Calling all brunch lovers, this easy eggs Florentine recipe is for you! A classic at breakfast restaurants, this dish is impressive to serve and deceptively achievable to make and assemble. You’ll love the delicate poached eggs, garlicky spinach, and rich and creamy hollandaise that make this a perfect vegetarian brunch option.
In this post, I share all the tips for how to make hollandaise sauce perfectly (hint: whisk, whisk, whisk, and take your time!), and how to poach eggs with no fuss. There are a few steps involved, but nothing overly complicated, so this recipe is really accessible! I also include lots of variations and ingredient swaps so you can make this recipe your own.
A reader, Caroline, says: “So delicious! I loved being able to poach more than one egg at a time. The vinegar in the water really did help! I’ve made poached eggs without that before and they spread all over the pan.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Eggs Florentine vs. Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine are very similar, with one key difference: Classic Eggs Benedict features ham or Canadian bacon, while Eggs Florentine has wilted spinach in place of the ham. It’s a popular vegetarian brunch alternative to Eggs Benedict!
Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make egg Florentine. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Butter — butter adds richness and flavor to the hollandaise sauce and turns it into a velvety smooth sauce. I usually use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level of my sauce, but you can use salted butter and just reduce the additional salt by about ¼ teaspoon.
Egg yolks — egg yolks are gently cooked and mixed with butter to create a luscious emulsion. You can save the egg whites to make a batch of coconut macaroons or Swiss meringue buttercream!
Lemon — a generous splash of fresh lemon juice brightens the sauce and balances its flavors. Opt for fresh instead of bottled lemon juice for the best flavor.
Poached eggs — to make perfect poached eggs, all you need are eggs, white vinegar, and a pot of water. For the best poached eggs, use fresher eggs with an expiration date about a month away. Fresh eggs have firmer whites. Older eggs have runny egg whites, which create wisps in the water while they poach. The wispy egg whites don’t affect the flavor; the eggs just won’t look as pretty.
Spinach — you’ll saute fresh spinach in olive oil with garlic, salt, and black pepper. I like to get baby spinach leaves for this because they are tender and flavorful. If your spinach leaves are large, give them a rough chop first.
English muffins — halved, toasted English muffins are the perfect vehicle for the creamy sauce and delicate poached eggs.
Variations & Substitutions
If you want to change up this classic Eggs Florentine, there are several simple ways to do so!
- Add some spice with a pinch of crushed red chili flakes in the sauteed spinach, or replace the paprika with cayenne pepper in the hollandaise sauce.
- Cream the spinach by adding ¼ cup (30mL) of heavy cream and/or ½ cup (28g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This is also a great use for leftover creamed spinach!
- Add meat. Make a twist on Eggs Royale, which uses smoked salmon in place of the spinach. You can also add sausage or crispy bacon.
- Use other greens instead of spinach, like kale or Swiss chard. Or replace it with roasted asparagus or blanched asparagus.
- Swap the English muffins for slices of focaccia, a halved bagel, or sourdough toast.
Making The Perfect Hollandaise
Hollandaise sauce is one of the 5 French mother sauces, a foundational sauce in French cuisine. This thick, lemony sauce is an emulsion of egg yolks and melted butter. There is a blender cheat method, but I like the double-boiler method because it cooks the egg yolks and has a thicker, more velvety texture.
To make the perfect hollandaise sauce, whisking well (and constantly) while slowly adding the melted butter is the key. Adding all of the butter at once or too fast will add too much fat to the egg yolks, so they can’t incorporate properly, causing the fat and yolks to separate. Going slow allows time for the fat molecules to bind and form a thick, luscious sauce. Check out my hollandaise sauce recipe for more tips and tricks.
Poaching the Perfect Eggs
It’s so easy to poach eggs perfectly for Eggs Florentine! One of the main tricks I’ve learned over the years is to add vinegar to the water to keep the egg whites from spreading too much. See my How To Poach An Egg post to see the difference in how the eggs look when vinegar is and is not used.
For this Eggs Florentine recipe, I didn’t use the vortex method since you are cooking 8 eggs, and it’s faster to batch cook them instead of cooking each one individually. (You can read about that method in my poached egg recipe, as well.) If you want more perfectly shaped poached eggs, you can use the vortex method and cook them one at a time. Keep in mind, this will take quite a bit more time.
Poached Egg Doneness Guide
Here are the general cook times for poached eggs, depending on how runny you prefer the yolks. This can vary slightly depending on just how warm your water is, but use this as a starting point to test your first egg.
- 3 minutes: very runny yolk and softer whites
- 4 minutes: slightly runny egg yolk and firmer whites
- 5 minutes: jammy yolk and firm egg whites
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
This recipe is all about timing. Make the hollandaise sauce first, and keep it warm. You can place it back over the pot with warm water (off heat) and whisk it again if needed to rewarm it. Poaching the eggs takes a little bit of time since you need to do it in batches. The spinach wilts very fast, so do that last when your last batch of eggs are poaching.
Make sure the butter isn’t too hot for the sauce. You will melt it and then cool it slightly, so it isn’t piping hot when you add it to the egg yolks. If it’s too hot, it can actually curdle the eggs, causing the sauce to break and turn grainy. Ideally, it is about 125°F to emulsify properly with the yolks.
How To Make Egg Florentine
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making Eggs Florentine. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Make the Hollandaise: Bring a small pot (with 1 inch of water) to a boil over high heat before reducing to low heat and to a simmer. Melt the butter in another small saucepan over medium heat and let it cool slightly. In a bowl big enough to sit on top of the first pot without touching the water, whisk the egg yolks for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, salt, and paprika, and whisk to combine.
2. Place the bowl over the top of the pot with the simmering water to create a double boiler. While whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle the butter into the egg yolk mixture. Start with a few drops at a time and increase to a thin stream. Once all the melted butter has been added, cook for a few more minutes (whisking often) until the hollandaise sauce is thick and creamy. It should coat the back of a spoon. Cover and set aside.
3. Poach the Eggs: Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat so the water is steaming but not bubbling vigorously (which will break the egg yolks). Stir in the vinegar. Crack an egg into a ramekin or small bowl and gently drop it into the center of the water. Let it cook for 1 minute, then gently stir the water so that the egg floats up from the bottom. If you have a large enough pot, you can poach 2 to 3 eggs at a time to save time.
4. Cook until the eggs reach your desired doneness (see Poached Egg Doneness Guide a few sections above for timing), then remove each one with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess water.
5. Wilt the Spinach: While the eggs cook, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add half the spinach and cook until slightly wilted, to make room for the rest of the spinach. Toss in the remaining spinach and cook for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the sauteed spinach from the heat and cover to keep warm.
6. Assemble: To assemble your eggs Florentine, divide the cooked spinach among the halved English muffins. Place a poached egg on top, then spoon the hollandaise sauce over each egg. Sprinkle chopped chives for a garnish and serve immediately.
Eggs Florentine Recipe
Equipment
- Double boiler
- Large Pot
- Slotted spoon
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Hollandaise Sauce:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226g)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
Eggs Florentine
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 8 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 10 ounces baby spinach (283g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 4 English muffins split and toasted
- Chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
For the Hollandaise sauce:
- Fill a small pot with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer over low heat.
- While the water is coming to a boil, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat or melt it in the microwave. Let cool slightly. (It should be very warm, but not steaming hot.)
- In a mixing bowl large enough to sit on top of the pot without touching the water, whisk the egg yolks until they are pale yellow, about 1 minute. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and paprika.
- When the water is simmering, place the bowl with the egg yolk mixture over the top. While whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle the hot butter into the egg mixture, starting with a few drops at a time, increasing to a thin stream.
- Once the butter has been added, cook for 3 to 5 more minutes while whisking frequently until the mixture is creamy, thickened, and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the bowl from the heat. Cover and set aside.
For the Eggs Florentine:
- Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat enough to keep the water hot and steaming but not vigorously bubbling. Stir in the vinegar.
- Crack one egg into a small ramekin. Gently drop an egg into the center of the water. Let it cook for 1 minute, then stir the water so that the egg floats up from the bottom of the pot. (If your pan is large enough you can add 2 or 3 eggs a time, just be sure there is plenty of space between each one, and stir the water very gently so you don’t break the egg yolks.)
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the desired doneness. (A longer cook time will result in a firmer white and less runny yolk.) Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining eggs.
- While the eggs are poaching, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add half of the spinach and stir, cooking for about 1 minute, until slightly wilted. Add the remaining spinach and stir, cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, until all is wilted. Season with the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm if the eggs are still cooking..
- To serve, divide the spinach evenly over the toasted English muffin halves. Place a poached egg on top of the spinach, and spoon the Hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
Notes
- If the eggs have cooled off too much before serving, reheat them in the poaching water for about 30 seconds, then blot them dry on a paper towel before plating.
- As your hollandaise sits, it may thicken slightly. Loosen it to your desired consistency by whisking 1 teaspoon of warm water at a time before serving.
Nutrition
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Fridge: Refrigerate each component separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days. I prefer to store the poached eggs in a container of cold water to keep them from drying out. The English muffins can be kept at room temperature if they haven’t been used.
Reheating: Reheat the eggs by placing them in simmering water for 1 to 2 minutes. You can gently rewarm the hollandaise and spinach separately on the stove over low heat.
Can I make this ahead of time? You can make the poached eggs up to 2 days ahead and store them in cold water in the fridge. Reheat as instructed above in simmering water. The hollandaise is best made just before serving. You can reheat it, but it is temperamental and can break easily.
More Breakfast Recipes To Try
Try one of these easy breakfast recipes next! They’re great for brunch or just a simple breakfast with family.
My easy frittata comes together with creamy eggs, fresh veggies, and melty cheese. I share all the tips so it is never watery or rubbery.
Breakfast quesadillas are ideal for busy mornings. Ready in just 15 minutes, they’re loaded with fluffy eggs, cheese, and crispy bacon.
Wow your friends and family with this impressive quiche recipe. You can make it ahead of time for easier prep.
Breakfast burritos are filling and delicious, and an excellent way to start your day off on the right foot! They’re freezer-friendly, so I often make a double batch and freeze half.
Load up breakfast tacos with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy! There are so many ways to make this recipe your own.
If you’ve tried this eggs Florentine recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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