Eggs in Purgatory: The Perfect Brunch Recipe for a Crowd

Introduction

Eggs in Purgatory delivers everything you want from a brunch dish: vibrant flavor, wholesome ingredients, and effortless preparation for a crowd. This easy, healthy, and vegetarian recipe bathes perfectly-poached eggs in a spicy, herb-infused tomato sauce—making it irresistible for anyone who loves a hearty, savory start to the day. Whether you’re hosting family brunch or searching for a comforting, satisfying vegetarian meal, this recipe is sure to wow.

Why Try Eggs in Purgatory?

This recipe stands out because it blends the bold warmth of Mediterranean spices with the comfort of breakfast classics—all in one skillet. The marriage of creamy poached eggs and robust tomato sauce (with a subtle kick) creates a dish that is satisfying, packed with vitamins, and guaranteed to become a fridge-cleanout staple.

Simple and Flavorful Preparation

Start with a high-quality canned or fresh crushed tomato base, simmered with garlic, onions, crushed red pepper, and aromatic herbs like basil and parsley. The sauce gently simmers until rich and fragrant. Then, create small wells and crack in your eggs. Cover, and let them poach until just set—yielding luscious yolks that meld into the spicy sauce for the perfect scoop with crusty bread.

Serving Suggestions for Eggs in Purgatory

Serve directly from the skillet, family-style, with slices of toasted whole grain or sourdough bread—ideal for sopping up every last bit of savory sauce and velvety yolk. To add freshness, scatter with torn basil or parsley and a sprinkle of feta or parmesan cheese if desired. This dish also pairs beautifully with a simple side salad or roasted potatoes for a complete brunch spread.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe serves about 4 people and provides plenty of protein from the eggs, fiber from the tomatoes, and an abundance of antioxidants thanks to the herbs and spices. One generous serving is typically around 225 calories, making it a healthy, guilt-free addition to your weekend breakfast rotation.

Eggs in Purgatory (Recap)

With bold flavors, affordable ingredients, and fuss-free cooking, Eggs in Purgatory is unbeatable for feeding a group at brunch or dinner. It’s vegetarian, customizable, and sure to become a staple healthy recipe for any meal planner.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and streamlined meal planning!

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
2. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Make 6 evenly spaced wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well.
5. Cover skillet with a lid and cook for 5-8 minutes, until egg whites are just set but yolks are still slightly runny (or cook longer for firmer yolks).
6. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and sprinkle with cheese if using.
7. Serve hot with plenty of crusty bread for dipping.

Weekly Meal Planning

Eggs in Purgatory is a meal planner’s dream: easily multiplied to feed a crowd, adaptable to use up vegetables or herbs you have on hand, and perfect for batch cooking. Save and schedule this recipe to your weekly lineup for auto-generated shopping lists that account for all your planned meals and avoid duplicate purchases.

Planning Benefits:

• Consolidates your shopping list by aisle & ingredient
• Eliminates buy-more-than-needed waste
• Lets you see how eggs, onions, and fresh herbs overlap with other meals
• Keeps meal prep stress-free and organized—especially for busy brunch weekends

Pro tip: When you schedule recipes with CookifyAI, you’ll know exactly how many eggs and tomatoes to buy for the week—optimizing your grocery run and minimizing food waste.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Enjoy this bold, crowd-pleasing brunch recipe—and make your meal planning effortless every week!