This easy vegetarian eggs benedict recipe combines a perfectly poached egg under a gluten free hollandaise sauce, with juicy tomato and avocado slices. Served on an English muffin or a hashbrown for a gluten free eggs benedict adaptation, this makes for a perfect brunch option!
Introduction
The classic eggs Benedict gets a veggie twist with this Vegetarian Egg Benedict recipe. I turn to this meal when I’m craving a bit of a luxury for breakfast. These Benedict-style eggs are loaded with fresh slices of creamy avocado, sweet tomatoes, and a rich and creamy savory hollandaise sauce that’s easy to make at home. And discover the easy trick that helps me make foolproof poached eggs with perfectly runny egg yolks, every single time! It doesn’t get much better than this veggie Benedict!
What are Eggs Benedict?
Eggs Benedict is a breakfast or brunch dish that became incredibly popular in New York City, starting as early as the 1860s. There are a few conflicting stories on who exactly invented the dish and where, but the recipe has always remained the same. Traditional eggs Benedict involve two poached eggs served on a toasted, open-faced English muffin with a slice of Canadian bacon and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce. However, a Benedict style breakfast doesn’t have to be strictly limited to the original recipe. There are tons of variations on eggs Benedict including my Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict [link] and of course, this vegetarian eggs Benedict.
Gluten-Free Veggie Eggs Benedict with Hash Browns
If you’re looking for a breakfast that’s both vegetarian and gluten-free, then you’ll love this combination. Although English muffins are the usual choice for eggs Benedict, you shouldn’t let that stop you. Gluten-free sandwich bread, gluten-free English muffins, and gluten-free bagels are all exceptional substitutions.
Whether you’re adhering to a gluten-free diet or not, however, you absolutely have to try this veggie eggs Benedict with hash browns. Crispy, salty, golden brown hash browns right from the oven are a delightfully crunchy and easy gluten-free base for this breakfast.
When to serve Veggie Egg Benedict?
This veggie egg benedict recipe makes for a great Mother's Day brunch!
I love to serve them on any time I want to treat my loved ones to a special meal, like on weekends or on Easter brunch.
I like to pair them with a nice fancy coffee, like this rose latte. For a breakfast cocktail, I like to pair them with a bailey's espresso martini or a pink wine spritzer.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - if you are sensitive to dairy, I recommend using vegan butter instead.
- English muffins, opened OR hash brown patties
- white vinegar
- Eggs - we will be using both whole eggs and egg yolks in our recipe - the egg yolks in the Hollandaise sauce and the whole eggs in the poached eggs.
- Lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Cayenne powder - you can use chilli flakes or cayenne powder
- Avocado slices
- Tomato slices
See recipe cards for exact quantities.
Equipment
- Whisk
- Slotted spoon
- Candy thermometer
- Large pot
- Stainless steel bowl
- small bowls OR
- ramekins
- Sheet pan
- Cutting Board
How to Make Vegetarian Eggs Benedict
Prep the water and toast the buns
Preheat the oven to 450°. Toast English muffins OR hash browns for 4-5 minutes, until toasted and brown up top.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add salt and vinegar. Bring water to a boil: you should have noticeable steam rising off the surface of the pot without letting the water reach a simmering point. The water temperature should measure 180 F when measured with a candy thermometer. Place a large stainless steel bowl over the pot.
Make hollandaise sauce
Melt the butter in the microwave.
To the stainless steel bowl, add egg yolks from 3 eggs, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt. Vigorously whisk the mixture until the egg yolks turn a pale yellow color and thicken in consistency, which will take about 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in ½ cup of the hot butter, whisking continuously until the egg mixture becomes thick and creamy. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, and cayenne powder. Remove bowl with hollandaise sauce and set aside.
Poach the eggs
Break eggs into 6 ramekins. Lower the water to a simmer, avoiding a rolling boil. Using a slotted spoon, create a whirlpool motion in your pot. Next, place each egg, one at a time, in the center of the whirlpool. Cook by gently stirring occasionally in a clockwise motion, until the egg white is set while the yolk remains runny, which should take approximately 2-3 minutes (2 minutes will give you a perfectly runny yolk; 3 will give a semi-runny yolk with a set outer circle).
Serve veggie eggs benedict
To serve, line up 3 plates and place two halves of an English Muffin, or a Hashbrown on each plate. Top each half with a few slices of avocado. Once the eggs are ready, take them out with a slotted spoon and dry them off with a paper towel.
Place two eggs on top of each serving topped with avocado slices. Add a tomato slice on top of each egg and pour some hollandaise sauce on top. Lastly, sprinkle some more cayenne powder on top of the sauce, and serve.
Leftover poached eggs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Leftover hollandaise sauce will keep for 2-3 days.
Storage
For the best results, I recommend serving avocado egg Benedict shortly after it’s been prepared. The sliced avocado, tomato, poached eggs, and hollandaise are all at their finest when fresh. Plus, there are rarely any leftovers of this decadent dish anyways!
Top Tips
- Use a large pot. Poached eggs do best in a large, deep pot of water. Even though a large pot may seem too big for one egg, the extra space helps form those beautiful poached egg spheres.
- Learn to test the doneness of an egg. Poached eggs are usually done in about 3-4 minutes, but there’s another way to check if your eggs are done. Remove one egg using your slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel. Very gently touch the yolk of the egg with your finger. A poached egg should have a soft, give but maintain its form. If you’d rather have a firmer yolk, then return the egg back to the pot for another minute.
- Add a touch of dijon mustard to your homemade hollandaise sauce for a special flavor!
Variations
- Spicy Eggs Benedict - Pack a bit of spice into this vegetarian eggs Benedict with a dusting of cayenne powder or red chili flakes and a few slices of serrano or jalapeño pepper.
- Mushroom and Spinach - Fill your veggie Benedict with even more veggies by adding some delicious mushrooms and spinach. A few slices of sautéed cremini mushrooms and a handful of sautéed or fresh spinach leaves brings an extra depth of flavor and nutritional value. I love making vegetarian eggs Benedict with spinach and avocado!
- Mediterranean - Take a Mediterranean twist on the vegetarian eggs Benedict with a dollop of olive tapenade, a few sundried tomatoes, and a bit of peppery arugula sprinkled on top.
- For a spring touch, add spears of asparagus to your eggs benedict.
Frequently Asked Questions
With a few small tweaks, you can convert this vegetarian recipe into a vegan eggs benedict recipe. For the poached eggs, you can swap in a different style of “eggs” using a plant-based product like JUST Egg or Simply Eggless. Simply forgo the eggs altogether and use the tomato slices as your base, or even a slice of pressed tofu. For the hollandaise, try a vegan version from Inspired Vegan or Primal Kitchen.
You’ll want to use light colored vinegars such as white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Be sure to avoid dark vinegars like balsamic or red wine because they’ll impart an unwanted flavor into the eggs.
Don’t panic if your sauce separates because it’s easy to fix. A few tablespoons of boiling water whisked back into the sauce will usually do the trick.
Absolutely! This dish is always such a crowd-pleaser especially for brunches. Since I recommend only poaching one egg at a time, prep and slice all of the other ingredients ahead of time to make the actual cooking as seamless as possible.
Recommended Dishes
For more vegetarian breakfast inspiration, try these recipes:
● Fluffy Pumpkin Protein Waffles
● 4 Tropical Vegan Overnight Oats Recipes
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Recipe
Vegetarian Eggs Benedict Recipe with Avocado and Tomato
Equipment
- small bowls OR
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 English muffins opened OR 3 hash brown patties
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 6 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Avocado sliced
- 2 Tomatoes sliced
- Kosher salt to taste
- Cayenne powder to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°. Toast English muffins OR hash browns for 4-5 minutes, until toasted and brown up top.
- Melt the butter in the microwave.
- Fill a large pot with water, and add salt and vinegar. Bring water to a boil: you should have noticeable steam rising off the surface of the pot without letting the water reach a simmering point. Place a large stainless steel bowl over the pot.
- Make the hollandaise sauce: To the stainless steel bowl, add the 3 egg yolks, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt. Vigorously whisk the mixture until the egg yolks turn a pale yellow color and thicken in consistency, which will take about 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in ½ cup of the warm butter, whisking continuously until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Taste, and season with salt and cayenne powder. Remove bowl with hollandaise sauce and set aside.
- Poach the eggs: Break eggs into 6 ramekins. Lower the water to a simmer, avoiding a rolling boil. Using a slotted spoon, create a whirlpool motion in your pot. Next, place each egg, one at a time, in the center of the whirlpool. Cook by gently stirring occasionally in a clockwise motion, until the egg white is set while the yolk remains runny, which should take approximately 2 to 3 minutes (2 minutes will give you a perfectly runny yolk; 3 will give a semi-runny yolk with a set outer circle).
- To serve, line up 3 plates and place two halves of an English Muffin, or a Hashbrown on each plate. Top each serving with a few slices of avocado. Once the eggs are ready, take them out with a slotted spoon and dry them off with a paper towel. Place two eggs on top of each serving topped with avocado slices. Add a tomato slice on top of each egg and pour some hollandaise sauce over the whole thing. Lastly, sprinkle some more cayenne powder on top of the sauce, and serve (leave the second half of the English muffins on the side).
- Leftover poached eggs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. Leftover hollandaise sauce will keep for 2 days as well.
Sarita says
Simply delicious and very easy to follow instructions too. Love the avocado and tomato additions!
Kris says
Wow! The avocado and cayenne took it to the next level. SO good!
Sue says
I LOVE eggs benedict, and most restaurants make their veggie versions with just spinach. Using tomato and avocado is so much better! These are creamy and so delicious! I'll be making this on repeat!
Jennifer says
Love these with avocado! So fresh and fabulous!
Sharon says
This recipe was ah-mazing! I went with the hash browns and it was such a great idea. The crispiness was the perfect combination with the creamy eggs and sauce. Yum!
Sherry L Ronning says
Thank you for such a great recipe. I made this vegetarian eggs Benedict recipe for a bridal shower brunch. Everyone loved it!!
Healing Tomato says
I always appreciate a vegetarian version of this classic breakfast. They were easy to make and they didn't take long either. I used white distilled vinegar.
Tammy says
My eggs turned out perfect - 2 minutes was the magic cook time. And your hollandaise sauce recipe is spot on. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast!
Gen says
This hollandaise was so delicious and easy! I just loved this recipe and will absolutely be making it again.
Anne says
This tasted amazing, and the hollandaise sauce was so easy to make!
Jen says
Love this recipe! I'm trying to eat less meat and these eggs benny were fabulous! Loved the tomato on them, too!
Rachna says
I love Eggs Benedict. My family really loved your idea of serving poached eggs on hash browns and avocado. Perfect filling breakfast!