Soy-Marinated Egg and Spinach Rice Bowl — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Yield:

4 servings

For Sam Fore, chef-owner of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites in Lexington, Kentucky, the best dinner rice bowls are a choose your own adventure. “A rice bowl can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. It’s easy to throw together, even with a few leftovers.”

In this weeknight-friendly rice bowl, Fore combines a savory soy-marinated soft-boiled egg with tender seasoned spinach and crisp kimchi for a satisfying meal. “My go-to is egg and spinach, but I like to change the components depending on what I’m craving. For toppings, I use up whatever vegetable remnants I have on hand for a quick stir-fry and add an egg to round out the dish with a bit of protein. Rice bowls are my ultimate comfort food.”

While there are a variety of soy sauce marinated eggs in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cooking, the overarching technique is soaking soft-boiled eggs in a soy sauce mixture flavored with aromatics and whole spices. Combined with seasoned sauteed spinach, crunchy cucumber, and kimchi, this hearty bowl is a winner. Marinate the eggs overnight for an extra layer of umami and richer color, but if you’re tight on time, a 1-hour soak will lightly flavor the eggs.

Frequently asked questions

What distinguishes Korean marinated eggs?

Marinated eggs or soy-marinated eggs are soft-boiled eggs that soak in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, chiles, and sesame seeds and are a staple in Korean banchan. However, the tradition of submerging soft-boiled eggs in a soy sauce mixture is not limited to Korea. Other Asian cooking traditions like Japanese ramen eggs (ajitsuke tamago) and Chinese soy sauce eggs use the same basic principles.

How long can I store marinated eggs?

Since most marinated egg recipes use soy sauce, they should not be left in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. Otherwise they risk becoming too salty.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Shichimi togarashi, a spicy and citrusy Japanese spice blend, is available at Asian grocery stores or online at spicejungle.com.

Cooking techniques

Soaking a soft-boiled egg in a savory soy sauce solution for an extended period of time helps the flavors of the marinade absorb into the egg and gives the whites of the egg a beautiful brown color.

Suggested pairing

For this umami-rich dish, we recommend a saline coastal white like Chéreau-Carré Château de Chasseloir Muscadet Sèvre et Maine.

Make ahead

Eggs can be marinated in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

Ingredients

Marinated eggs

4 large eggs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sliced scallions
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 large cloves)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Rice bowl

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (about 2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon shichimi togarashi, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup kimchi, drained
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Directions

Make the marinated eggs

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high. Add eggs, and cook 6 minutes and 30 seconds. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Transfer eggs to ice bath, and let stand until cooled, about 10 minutes. Stir together soy sauce, 1/3 cup water, honey, scallions, garlic, sesame seeds, and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Peel eggs, and submerge in marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Remove eggs and discard marinade.

Make the rice bowl

Rinse rice in a strainer under cold water, stirring with your fingers until water runs clear. Transfer rice to a small saucepan; add 1 1/2 cups water and salt, and bring to a boil over medium, stirring once. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, undisturbed, 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff rice with a fork.
Stir together cucumber, togarashi, and sesame oil in a medium bowl; set aside. Heat olive oil in a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and soy sauce; cook, stirring often, until spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Slice marinated eggs in half lengthwise. Divide rice among four serving bowls, and top with eggs, cucumber, spinach, and kimchi. Garnish with scallions and additional togarashi.