Soy-Marinated Eggs Are The Umami-Packed Way To Upgrade Breakfast

For savory breakfast people, the weekday morning routine can be a bit of a struggle. While everyone's off eating easy overnight oats and yogurt parfaits on the go, the folks who like a salty start to the day are mostly relegated to breakfast sandwiches. If you're getting tired of the same old toast, you don't have to pull through to the drive-thru second window to get a savory start to the day. Instead, try making soy-marinated eggs. 

You might have already seen a soy-marinated egg bobbing around in a bowl of ramen at lunch or dinner, but there's no rule that says you can't have these tasty umami-packed bites first thing in the morning. They're low-carb, portable, and the perfect way to upgrade avocado toast or breakfast sandwiches. Even better, you can make as many as you want at once and eat them any time of day, which makes them the ultimate meal prep item.

There are no tricky moves to making soy-marinated eggs. In fact, the basic technique is summed up right in the name. All it takes is a tasty marinade and boiled eggs. For a more authentic ramen shop-style egg, soft boil the eggs so that the insides stay a little bit runny and jammy. David Chang of Momofuku, for instance, famously boils his eggs for 6 minutes and 50 seconds, so have a good egg timer on hand to catch the yolk before it sets. That's not to say that hard-boiled soy-marinated eggs are no good, however. If you prefer hard-boiled eggs to softer yolks, they'll taste great marinated, too, and might be a little more portable than their squishy, soft-boiled brethren if you plan to pack your breakfast to go.

The marinade for soy eggs is typically a mixture of sweetened soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, and vinegar, and some chefs like to add dried chilis, pepper flakes, or chili crunch for a little kick. It's all really up to you and how you like to start your day, be it spicy or simply kinda salty. Just make sure you craft enough marinade to cover the eggs completely so that they soak up the flavor on all sides. Once you have a marinade together, float the eggs in the container and close them up in the fridge overnight.

The great thing about soy-marinated eggs for breakfast is that they're a little bit like overnight oats; all you have to do is assemble them in an air-tight container in the fridge, and they'll be ready to eat the next morning. Not only that, they can turn any ho-hum egg-based breakfast into something a little bit more gourmet. 

Try mashing soy-marinated eggs up on top of a slice of avocado toast; the umami goodness will take it to the next level. You can also top a breakfast salad with an egg or two to add some satisfying, salty protein. Rice bowls are another great meal-prepped breakfast that travels well, and if you've got a few soy-marinated eggs, you don't even really need much dressing since they have a ton of flavor. Noodles, too, are breakfast-worthy, and you can toss an egg or two into a bowl of grilled chicken ramen made with instant noodles. But probably the easiest — and most portable — way to enjoy a soy-marinated egg for breakfast is to just pop one in your mouth on the way out the door in the morning. Each egg packs 6 grams of protein, which is a satisfying way to start the day without feeling too hungry until lunch.