Harissa Baked Eggs with White Beans and Spinach

# Harissa Baked Eggs with White Beans and Spinach

Some meals look like they took serious effort but actually come together in under 30 minutes with barely any washing up. This is one of them — a deeply savoury, warmly spiced bake that works just as well for a lazy weekend brunch as it does for a quick midweek dinner.

What You'll Need

Serves 2 | Ready in 25 minutes

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp harissa paste (rose harissa works beautifully here)
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin of white beans (cannellini or butter beans), drained and rinsed
• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
• 4 medium eggs
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh flatbreads or crusty bread to serve
• Optional: a dollop of Greek yoghurt, fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley

How to Make It

Heat the olive oil in a wide, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for around 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in the harissa paste and let it fry off for 30 seconds — this step is worth it, as it deepens the flavour considerably. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, season well, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Stir in the white beans and spinach, letting the spinach wilt down into the sauce. Make four small wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each one.

Transfer the pan to an oven preheated to 180°C (fan) and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the whites are just set but the yolks are still a little runny. Pull it out, add your toppings, and take it straight to the table.

What Makes This Work Nutritionally

This dish is a genuinely strong all-rounder from a macronutrient perspective, and it's not trying to be.

Protein comes from two solid sources — eggs and white beans. Four medium eggs contribute around 24–28g of protein between them, while a tin of cannellini beans adds roughly 14–17g. That's meaningful protein for a meal that feels more like a comfort dish than anything strategic.

Fibre is where white beans really shine. They're one of the more underrated sources, delivering around 10–12g of fibre per tin alongside a good hit of iron and magnesium. Spinach adds to this, plus it brings folate and vitamin K to the table.

Fat here is moderate and mostly unsaturated, coming from the olive oil and egg yolks. The harissa paste adds depth without adding much in the way of calories — most commercial versions are oil-based, so a couple of tablespoons keeps things reasonable.

Per serving (without bread), you're looking at roughly 350–400 kcal, 26–28g protein, 30g carbohydrates, and 12–14g fat — though this varies depending on your harissa brand and exact portions.

Ways to Make It Your Own

Harissa varies a lot between brands — some are fiery, some are mild and floral. Start with less if you're not sure, and add more at the table. Rose harissa (widely available in UK supermarkets) tends to be a gentler, more aromatic choice.

If you want more carbohydrate in the meal, a tin of chickpeas works brilliantly alongside or instead of white beans, and bumps up the overall protein even further.

For a dairy-free version, skip the yoghurt and add a squeeze of lemon juice and a handful of fresh herbs for brightness instead. The dish doesn't need the yoghurt — it's just a nice addition.

Leftovers (without the eggs) keep well in the fridge for two days and reheat beautifully. Cook fresh eggs straight into the warmed sauce.

Practical Takeaways

• Fry your harissa before adding liquid — 30 seconds in the oil transforms the flavour
• Don't overbake — the eggs carry on cooking after you remove the pan, so pull them when the whites look almost set
• Make the sauce ahead and refrigerate it; fresh eggs take less than 10 minutes from there
• Vary the heat level by choosing your harissa brand carefully — rose harissa is a reliable starting point

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