Ejotes con Huevo (Mexican Green Beans and Eggs)

These delicious ejotes con huevo (Mexican green beans with eggs) are the perfect vegetarian dish to add to your meatless cooking repertoire. The recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and is a naturally gluten-free, tasty, and fantastic healthy dish.

this recipe

About

Ejotes con huevo is a Mexican traditional breakfast that consists of fresh green beans cut into bites, boiled, and then cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce with scrambled eggs.

The budget-friendly dish is usually served for breakfast but sometimes is also enjoyed for lunch or dinner along with corn tortillas, frijoles refritos (refried beans), and salsa.

In Mexico, green beans are a vegetable used in various dishes. For example, it is added to broths like caldo de res, mixed with white rice in small bites to add some texture, and even used in salads, like potato chicken salad just to name a few.

Ejotes in English means green beans, those are the pods of some bean species and are used as a vegetable when they are still green and tender, making them perfect for the preparation of various dishes.

Once they mature, the dried pods are disposed of and only the seeds can be eaten, those seeds are the beans we all know.

Ejotes is the popular name for green beans in Mexico, but in other parts of the world, they are also known by other names, such as judías verdes, habichuelas verdes, alubias verdes, etc. Just the way English “green beans” name has also other variations, such as string beans, snap beans, snaps, etc.

Ingredients

• GREEN BEANS: Use fresh green beans or you can also use frozen ones.
• EGGS: Lightly beaten in a bowl to make it easier to mix in with the sauce.
• FOR THE SAUCE: Tomatoes, onion, green chilies (or leave them out if you don’t like spicy food), and garlic to blend everything with a little water. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use a can of tomato sauce.
• SPICES: Cumin, salt, and pepper. You can also add oregano, cilantro, epazote, or any fresh herbs you prefer.
• OIL: Use the oil you prefer, I used extra virgin olive oil.

How To Make Ejotes Con Huevo

Clean the Mexican green beans and cut them into small bites about 1 inch in size. Wash them and place them in a pot with plenty of water and half a tablespoon of salt.

Bring the water to a boil and cook for 5 minutes only. Drain the green beans and place them in a bowl. Set aside.

In a blender, place the tomatoes, onion, chili peppers (see notes), and the garlic clove peeled. Add 1 cup of water and blend until smooth. This sauce is called recaudo and is used in plenty of Mexican authentic recipes!

In a sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomato sauce and season with cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes on medium-low heat.

Add the green beans, mix and cook for about 3 minutes stirring from time to time.

Whisk the eggs lightly in a bowl and add them to the green beans. Do not mix immediately, let cook the mixture for half a minute, then start mixing slowly.

Adjust with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring from time to time until the eggs are fully cooked.

Serve your Mexican green beans & eggs as suggested below or allow them to cool down and store them for later.

Notes

• You can also use frozen beans, in this case, it will not be necessary to cook them first since these are usually pre-cooked. They can be added to the tomato sauce directly as instructed in the recipe.
• If you want the beans to keep that beautiful green color, try not to overcook them when boiling them in water. Leave them a little hard (al dente) as they will finish cooking together with the tomato sauce.
• If you do not want the dish to be spicy, you can remove the seeds and veins from the chile peppers, this way you will only have the flavor without adding all the spiciness.
• In Mexico is pretty common to season the tomato sauce with powdered chicken bouillon, one or two teaspoons would be enough to flavor the dish.
• Don’t know how to clean green beans? Follow this easy tutorial and become a pro!

How To Serve

This is one of my favorite Mexican vegetarian recipes. It has everything for a fulfilling meal just as it is, but if you want to try how we serve it in Mexico, here are some options to serve it:

• Tortillas de maíz. As in many Mexican meals, warm corn tortillas are a must, and so are blue corn tortillas. Or, just as they do in the north, soft flour tortillas just off the griddle!
• Bolillo. More of a bread person? Then try our recipe for bolillo rolls or buy them freshly made from your nearest Mexican bakery.
• Salsas. My favorite is this earthy roasted tomato salsa or this spicy salsa de cacahuate.
• Cheese. You can also make tacos and sprinkle some queso fresco on top.
• Sides. For sides we recommend frijoles refritos or arroz blanco.

How To Store

Got some ejotes con huevo leftovers? Place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

This recipe is the perfect prep meal for those busy mornings. I like to make a double batch, divide them into containers and have them ready as my go-to breakfast with a cup of coffee.

Watch How To Make It

Did you know? – The word ejote comes from the Nahuatl word exotl.

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