The muffin was doing texture, not flavor.
An English muffin under eggs Benedict mostly soaks up hollandaise and gives the stack something to sit on. Sautéed spinach does the same job without the carbs, wilting down just enough to hold its shape under a poached egg. The parts that make eggs Benedict taste like eggs Benedict, the buttery hollandaise and the salty Canadian bacon, don't change at all.
Low-Carb Eggs Benedict with Spinach and Hollandaise
Poached eggs and Canadian bacon over sautéed spinach, finished with a blender hollandaise.
Ingredients
Hollandaise Sauce
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
- 0.125 tsp salt
- 0.125 tsp cayenne pepper
Poached Eggs
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
Assembly
- 8 slices Canadian bacon, or ham
- 6 oz fresh spinach
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, for sautéing spinach, optional
- Cayenne pepper, for garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped, optional
Instructions
Prepare the Hollandaise Sauce
- 1
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until fully melted and hot, but not browned.
- 2
Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper to a blender and blend on high for 20–30 seconds, until smooth.
- 3
With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the hot melted butter and keep blending for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce is thick and emulsified.
- 4
Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or salt if needed, then transfer to a heat-proof container and keep warm until ready to serve.
Poach the Eggs
- 5
Fill a medium saucepan with 3–4 inches of water, add the white vinegar, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- 6
Crack each egg into a separate ramekin or small bowl, then gently slide each egg into the simmering water, one at a time.
- 7
Poach for about 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft.
- 8
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Prepare the Spinach and Bacon
- 9
Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the Canadian bacon for 2–3 minutes per side, until warmed through and lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
- 10
In the same skillet, add a little butter if needed and sauté the spinach over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just wilted.
- 11
Remove from the heat and drain off any excess liquid.
Assemble and Serve
- 12
Divide the sautéed spinach among four plates and top each portion with two slices of Canadian bacon and one poached egg.
- 13
Spoon the warm hollandaise sauce over each egg.
- 14
Garnish with chopped chives and a light pinch of cayenne pepper before serving.
Nutrition per serving
Net carbs here means total carbohydrate (4g) minus fiber (1g). Also per serving: 1g sugar, 391mg cholesterol, 693mg sodium.
Nutrition is calculated from ingredient data and will vary with brands, sizes and exactly how much hollandaise ends up on the plate. Treat it as close, not exact.
Make it ahead. The hollandaise can be made a little in advance and kept warm by sitting the container in a bowl of warm, not hot, water. Stir gently before serving.
Bacon swaps. Canadian bacon can be replaced with ham or smoked salmon, which turns this into a version some people call Eggs Royale.
Frozen spinach. If using frozen instead of fresh, thaw it completely and squeeze out the excess moisture before sautéing so the plate doesn't turn watery.
Leftover egg whites. This recipe only uses the yolks for the hollandaise. Save the whites for an omelet or scrambled eggs another day.
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