Israeli Breakfast Bowl

Israelis just win when it comes to breakfast; they know how to do it right. There’s always eggs (obvi), tahini and other schmears for dipping, and fresh white cheese—I used sheep’s milk feta in this case—plus the signature Israeli chopped salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. It’s a lot going on, but just enough to make you feel satisf i ed and energized, not like you need a nap. I’m never gonna knock bacon and pancakes, but let’s be honest, that’s not exactly starting your day with a bang. To me, this is such a beautiful example of the Mediterranean way—living life in moderation and building vegetables into every meal. For this version, I call for frying the eggs with a sprinkle of Aleppo (so the red oily goodness seeps into the eggs and you get that hit of spice), but you could prepare the eggs any way you like. And if you don’t want to commit to the entire chopped salad recipe, just halve the amount of vegetables and you’re good to go.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1 In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the za’atar. Set aside.

Step 2

2 In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes to make sure it’s nice and hot. When the oil shimmers, crack the eggs into the oil and sprinkle with the Aleppo. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper as the eggs fry. Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 3

3 In the bottom of each of two bowls, scoop the hummus or tahini on one side and the labneh on the other side. Using a clean spoon for each, make a quick swoosh in the middle of the dollops to create a well. Fill the well with a drizzle of the za’atar olive oil. Place the salad and the feta around the dips and fi nish with the eggs to the side, so you can see all the beautiful ingredients. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with bread and hot sauce of your choice