Sunnyside Salad isn’t your typical egg salad! Crispy fried eggs on top of salad greens is my favorite go-to Whole30 breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
This clearly ain’t your traditional egg salad!
Not that there’s anything wrong with a classic egg salad. But there are times when I just want a super-fast salad—one that I can whip up at a moment’s notice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And this recipe’s about as simple as it gets.
What’s the best way to fry eggs for this sunnyside salad?
Let’s talk about fried eggs. I know some folks will swear up-and-down that the perfect sunny-side up egg features a runny yolk and whites that are cooked through—but with no brown edges. Me? I say the “right” way is to make eggs however way you like to eat ’em, no matter what Gordon Ramsay thinks. And my favorite way to prepare fried eggs is to make them with crispy, frizzled whites and silky, runny yolks.
Soft yolks are the way to go!
I’ll admit that I didn’t always like soft yolks. As a kid, the texture made me gag. But just as I gradually developed an appreciation for grainy mustard, olives, and anchovies as my tastes matured, I came to deeply love custardy yolks.
These days, it’s my favorite way to have eggs, and I consider it a bad omen for the day if I overcook my morning yolks. My Instagram followers know that I’ve been posting tons and tons and TONS of pictures of my crispy eggs lately. After all, if Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, the folks at Epicurious, and Chinese moms all over the world prefer crispy-fried sunny-side-up eggs, who are we to argue?
Eggs are the best emergency protein
And for a busy Paleo eater on a budget, eggs are the ultimate protein: they’re inexpensive, packed with nutrients, easy to make, and satisfying. Plus, when you add an egg to a plate of greens, you automatically turn it into a complete meal, fit for the heartiest eater. Sprinkle your favorite sea salt and drizzle some aged vinegar on top, and you’ve created a restaurant-quality entrée salad that’ll knock your socks off.
Time to make sunnyside salad!
Makes one serving
Ingredients:
- 2 cups salad mix
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 1 heaping tablespoon ghee
- 2 large eggs
- Flake sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, aged sherry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
Equipment:
- 8-inch seasoned cast iron skillet
- Salad bowl
- Vegetable peeler
- Small bowl
- Ove glove oven mitt
- Offset spoon
- Fish spatula
Steps:
Heat a small cast iron skillet on high. Get it super hot before you start cooking your eggs.
In the meantime, pile some salad greens into a bowl. (If you’re feeling fancy, use a vegetable peeler to shred some carrots on top of the lettuce.)
Once the skillet is screaming hot, add a big dollop of ghee. (Ghee is my preferred high temperature cooking fat, with a high smoke point and neutral flavor.)
Crack two eggs into a small bowl, and pour them into the hot skillet.
The whites touching the skillet will blister and cook right away, but the raised whites near the yolk need a little extra help to cook through. Tilt the skillet away from you (so the ghee doesn’t splatter on you and your pretty clothes), and use an offset spoon to baste the whites with the hot ghee. Remember to use a towel or wear an oven mitt when you grab the handle of the skillet.
Once the whites on top are set, turn off the heat. When you peek underneath, the eggs should be crispy and golden brown.
Remove the eggs with a fish spatula and place them on top of your salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and drizzle on All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce or your favorite vinegar (e.g. aged sherry or balsamic vinegar).
Ta-da!
The slightly sweet zing of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce or aged vinegar ties the dish together—and when combined with the soft yolk, it’ll make an instant salad dressing. (Acid plus fat = dressing!)
Really: there’s no better fast food.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Sunnyside Salad (Crispy Fried Eggs on Greens)
Ingredients
- 2 cups salad mix
- 1 large carrot peeled
- 1 heaping tablespoon ghee
- 2 large eggs
- Flake sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce Aged sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a small cast iron skillet on high. Get it super hot before you start cooking your eggs.
- In the meantime, pile some salad greens into a bowl.
- If you’re feeling fancy, use a vegetable peeler to shred some carrots on top of the lettuce.
- Once the skillet is screaming hot, add a big dollop of ghee.
- Crack two eggs into a small bowl and pour them into the hot skillet.
- The whites touching the skillet will blister and cook right away, but the raised whites near the yolk need a little extra help to cook through. Tilt the skillet away from you (so the ghee doesn’t splatter on you and your pretty clothes), and use an offset spoon to baste the whites with the hot ghee. Remember to use a towel or wear an oven mitt when you grab the handle of the skillet.
- Once the whites on top are set, turn off the heat.
- When you peek underneath, the eggs should be crispy and golden brown.
- Remove the eggs with a fish spatula and place them on top of your salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle on All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce or your favorite aged vinegar.
- The slightly sweet zing of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce or aged vinegar ties the dish together—and when combined with the soft yolk, it’ll make an instant salad dressing. (Acid plus fat = dressing!)
Mike says
A couple handfuls of prewashed Spring Mix from the bag tossed with salt, pepper & balsamic vinegar. Two sunny side up eggs over the top with yolks pierced. Expected it to be so-so. It was excellent; waaay better than expected. Quick, too. 5 minutes to put together. Thanks Nom Nom for posting this.
Mike says
Quick and easy to put together. The egg yolk and balsamic vinegar worked together beautifully to dress the greens. An elegant dish.
Lauren says
I made this today, but with white balsamic vinegar (to keep the colors from turning weird in the bowl). Would highly recommend. I don’t make my eggs any other way now.0