Iron-Boost Spinach & Lentil Breakfast Hash
A savory one-skillet breakfast hash of crispy potatoes, lentils, spinach, and eggs, brightened with tomato and lemon to help your body absorb more of the iron.
A hearty, savory breakfast that turns pantry lentils and a handful of spinach into a genuinely satisfying skillet. The tomatoes and a final squeeze of lemon aren't just for brightness — they help your body soak up more of the iron.
Why it helps
Lentils and spinach are both solid sources of non-heme (plant) iron, and this hash pairs them with vitamin C from tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon, which meaningfully improves how much of that iron your body absorbs. The eggs add protein and a little more iron to round out the meal. Because plant iron is absorbed less efficiently than iron from meat, it helps to have your coffee or tea an hour before or after breakfast rather than with it, since their tannins blunt absorption.
Ingredients
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato (about 8 oz), cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked green or brown lentils (or canned lentils, drained and rinsed)
- 4 cups (about 4 oz) fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- 1Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the diced potato and cook until just fork-tender, 6 to 8 minutes, then drain well. Par-boiling helps it crisp quickly in the pan.
- 2Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet (cast iron works well) over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer and cook undisturbed until golden underneath, 4 to 5 minutes, then toss and crisp for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- 3Push the potatoes to one side. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and the onion; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- 4Add the lentils and cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes start to slump, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach by the handful and toss just until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- 5Make two wells in the hash. Crack an egg into each, cover the skillet, and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. If you are pregnant, very young, older, or immunocompromised, cook 5 to 6 minutes until the yolks are firm to avoid any risk from undercooked eggs.
- 6Squeeze fresh lemon generously over the top and serve hot.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Tips & swaps
- Make-ahead: par-boil the potatoes and cook the lentils up to 3 days in advance so the whole hash comes together in about 10 minutes on a weekday morning.
- No fresh spinach? Use a few cubes of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry), or swap in chopped kale, adding it a minute earlier so it has time to soften.
- Cooking the acidic tomatoes in a cast-iron skillet lets a small amount of extra iron leach into the food — a minor bonus, though the lentils and spinach do the real work.
- Keep the vitamin C intact by adding the lemon at the very end off the heat, rather than cooking it in.