I developed this recipe specifically for those times when I'm dining solo. It's not that it can't be expanded to feed two or more, but I like the fact that it is my special, alone-time treat. It is truly one of my favorite meals: good, basic, hearty eating that fills me up and makes me ready for whatever life is throwing my way. It's suitable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I am very happy to share it with you today.
At home, I call this "Egg and Chickpeas" because the truth is, you can make with or without the sausage and just about any green can be substituted for the kale (chard, spinach.) You could also make it with cauliflower or broccoli, too. Potatoes would make it even heartier, so perhaps best for fall and winter months. I suppose you could even switch out the chickpeas for another bean such as black beans or a white bean such as cannellini. But I highly recommend trying it just as it is first.
The Inspiration. This dish was inspired by a visit to Boot & Shoe Service, a favorite Oakland, California eatery. I went there on a day I was feeling a bit out of sorts and in dire need for comfort and nourishment. The meal that I had brought me back to life and I was so grateful and inspired that I wrote an entire Weekend Meditation post about it. A few days later, I was craving it again and happily realized that I had all the fixings to make it right there at home.
The Ingredients. You can certainly make this with canned chickpeas and even frozen spinach. Your egg and sausage can be supermarket bought and that would be fine, too. But I must confess, I feel part of the reason this is so good is that I cooked the chickpeas from scratch, got my pasture-raised chicken eggs at the farmers' market and a bunch of fresh kale there, too. And my sausage came from a reputable butcher that uses local, sustainable meat and makes them in-house. Still, with all those so-called fancy ingredients, I reckon this dish came in at about $3.00 per serving. And it was a good, fill-me-up kind of serving too.
The Bram. "What is that gorgeous, rustic dish you're using in the final step when you cook the egg?" you ask. It's a bram, a simple clay cooking vessel from Egypt that is glazed on the inside and rough on the outside. I use it because the clay really holds the heat and the moisture, and it's the perfect size for one person. I also like it for its rustic beauty. Is it necessary? No. You could start this whole dish in a small cast iron skillet, for instance, and just crack the egg on top and slide it into the oven. Or you could use a cazuela, like they did at Boot & Shoe Service. Just be sure that whatever you're using is oven-safe. See below for more discussion on this topic.
The Egg. As mentioned, I think the egg is key to the success of this dish and I encourage you to find the best eggs you can. Right now, eggs from pastured chickens are your best bet and are starting to show up more and more at farmers' markets around the country. Also, you can skip the whole step of cracking an egg over the chickpeas and cooking it in the oven if you want. Just plop a poached or fried egg on top instead. I recommend, though, that no matter what you do, the yolk should be runny.
The Toaster Oven. Is using the toaster oven necessary? No, but it is more efficient. Of course, if you have a wood-burning oven like they do at Boot & Shoe, you can just slide it in there. (Hahaha!) I use my toaster oven because I don't want to heat up my whole oven only to pop something in for 5 to 7 minutes. That said, if you're organized enough, this could be the time that you roast up some sweet potatoes or potatoes. You could also tuck it in anytime you have the oven on for other things, such as bread. Just keep an eye on it so you don't overcook the yolk.
Vegetarian? You can definitely make this without the sausage, thus making it vegetarian. I would recommend adding a bit more salt and olive oil and adding some harissa or other hot sauce to add spice. If you want spice, that is. You can also use one of those vegetarian sausages, like Soyrizo, if you're so inclined. The only way to make this vegan is to also eliminate the egg which would so alter the character of the dish that I cannot recommend a vegan version. I would love to hear your suggestions, though.
Kale, Chickpeas, and Sausage with Oven-Baked Egg
Serves one, with leftovers
1/2 large yellow onion, medium chopped
1 T olive oil
Salt
1/2 spicy fresh sausage, about 3 to 4 ounces, sliced
1/2 bunch dino kale, about 2 oz after stalk is stripped
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can, drained)
Hot sauce, such as harissa, optional
1 pastured egg
In a medium-sized frying pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil and a pinch of salt until it softens and is beginning to turn translucent. Add the sausage and continue cooking until the sausage begins to brown. You may want to break up the sausage as it starts to cook in order to distribute evenly.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375°F or turn your toaster oven onto its toast setting.
Add the kale. It's nice if the kale is a bit wet from washing, as a little water will steam up and help cook the kale, as well as help with scraping up any of the browned bits from the onion and sausage. If your kale isn't wet, you may want to add a splash of water to the pan. Cook until the kale is wilted and then add the chickpeas and heat through. Stir gently so you don't mash the chickpeas too much. Taste for salt.
This will make enough chickpeas for two servings, so scoop one half of the mixture into an oven proof dish. Add the hot sauce if using. Crack your egg into a bowl and gently slide it on top of the chickpeas. Sprinkle with salt and slide into the toaster oven. Bake for about 7 minutes, checking at the 5 minute mark, or until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. Note: Depending on the kind of toaster oven you have, you may have to place some tinfoil over the top of the dish if the oven's heating elements are too close to the egg. It was fine to leave it uncovered in my toaster oven. If you are using a regular oven, you may also want to cover the dish in order to trap the heat inside and help the egg to cook.
Serve with some fresh, crusty bread to mop up the yolk, and enjoy!
Sources:
• Boot & Shoe Service in Oakland, CA. I'm not sure if this is still on the cafe menu, but whatever you have there will be delicious.
• 2-cup Shallow Bram, $6.25, from Bram Cookware
Related: Is Cooking Chickpeas from Scratch Really Worth It?
It's Reader Request Week at The Kitchn! This post was requested by andypucko.
(Images: Dana Velden)
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That sounds just great. I love a good runny egg and let me not even get started about kale!
Sausage, kale, a runny egg AND garbanzos...sounds right up my alley.
Love this, I make something similar but toss in whatever I have on hand - whole wheat couscous, tomatoes, olives, really any veggie that can be cooked works great in this dish, & cheese is always a great addition.
This sounds great. You may want to add a gluten-free tag so that it can be found for those searching that way too. I've sadly been put on a 3 month everything tasty free diet and you guys have been a great resource, but I am now wondering how many other great Gluten and dairy free dishes I am missing.
This looks so delicious. One of my go to dinners for one is brown rice and kale with a poached egg on top, so this is my kind of meal. I've never thought to do chickpeas though, so I'll have to try this.
Thanks MLH! I'll add the GF tag.
I'm definitely making this soon--and thanks for linking back to the lovely Boot & Shoe Service post; I'd missed that one. I'm on the wrong side of the Bay to drop into B & S on a whim, but I've spent similar afternoons at Pizzeria Delfina and I'm long overdue for another one!
This is everything I love in one bowl. Yum.
YUM, thank you! Everything is better with an egg on it.
I made this tonight. It was SO yummy, it will definitely one of my favorites from now! (And the best is, there's still half of it left and I can have it again tomorrow!!!)
Wow. This looks healthy (sans sausage anyway), easy and delicious. I'm definitely making this the next time I need a quick and easy meal at work or when I'm alone at home. Yum!
I tried this this weekend--I ate half with an egg and the next day, I tossed the other half with macaroni and Parmesan cheese. If I'd had toasted breadcrumbs I would have tossed those in, too. Delicious both ways. I can also see serving this with soft or fried polenta. I loved the contrast of bitter kale and creamy chickpeas.
Just made this--so delicious and simple to make! Thanks!
We made this last night at my house, and my husband, who is a meat and potatoes guy, really liked this dish. And I loved it! What a great, wholesome winter meal. Thanks again for the recipe! FYI - we did try this in the oven instead of our toaster oven and it took closer to 15 minutes to get the egg to bake. We'll make it in the toaster oven next time like you suggest:-)
If you store the leftovers in the fridge, will the time it takes to cook the egg also reheat the food to a good temperature?
This was lovely as is (though I found it very difficult to get the whites of the egg cooked in the oven without also cooking the yolk), but I made some variations that turned out wonderful as well. Used black beans and cumin, kept the kale, and baked that with some brie on top. Then I fried the egg over-medium. Sooooo good.