cinnamon rolls when I’m making brunch for a crowd, this eggs Florentine recipe is a show-stopping option for a smaller group. Jack and I love it as a special Sunday morning breakfast, and it’s also great for holidays with 2 to 4 people at the table. I think it’s especially perfect for spring—the spinach and herbs make it feel so vibrant.
Poaching eggs and making hollandaise sauce might sound fussy, but don’t let that stop you from trying this delicious recipe! They’re surprisingly simple, and I’m sharing my best tips for mastering both below. Trust me, you’ve got this!
How to Make Eggs Florentine
This recipe has 4 simple steps:
Step 1: Make the hollandaise sauce.
This classic French sauce is rich and bright, made with melted butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. I also add a little Dijon mustard to mine for a nice tangy kick.
Traditionally, you’d make it on the stovetop, but I’ve found that it’s much easier to make in the blender because the sauce is less likely to split.
Blend together the egg yolks, lemon, cayenne, mustard, and salt until frothy. Melt the butter on the stovetop, then gradually pour it into the egg mixture with the blender running.
Two tips:
- Add the melted butter gradually. If you pour it in too quickly, the sauce could split.
- Make sure the butter is hot. It will lightly cook the egg yolks and thicken the sauce.
See my hollandaise sauce recipe for more helpful tips!
Step 2: Sauté the spinach.
Cook it in olive oil with garlic, salt, and pepper until it’s just wilted.
Tip: If all the raw spinach won’t fit in your pan at once, add it in batches.
Step 3: Poach the eggs.
Bring a medium pot of water to a gentle boil. As it heats, crack the eggs into separate small bowls or ramekins.
Add a splash of white vinegar or white wine vinegar to the water and stir so that it moves in a circular motion. Gently drop four of the eggs into the water, give it another gentle stir and simmer for 3 minutes 30 seconds to 4 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon, and repeat with the remaining eggs.
Two tips:
- Work in batches. For evenly cooked, intact poached eggs, I don’t recommend cooking more than 4 at a time. If it’s your first time poaching eggs, you may want to start by just cooking 2 at once and work up from there.
- Don’t skip the vinegar. It helps the egg whites coagulate in the water.
Step 4: Assemble and serve.
Halve and toast the English muffins, then top each half with sautéed spinach and a poached egg. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with hollandaise sauce, garnish with chives, and serve!
Eggs Florentine Variations
- Use different veggies. Sautéed kale or Swiss chard would be lovely in place of the spinach. I love tender sautéed asparagus too.
- Swap the sauce. Try using tzatziki or green goddess dressing instead of the hollandaise. You could even top the eggs with dollops of pesto!
Make-Ahead Tips
If you’d like to get ahead on this eggs Florentine recipe, you can make the hollandaise sauce up to 1 day ahead.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Reheat gently over very low heat in a saucepan on the stovetop, or warm it in a double boiler.
Any leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for 2 days. For longer storage, freeze it.
More Brunch Recipes to Try
If you love this egg Florentine recipe, try one of these delicious brunch dishes next:
- Spinach Quiche
- How to Make an Omelette
- Dutch Baby
- French Toast
- Or any of these 51 Best Brunch Recipes!
Eggs Florentine
Ingredients
Hollandaise Sauce
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pinches cayenne pepper
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- Hot water, as needed
For the Spinach
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Poached Eggs and Assembly
- 8 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 English muffins
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the hollandaise sauce: In a blender, place the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and cayenne. Blend for 5 to 15 seconds, or until the mixture is frothy.
- Place the butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until melted. Transfer the melted butter to a glass liquid measuring cup so that it’s easy to pour. With the blender running on low, slowly pour in the hot butter, blending until the sauce is emulsified. The sauce should have a thick but pourable consistency. If it’s too thick, blend in hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen it. Set aside.
- Cook the spinach: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant but not at all browned. Add the spinach, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, tossing, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spinach is just wilted. If all the spinach doesn’t fit in your pan at once, add it in batches, waiting for each addition to wilt down slightly before adding the next.
- Poach the eggs: Crack four of the eggs into four separate small bowls or ramekins. Bring a medium pot of water to a gentle boil. Add the vinegar and stir the water so that it moves in a circular motion. Gently drop the eggs into the water, give the water another gentle stir, and cook for 3 minutes and 30 seconds to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the eggs out of the water. Set aside and repeat with the remaining eggs.
- To assemble the eggs Florentine, slice the English muffins in half and lightly toast.
- Top each half with some of the spinach and a poached egg. Season the egg with salt and pepper, then drizzle generously with the hollandaise sauce. Garnish with fresh chives and serve immediately.
Those English Muffins look so light and fluffy, not what I am used to seeing–where do you get them?
These were from a special bakery, not the grocery store, but the recipe is delicious with any english muffins!