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Caprese Eggs Benedict with Basil Hollandaise
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Experience a delightful twist on the classic brunch favorite with this Caprese eggs Benedict using summer’s ripe and juice tomatoes. Combining the rich flavors of traditional eggs Benedict with the fresh, vibrant elements of a Caprese salad, this dish features toasted English muffins topped with melted fresh mozzarella, marinated cherry tomatoes, poached eggs, and basil-infused hollandaise sauce.
Caprese Eggs Benedict with Basil Hollandaise
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This Caprese Eggs Benedict offers a refreshing take on a brunch classic.
- The combination of flavors of juicy marinated cherry tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, and aromatic basil hollandaise is sure to be a hit.
- It’s a perfect vegetarian option that’s both satisfying and elegant.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Mozzarella – Fresh Mozzarella has a milky flavor and delicate texture that is a perfect pairing with the tomatoes. The soft cheese is easily sliced and allows for all the melty cheese pulls imaginable.
- Cherry tomato – Cherry tomatoes are a small, juicy variety of tomato with a thicker skin. They are much sweeter than other varieties of tomatoes.
- English muffins – While store-bought English muffins work great, level up your breakfast with this homemade recipe here inspired by one of my favorite Napa Bakeries.
- Basil – Basil adds and herby Italian twist to traditional hollandaise sauce made with emulsified eggs and butter.
- Poached eggs – Cooking the eggs in water at a gentle simmer in a swirling vortex helps to fold the egg whites in on themselves and keep them in a small area rather than spreading them out. This method works best when you’re cooking one egg at a time.
How to Make Caprese Eggs Benedict
Step 1: Make the Basil Hollandaise.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until foamy.
In a food processor, blend the egg yolks with lemon juice. With the processor running, slowly pour in the hot butter until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Add the basil, blend again, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 2: Marinate the Tomatoes.
In a bowl, mix cherry tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes to marinate.
Step 3: Poach the eggs.
Bring a shallow skillet of water to a gentle simmer with a splash of vinegar. Crack eggs into small bowls, then gently slide them into the water. Poach for about 4 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Step 4: Toast English muffins and melt mozzarella.
Turn on the broiler. Toast the English muffins on a baking sheet until golden. Add slices of fresh mozzarella and broil again until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Step 5: Assemble and serve.
Top each muffin half with marinated tomatoes, a poached egg, and a spoonful of basil hollandaise. Serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the English muffins with gluten-free bread.
- If fresh basil isn’t available, a touch of pesto can add a similar flavor to the hollandaise sauce.
Tips for the best hollandaise sauce
- For this recipe I opt to use a food processor or blender for the hollandaise instead of making the sauce by hand to save time and energy when it’s early in the morning. It also combines the basil into the sauce to evenly distribute the flavor.
- If your sauce breaks (the fat and the egg separate rather than becoming creamy) there are two ways to fix it. You can add a little hot water and blend or whisk vigerously to try to re-emulsify the sauce or start a new sauce with a fresh egg yolk in the blender/ food processor and slowly incorporate the broken sauce.
How to prep this recipe in advance
- Marinating the tomatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper ahead of time helps to bring out the flavors of the tomatoes. They can be marinated up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this caprese eggs Benedict recipe, I recommend checking out some of these vegetarian brunch ideas:
Caprese Eggs Benedict with Basil Hollandaise
Rate this Recipe
Ingredients:
For the basil hollandaise:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ packed cup basil leaves
- Kosher salt, as needed
For the caprese benedict:
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 English muffins, split
- 5 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, thinly sliced
Instructions:
For the basil hollandaise:
- Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and cook until the butter is melted and foamy.
- Add the egg yolks to a food processor fitted with a blade attachment with the lemon juice and blend. Working quickly with the food processor running, remove the lid insert and slowly pour the butter in a thin, steady stream until a creamy sauce forms. Add the basil and continue to blend until combined. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
For the caprese benedict:
- Add the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil to a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper then let sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Fill a large flat-sided skillet with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the vinegar and reduce heat so that the water so that it is barely at a simmer. Slowly crack the eggs individually into ramekins.
- Carefully lower the egg into the water and cook for 4 minutes for firm whites but a runny egg yolk. Remove the egg using a slotted spoon. Set aside on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining eggs.
- Heat the oven to boil. Add the English muffins to a baking sheet and broil until golden brown. Top with slices of BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella and continue to broil until melted and bubbly.
For assembly:
- Top each of the English muffins with a spoonful of the marinated cherry tomatoes, an egg and a spoonful of the basil hollandaise. Serve immediately.
Nutrition:
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Omg. This was SO. GOOD. I definitely need to work on my egg skills but despite that this is one of my favorite Benedict recipes and we got to use basil from our garden. This is one I’m making again and again.
Yay! And love that you used fresh basil from your garden! I love any kind of sauce 🙂
What a delicious recipe. I’m not normally an eggs Benedict fan, but the freshness of the tomatoes and the basil in the hollandaise really gives this a lighter vibe. Such a great spin on the eggs Benedict.