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I’ve been having lots of issues with soft boiled eggs lately. Not the soft-boiling part, but the peeling. It’s strange because (not to be boastful or anything) I never used to have issues peeling eggs. I always wondered what the big fuss was – my egg shells always came off gloriously easily. I’m not sure if my eggs are too fresh, or if I’m being too rough, but egg peeling has become my most hated kitchen task.

Truth be told, these soft boiled eggs were supposed to be peeled, cut in half and garnished with dijon-lemon mayo, lemon zest and an asparagus spear. The peeling wasn’t working for me though, so I just lopped their tops off and called it a day. The dijon-lemon mayo, lemon zest and asparagus spears still happened, but I had to add a spoon to the equation. They were delicious, but isn’t utensil-less food so much better?

Of course some food items need utensils, like omelettes. I rarely make omelettes – I prefer scrambles which, essentially, are the same thing but without any of that fancy folding. I did manage to fold up my omelette here (yay for spatulas!), but really, it doesn’t matter if you scramble or omelette. This dish is more about the crisp-crunchy texture of the barely cooked asparagus rounds and the creaminess of the eggs.

There’s definitely something about eggs and asparagus together. Maybe it’s the green and yellow, maybe it’s the fact that asparagus heralds spring, or maybe it’s just that they taste so damn good together. How do you like to get your egg and asparagus on?

Easy Asparagus Omelette/Scramble Recipe
serves 1-2

• 3-4 stalks asparagus
• oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper
• lemon zest
• squeeze of lemon

Trim off the asparagus bottoms and then slice the asparagus like you would green onions so you end up with thin rounds. Stop 1-2 inches before you reach the tips and reserve for the soft boiled eggs. Lightly sauté the asparagus tips in a nonstick pan over medium heat until bright green, about 1 minute. Set aside for the soft boiled eggs.

Add the asparagus rounds to the pan and lightly sauté until bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from the pan. Lightly beat together the eggs, sliced green onions and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Heat up a bit of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the eggs to the pan and swirl. With a rubber spatula, gently move cooked eggs to the center of the pan, swirling to move uncooked eggs to replace. When the eggs look 70% cooked, add the cooked asparagus rounds. Gently fold together and serve with a sprinkle of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon. If you can’t be bothered to fold your eggs, skip the folding and just scramble gently over medium heat.

Soft Boiled Eggs with Asparagus and Lemon Recipe
serves 1-2

• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon
• squeeze of lemon
• lemon zest
• salt and pepper
• sautéed asparagus tips, as many as desired

Soft boil your eggs: Bring a pot of water with 3 inches of water up to to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat until the water is barely simmering. Using a slotted spoon, gently add your eggs and set a timer for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately and immerse in ice cold water.

Mix together the mayo, dijon and squeeze of lemon juice. Lop off the tops of the eggs and garnish with a dot of the dijon lemon mayo, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, a bit of lemon zest and an asparagus tip or two. Enjoy immediately!

Can’t get enough asparagus? Check out my Asparagus with Miso Butter!

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