Breakfast

Swiss Chard & Harissa Egg Sandwich

Two hands holding half of harissa egg sandwich topped with Swiss chard with white shirt and jeans in background
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

At the beginning of this year, I set out to make every recipe inspired by the concept of brunch. After years of creating recipes that didn’t always seem to fit a theme, I was feeling restless. So how did I settle on brunch as my theme for the year? I love how brunch brings people together, because… well, food itself brings us together. Brunch seems so approachable, less stuffy than other meals, and much more relaxed. It doesn’t have a particular set of rules or specific table settings and can be as simple as an egg sandwich. While this Swiss chard and harissa egg sandwich isn’t necessarily “simple,” it’s an elevated egg sandwich that’s sure to blow away your tastebuds.

Top down view of open faced sandwiches topped with fried eggs and Swiss chard mixture sitting on wood cutting board with extra pieces of bread all on white surface

A sandwich can be anything, but oftentimes, I’m sorry to say that it ends up being boring. For any sandwich to make it into my book, I need a few components to make it worth eating:

The bread

Forget about that soft, processed grocery store bread… yuck. Instead, choose a sturdy bread, something that will hold up to a multitude of layers between slices. I love sourdough bread. Not only is it sturdy, but it actually adds to the flavor of the sandwich. Other good breads to use: a crusty county loaf, a seeded multi-grain, or hearty whole wheat.

Close up view of sourdough bread with Swiss chard and harissa sauce on top of fried egg all on wood cutting board

The sauce(s)

I’m always a fan of mayonnaise, and you better believe this egg sandwich has a healthy amount. To some, it may seem out of character to use mayonnaise on an egg sandwich. Let me explain why this sauce is perfect in this recipe:

  • First, this is a homemade aioli (code word for flavored mayonnaise). That means it’s so much more delicious than ordinary jarred mayo and totally worth every calorie. So, yes, it totally passes the test to warrant smothering on this sandwich.
  • Second, it’s blended with garlic and lemon juice, which makes it perfect to balance out the slight heat of the second sauce: harissa.

Harissa is salsa’s North African cousin. Full of spices and a little heat, the sauce packs a full, intense flavor. Add it to this sandwich. Add it to any other sandwich. Use it as a dip for vegetables, on meat, on… anything.

Harrisa sauce on piece of sourdough bread topped with Swiss chard mixture sitting on wood cutting board

The greens

A lot of times lettuce is perfect for a sandwich. But an egg sandwich needs something special. Swiss chard fills that need. Since it doesn’t go to seed in extreme heat (like some lettuces would), it’s plentiful all season long in my garden and at other markets. And I’ll be the first to admit that the main reason I love it so much is its full rainbow of colors. Each rib of the chard can be a different color… how fun is that?

The ribs are tedious and scare a lot of us. There’s no need to be afraid, though. Simply strip the leaves, dice up the ribs, sauté them in olive oil, and you have a treat. After the stems have softened, the leaves can wilt into them and create a delicious pile of greens.

Wooden spatula sitting amongst Swiss chard mixture after being cooked on stove in stainless steel pan

Take the three components above and you have the perfect trio for this Swiss chard and harissa egg sandwich. Between two pieces of crusty bread are two sauces, rich and spicy dark greens, and a perfectly cooked sunnyside up egg that’ll ooze yolk all over the greens. If you’re not craving this after that description, well then it’s time to wake up!

Watch how to make this harissa egg sandwich:

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
Swiss chard and harissa egg sandwich layered with homemade aioli sitting on wood cutting board with white background

Swiss Chard & Harissa Egg Sandwich

  • Author: Kaleb Wyse
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Cooking
  • Cuisine: Fusion
Print

Description

Talk about a grown-up version of an egg sandwich. This swiss chard and harissa egg sandwich is a unique combination of flavors that’s so much better than anything you could get at any restaurant!

Scale

Ingredients

For the harissa

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 Thai chili peppers (or Serrano), seeds removed and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 pieces jarred roasted peppers
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the aioli

  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup neutral oil (safflower)

For the chard

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp diced onion
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 oz Swiss chard
  • 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the sandwich

  • 4 eggs
  • 4 large slices sourdough bread

Instructions

For the harissa

  1. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and chili peppers. Slowly sauté until the onions are softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Stir in the coriander, cumin, paprika, and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste. Stir into the mixture and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into blender. Add the prepared roasted peppers and lemon juice. Blend until a smooth paste. Set aside.

For the aioli

  1. In a blender, combine all the ingredients excluding the oil. Blend to combine, 10 seconds. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the oil in a steady stream until the mixture becomes thick. Pour into an airtight container and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

For the chard

  1. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and salt. Sauté until soft and slightly brown, 4-6 minutes. Remove the leaves from the ribs of the Swiss chard. Dice the ribs and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Chop the remaining chard leaves and sauté until wilted and the liquid has cooked off, 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To assemble

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Once heated, add the eggs and cook sunnyside up, or to desired taste. Spread one side of bread with prepared harissa and the opposing side with prepared aioli. Place egg on one prepared piece of bread and sautéed chard on the opposing piece.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 sandwich
  • Calories: 710
  • Sugar: 8.6g
  • Sodium: 1745.4mg
  • Fat: 35.2g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.3g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 77.8g
  • Fiber: 4.7g
  • Protein: 23.1g
  • Cholesterol: 197.6mg

Keywords: brunch, egg sandwich

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • I just wanted to let you know that I made this recipe a few months ago and my boyfriend not only loved it , he brings this recipe up often and his mouth waters lol .
    It was absolutely amazing and such a great break from
    The usual breakfast /brunch recipes that are out there .
    Thank you for sharing 🥰

    Reply