Eggs and soldiers
Soft-boiled eggs with thick, dippable yolks, buttery toast soldiers and tender asparagus spears for dunking, the British nursery dinner that never gets old.
- 15 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.05 a serving
- 430 calories
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 8 oz asparagus
- 4 large eggs
- 4 slices whole wheat bread
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Each serving has about 430 calories, 22 g protein, 29 g carbs and 25 g fat, and costs about $2.05 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Bring a medium of water over high heat.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Snap the woody ends off the asparagus. They break naturally right where the stalk turns tough.
Lower the eggs into the water with a spoon, turn the heat to medium-high and set a timer for 6½ minutes.
Boil. Boiling means heating a liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. It’s the fastest way to cook pasta, potatoes and eggs, because it’s as hot as water gets.
How you’ll know: Bubbles are breaking across the whole surface, not just at the edges, and steam is rising.
Medium-high heatTimer: 6 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: This is for eggs straight from the fridge: firm whites and a thick, golden yolk that is still perfect for dipping.Food safety: Soft yolks are a small risk. If you’re pregnant, or cooking for small children or older people, cook the eggs until the yolks are firm, or use pasteurized eggs.
When 3 minutes are left on the timer, add the asparagus to the same pot so everything finishes together.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min
While they cook, toast the bread, butter it well and cut each slice into 4 or 5 strips.
Lift out the asparagus with tongs and it with the oil, salt and parmesan. Set the eggs in egg cups or small glasses so they stand upright.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Tap around the top of each egg with a spoon and lift off the cap. Season with pepper and dip in the soldiers and asparagus.
Dolly’s tip: No egg cups? A small bowl of dry rice holds them steady.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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30-minute dinners ›Vegetarian dinners ›What to make with eggs and parmesan ›