Adding preserved lemon, cumin and smoked paprika to Swiss chard makes for a wonderful Moroccan Breakfast. Served with fried eggs, this is a super healthy breakfast option that brings a big WOW of flavor.
Moroccan Breakfast, Why This Recipe Works
Swiss Chard and eggs. It’s not exactly what you’d expect on a breakfast table in Colorado. Perhaps steak and eggs?
Thinking outside the box, this recipe which features Swiss chard and eggs will bring a whole new level of fresh and exciting flavors to your breakfast table.
This healthy Moroccan breakfast recipe is earthy with smoked paprika, sultry with cumin, and lively with chili powder … you’ll simply savor every bite.
So jam packed full of flavor, and quick and easy to make, you’ll find yourself serving it time after time.
And with a sunny side up egg nestled alongside, what a delightful way to go green. A perfect breakfast recipe if you’re following the Mediterranean diet plan.
A recipe from Culinary School, let’s take a look. You’ll feel like you’re having breakfast in Morocco.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Swiss Chard (Rainbow Chard).
- Garlic.
- Preserved Lemon
- Olive Oil
- Parsley
- Spices and Seasonings: Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder and Red Pepper Flakes.
- Eggs.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Chard: Fresh spinach is the best substitute for Swiss Chard. Kale is also a good choice, but the leaves are tougher and will have to be cooked longer.
- Garlic: Substitute a fine chopped medium shallot for the garlic.
- Oil: If you don’t have olive oil, substitute a neutral oil such as Canola or vegetable oil.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy!
- Step 1: Rinse and dry the leaves of the Swiss Chard. Use a knife to cut the leaves off of the tough large stems. Cut the leaves into large pieces, or stack them up, roll the stack of leaves and cut to create thin ribbons.
- Step 2: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the chopped Swiss chard.
- Step 3: Cook the chard until it becomes wilted. Add garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant. About 1 minute.
- Step 4: Add the cumin, chili powder and paprika. Stir, cover with a lid and turn down the heat to low. Let it steep and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the preserved lemon and stir.
For the Eggs: During the time you’re cooking the chard, fry two eggs. Over easy is always a good choice. Serve the cooked chard next to the fried eggs. Toast, English muffins, or flat bread is a good addition.
If you don’t add bread as a side dish, this breakfast is naturally gluten free.
Eggs are commonly a part of a typical Moroccan breakfast. And if you’re going to make Moroccan food regularly, you’ll want to keep a jar of preserved lemons on hand. They are a traditional ingredient in many Moroccan recipes. Mallow greens are commonly cooked in Morocco and seasoned with Preserved Lemon. To make this recipe easy for us in the States, we’ll use Swiss Chard.
Variation
Serve these Moroccan greens topped with a poached egg, rather than fried eggs. Feeling adventurous, serve this with traditional Moroccan Pancakes. Also a couple of slices of white aged cheddar cheese is a nice addition. And don’t forget freshly squeezed orange juice.
Swiss Chard and Eggs, Moroccan Breakfast
If you never tried Moroccan breakfast foods, you’re in for a real treat. The warm spices and style of recipes are some of my favorites. I love making Moroccan tagines. Take a look at this recipe for Moroccan Apricot Lamb Tagine. It’s truly divine.
And if you’re looking for traditional Moroccan breakfast recipes, I hope you give this super easy recipe a try.
If you’re looking for super healthy breakfast recipes for weight loss, this one is right up your alley. So healthy. So low-carb. So perfect.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
And don’t miss my Breakfast Category. You’ll find plenty of fabulous recipes to start your day. Including the most popular breakfast recipe on my site for Hatch Chile Smothered Breakfast Burritos.
Moroccan Breakfast, Swiss Chard and Fried Eggs
Equipment
- Large Fry Pan
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil (divided)
- 2 bunches Swiss chard red stems removed and rough chopped
- 2 cloves garlic fine chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ preserved lemon chopped, flesh only
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 pinch crushed pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Wash the Swiss chard leaves well and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Use a knife to cut the leaves off of the tough large stems. Cut the leaves into large pieces, or stack them up, roll the stack of leaves and cut to create thin ribbons.
- Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the oil and once the oil is hot add the chard and cook stirring frequently. When the chard start to wilt, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.
- Add the cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder. Stir and cover with a lid. Turn down the heat to low and let it steep for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the preserved lemon and parsley. Stir and cover and cook on low for an additional 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, fry two eggs. Or poach two eggs.
- Plate the Chard, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with red chile flakes. Serve alongside eggs and toast, English muffin or flatbread.
Notes
Nutrition
Moroccan Breakfast, Swiss Chard with Eggs … It’s what’s for Breakfast
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Crushed Pepper flakes go in when?
I love the flavors you added to make these greens extra special! I bet they are so good with those eggs.
Thanks Pam. We really liked this dish.
I have never had a Swiss chard dish with such flavor as this! It will be a go to for me. In the process of finding pickled lemons I found an outstanding middle eastern market in Lakewood, Colorado. Jasmine Market, it’s impeccable!
I adore greens and eggs – it’s my after yoga treat every Saturday morning. The spices in this would kick mine up a notch. Love the Sunday Supper!
We need to catch up. I’ve joined a yoga studio and I now know what “real” yoga is all about.
Oh wow, this looks and sounds so delicious! I love Moroccan food, and I totally hear you about that $8 jar of preserved lemons sitting in the fridge! Pinning to try sometime (before my current jar goes bad.) 🙂
Thanks Julie. Let me know how you like it.
I really like this salad and the egg!
Thanks Peter.
Yum! This is pretty much my dream breakfast!
Your Moroccan greens look simply fabulous! I love preserved lemons and haven’t made them in aeons. Today, however, is the day Im making them again. I’ve had a bag of organic lemons sitting in my fridge for days now and I need to get to it. And I so totally agree with you about dyed green things, just ridiculous!
One day I will make my own preserved lemons. And thanks for the compliment on those greens. We loved them. Full of flavor.
That is a WOWSER of a chard dish! Your plate is simply super-model pretty, and very healthy!
We love it and are going to link to it from our social media (Twitter and Facebook), so our followers can see how you made it.
Keep up the good cookin’ and we invite you to follow us for even more delicious recipes starring a variety of healthy greens.
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at Cut ‘N Clean Greens
I love the word wowser and will have to use it from now on. 🙂 And thanks so much for those links. Heading over there now.
Earthy, sultry and lively? I am ALL IN!
I’m with you Dorothy. That’s a great combo In my book.
Very cool way to get your vitamins! I have some eggs from a friend who has chickens and am looking for a way to showcase their awesomeness…
Oh I love greens and eggs, and this flavor combination sounds fantastic! Love preserved lemons.