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This colorful Mediterranean morning meal pairs gently cooked eggs with juicy oven-roasted tomatoes, all sitting on smooth, rich hummus. It offers a wonderful mix of tastes and textures while giving you a protein-rich way to start your day or a tasty light bite whenever you're hungry.
I created this meal when some friends came over for a weekend get-together, and now it's my favorite quick but impressive dish. The mix of smooth hummus with soft, juicy tomatoes makes the perfect landing spot for those drippy, golden egg yolks.
What You'll Need
- Cherry tomatoes: Tiny sweet ones that get soft and caramelized in the oven
- Extra virgin olive oil: Pick something tasty since you'll really notice the flavor here
- Kosher salt: Brings out how sweet the tomatoes naturally are
- Sweet white wine vinegar: Gives a zingy kick that cuts through the richness
- Black pepper: Grind it fresh for the best taste punch
- Fresh basil: The smell works so well with those tomatoes
- Aleppo pepper or chile flakes: Gives a mild warmth with fruity notes
- Hummus: From the store is fine but making your own takes it up a notch
- Eggs: Grab the freshest ones you can find for poaching
- Pita: Try whole wheat for more nutrients or regular for classic taste
How To Make It
- Cook those tomatoes:
- Heat your oven to 425°F. Mix cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt on a small baking sheet. Don't pile them up or they'll steam instead of roast. Loosely cover with foil to keep in all those tasty juices that'll come out during cooking.
- Get that golden color:
- Let the tomatoes cook for 18 to 20 minutes until soft and starting to burst open. Then take off the foil and put them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to get those yummy dark spots that add lots of flavor.
- Add the flavor boosters:
- Move the hot tomatoes and all their tasty juices to a bowl. Pour in the rest of the olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, fresh basil, and your choice of Aleppo pepper or chile flakes. Stir everything gently so the warm tomatoes soak up all those good flavors.
- Set up your plate:
- Spread the hummus on a plate making a swirl with a hollow in the middle. This not only looks pretty but makes the perfect spot to hold all those juicy tomatoes and their sauce.
- Cook the eggs:
- Get a medium pot of water boiling. Use a mesh strainer to get rid of the watery parts of the egg whites for cleaner looking eggs. Swirl the water before dropping in your eggs. This spinning helps the whites wrap around the yolk for that picture-perfect shape.
- Put it all together:
- Put the tomato mix in the middle of the hummus, then top with your perfectly cooked eggs. When you cut into the warm eggs, the yolks will run a bit, making a rich sauce that brings everything together.
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The Aleppo pepper is my hidden gem in this dish. I found it at a fancy spice store years ago and can't go back to regular spices. It's got a fruity, mild heat that adds so much more than regular red pepper flakes without being too spicy.
The Best Way To Poach Eggs
Lots of home cooks worry about poaching eggs, but using a mesh strainer changed everything for me. The trick is to drain off the runny egg whites before cooking, which stops those messy wispy bits that make poached eggs look sloppy. A little splash of vinegar in the water helps the egg whites firm up faster, giving you a nicer looking egg.
Mix Up Your Hummus
While grabbing hummus from the store is totally fine, making your own lets you try all kinds of flavors. You can mix in roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or fresh herbs to change things up. For extra smoothness, take the skins off your chickpeas before blending them. Just a tiny bit more work gives you super velvety hummus that makes the whole dish taste better.
Ways To Serve It
This flexible dish works for any mealtime. At breakfast, pair it with some fresh fruit. For lunch or dinner, add a simple green salad with lemon juice and olive oil drizzled on top. When feeding a crowd, try setting up a make-your-own station with the hummus base, tomatoes, and eggs cooked as people want them. Extra toppings like crumbled feta, chopped olives, or toasted pine nuts let everyone make their plate just how they like it.
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This meal brings folks running to eat with its bright flavors and parts you can change up, making it something everyone loves.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How do I prevent my poached eggs from spreading in the water?
Try the mesh strainer trick from the recipe to get rid of watery whites before cooking. Making a small whirlpool in barely simmering water helps wrap the whites around the yolk. Eggs that are really fresh will also stay together better during poaching.
- → Can I make the roasted tomatoes ahead of time?
Sure thing! You can cook the tomatoes up to 2 days early and keep them in the fridge in a sealed container. Just warm them up a bit before you put your dish together with the hummus and fresh poached eggs.
- → What can I substitute for Aleppo pepper?
Don't have Aleppo pepper? Just mix some sweet paprika with a tiny bit of cayenne, or use red pepper flakes as the recipe suggests. Smoked paprika works great too and adds a nice smoky taste.
- → Is homemade hummus better for this dish than store-bought?
Homemade hummus tastes fresher and you can make it exactly how you like it, but a good store-bought kind will work just fine. Try warming your hummus a little before serving to make it even creamier and bring out its flavors.
- → How can I make this dish dairy-free?
You're in luck - this dish doesn't have any dairy in it! The creamy texture comes from the hummus and runny egg yolks. Just double-check your store-bought hummus doesn't contain any hidden dairy if you're worried about that.
- → What's the best way to reheat pita bread?
For really soft pita, lightly sprinkle it with water and warm it in your oven at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes. Or you can just heat it in a dry pan over medium heat for half a minute on each side until it's warm and flexible.