More-Vegetable-Than-Egg Frittata

More-Vegetable-Than-Egg Frittata
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(1,986)
Notes
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This simple frittata — just eggs, vegetables, fresh herbs and a little Parmesan if you're feeling luxurious — is proof that eating well doesn't have to be deprivational. It can also be delicious.

Featured in: When Diet Meets Delicious

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Ingredients

Yield:2 or 4 servings
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • ½onion, sliced (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 4 to 6cups of any chopped or sliced raw or barely cooked vegetables
  • ¼cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or mint leaves, or any other herb
  • 2 or 3eggs
  • ½cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

261 calories; 15 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 14 grams protein; 427 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put olive oil in a skillet (preferably nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron) and turn heat to medium. When fat is hot, add onion, if using, and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until it is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add vegetables, raise heat and cook, stirring occasionally until they soften, from a couple of minutes for greens to 15 minutes for sliced potatoes. Adjust heat so vegetables brown a little without scorching. (With precooked vegetables, just add them to onions and stir before proceeding.)

  2. Step 2

    When vegetables are nearly done, turn heat to low and add herb. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, beat eggs with some salt and pepper, along with cheese if you are using it. Pour over vegetables, distributing them evenly. Cook, undisturbed, until eggs are barely set, 10 minutes or so; run pan under broiler for a minute or 2 if top does not set. Cut frittata into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

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5 out of 5
1,986 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

This has been a standard of mine to use up either vegetables or egg. I always find that half a grated zucchini adds a lovely lightness to the mix.

I find that a little Prosciutto or crisp bacon sends this into the stratosphere!

Very similar to what we do. 4 eggs works well for two people, and you can add almost anything you want. We're fond of scattered olives and little patches of cheese on top. One suggestion. If you aren't fond of using your broiler or you're just in a "keep it simple" mood, put the oven over 400 degrees and leave it in for about 10 minutes.. It won't have quite the same top layer, but the hot oven compensates in part, and it's still pretty darn good.

I normally follow 'as written ' the first time around. However, time and energy were in short supply. I looked at the ingredients and decided they needed to be together however. So I roasted the veggies 10 minutes at 400. I buttered an 11x7 casserole, laid in the cooked veggies, then herbs, then 4 eggs beaten w a bit of milk, then the cheese. Baked at 350 for 40 minutes. I WILL do this again!

Excellent recipe as written. A lovely dinner for one...I used 2 eggs, don't leave out the onion- I used vidalia, adds flavor and a subtle sweetness. Zucchini half moons, basil ribbons & thyme leaves. Added pecorino to the beaten eggs, after 10 minutes on the stovetop (low heat), put in oven at 400 for 1 minute, to brown a bit more.

You can get the same "souffle" effect with frittata and omelets by using a couple of tablespoons of plain, wholemilk, yogurt instead of heavy cream. I also get super fluffy pancakes with yogurt instead of milk/water.

instead of cooking on stovetop, put egg mixture into oven at 350 for 30 min or until set. the egg and veg need time together. For an even healthier version, use 1 egg, plus pour in egg whites.

This is a delicious and versatile recipe. I like to add halved grape tomatoes just before the eggs. They add a brightness to the flavor and make the frittata much prettier.

This is easy and delicious. Instead of sauteing the vegetables, I roasted them at 400 (onion, red potato, curly kale, finely chopped raw broccoli) tossed in olive oil and salted. To accommodate different cooking times, I grouped the vegetables separately on a parchment-covered sheet pan and removed them a group at a time when they were done. Other than that, I followed the recipe. Great with soup and/or a salad. I'll be making this often.

After beating the eggs, I add some chili sauce, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, and then slide the sauteed vegetables into the mixing bowl with the eggs momentarily to stir it all up together quickly before pouring it back into the skillet. This helps the eggs hold the whole frittata together better. Covering the pan after adding the eggs helps the top set-up without using a broiler. Cream causes frittata to puff up like a souffle and enriches flavor. Swiss cheese pieces spread on top also works.

Use the microwave to soften the onion and start the vegetables while thempan heats ; this is then21st entury!

Love this with thinly sliced yellow squash or zucchini, mushrooms, thyme and lovely bright yellow eggs we have here in northern Italy Flavors are subtle and play well together.

I make this often and throw in whatever veggies I have laying around. Its a great clean out the fridge recipe. I have also added cheese, if I have any I want to use up. Easily enough for dinner and then leftover for lunch.

I make a version of this once a month . I use 7 eggs for three people . It has a lot of prep work so I make it for two nights . Boil red skinned potatoes. Roast zucchini and or eggplant . Cut the cooked potatoes into smaller pieces . I’ve made it so often I don’t measure anything. After the prep work I follow the recipe maybe will add a dash of heavy cream. It’s no longer a diet recipe but I don’t care .

Love this concept, and a perfect use of the ridiculous amounts of summer produce in my freezer and the eggs my hens insist on contributing. The possibilities are endless, though right now, as I scramble (haha, bad pun) to unload the last of last year’s snap beans, my frittatas have been heavy on the same. Other tasty options have included cubed, roasted eggplant, collards, mustard greens, Swiss chard, black beans, and corn. I’ve toyed with an Apple/blueberry combo too, which tips sweeter.

I used this recipe as inspiration to use up some lingering veggies in the kitchen, brightening up an otherwise overcast early summer morning and transporting me to sitting al fresco in Provence. I had Tuscan kale, small potatoes, half of a grilled zucchini, feta, shallot, a handful of cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, Castelvetrano olives, and my handy herbs de Provence. With the exception of boiling potatoes, blanching kale, and shortening the sauté time I followed the steps as is. 10/10

Use 4 eggs for 2 fritatas. No fresh tomatoes. Instead, add rehydrated dried tomatoes. Use Feta- And don't mix it in- sprinkle on top. Add sprinkle of defrosted hash browns on the bottom of the diss- no need to brown them. Add some Vegimite to mixture with eggs. Can cook veggies ahead in Micro- When put in oven, cover with foil.

Add a 1-2 TBL of full fat yogurt or cream or ricotta- helps it to pur-Put frozen hashbrowns in bottom of dish. Add sundried tomatoes re-hydrated. Good with fetta.Place vegggies in baking dish- make sure to get moisture out. Then Micro to speed up cookingto speed up baking. Also cover top of dish when baking, helps it to set up better. When taking out of the oven sprinkle more cheese on top to melt-

Made this with asparagus, mushrooms, parsnip, red bell pepper, red onion, parsley. Recipe worked well but would use 4 eggs next time with ~4-5 cups of veggies beyond the onion. Will try the tip from another comment to mix the egg and veggies in a bowl and then put the mixture back into to the pan - the pan heat makes it hard to quickly distribute a small amount of egg vs other eggier frittatas.

The Frittata in the picture shows green peas, asparagus, and potatoes, none of which are listed as ingredients. I guess from the reviews, people are using whatever vegetables they have on hand.

This will likely be my go-to breakfast for Passover this year. To make it easy in the morning, I chop all veggies and cook if necessary the day before. This is great with the fresh veggies usually in my crisper: celery, onion, carrots, garlic, and leftover spinach or kale.

If you make this in a 12” skillet, you definitely need more than 2-3 eggs. Not sure what size skillet Mr. Bittman was intending, but I needed 7 eggs for my 12” to achieve a good egg-to-vegetable ratio

Excellent and a perfect use for leftover veggies from the Vegetarian Dagwood sandwich recipe.

Heck, we've been making this almost every single morning for the last 6 years since retirement. It's called a "frittata," eh? I had no idea it was a thing! We do it with kale. Awesome.

To ensure the cast iron skillet stays non-stick, heat the skillet first before adding the oil. Heating causes the pores to shrink, so the oil is more effective in covering the pan's surface (this works with stainless pans too). Add the oil when the pan is hot enough for it to slide over the pan surface. Then proceed with the recipe. Pan clean-up will be so much easier. This is m go-to recipe for frittatas!

Forget the broiler or the oven and just put a lid on the skillet until it's nicely puffed up and eggs are cooked through. A frequent version of my grandmother's had lots of fresh chopped parsley and onion with a hint of allspice. The dish is called 'ejjeh', and is good hot or cold.

I used one thinly sliced potato and four finely shredded Brussels sprouts and two eggs with a mix in of 1/8 cup a grated Mexican cheese blend. It was a sumptuous and delicious frittata for two. I am eager to try other veg combos.

For one person. 2 cups 2 eggs.Basil is lovely. I add a little spice.Not much. Little shitaki mushrooms sauteed beforehand.

I saw a frittata recipe in the Times many years ago, and tried it out. It was really good, so I kept on making it. I start with sautéing sliced scallions and mushrooms in a little low fat margarine. When that's done, I add egg whites, which keeps the cholesterol down. And I top it off with different kinds of shredded cheese. When that's cooked, I flip half of the frittata over to make it into an omelette. Add a warm corn muffin, and voila, breakfast is served!

Easy and fun way to brown top, instead of using the broiler, is to use a searing torch such as by Iwatani or Benzomatic. Very fast and can be used for other dishes requiring surface browning.

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