This Kale and Red Onion Savory Breakfast is a meatless low-carb breakfast bake that will start your day with a healthy dose of veggies! And this breakfast bake has some interesting ingredients that give it amazing Umami flavor!
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This Kale and Red Onion Savory Breakfast is such a delicious and nutritious breakfast option! And if you’re trying to eat more vegetables (and most of us should be) starting the day with a dish like this that includes vegetables is a great idea. This is exactly the kind of Weekend Food Prep breakfast I love to make on the weekend and reheat all week.
I first made this recipe when I had Red Russian Kale in my garden and was newly infatuated with it. And when we decided to update the photos I no longer had that variety of kale available, and of course I always try to improve the recipes a bit when I update them!
The biggest change I made to this savory breakfast recipe was leaving out the breadcrumbs that were in the original version so now this is a low-carb or Keto breakfast! I also used slightly more cheese and two more eggs in this updated version. But this savory breakfast idea is still loaded with amazing umami flavors from the interesting combination of ingredients! (Here’s the original version of the recipe if anyone wants it.)
What Foods have Umami Flavors?
The concept of Umami (which means “a pleasant savory taste” in Japanese) as being one of the five distinct types of flavors originated in Japan in the early 1900s, and since then the word has become somewhat synonymous with the word savory. Common foods considered to be high in Umami include things like fish, tomatoes, mushrooms, meat, all types of cheese, and soy sauce. Umami is also the flavor receptor that makes me love Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) so much. Read more about Umami if you’re curious about this “fifth taste.”
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
What ingredients give the Savory Breakfast Bake Umami flavors?
If you’re familiar with the food concept of Umami, what really bumps up the Umami flavor in this recipe is the addition of a tiny bit of soy sauce to the eggs! You can make this with Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) if needed or use Coconut Aminos (affiliate link) if you’re avoiding soy. No matter which option you use, the combination of kale, onion, garlic, soy sauce or alternative, two kinds of cheese, and eggs makes this a breakfast that loaded with savory Umami goodness!
What is a Savory Breakfast Bake?
This recipe is a savory dish that I call a “breakfast bake” with lots of kale and cheese and just enough eggs to hold it together. If you prefer more of a traditional breakfast casserole you might want to add a couple more eggs.
How to make this Kale and Red Onion Savory Breakfast:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.
- When I updated the recipe I bought a one-pound bag of chopped kale (and used half of it). See instructions in the recipe below if you need to chop up kale leaves.
- I washed and crisped the 8 oz. chopped kale in my salad spinner, but you don’t always need to do this with kale from a bag. If you wash the kale, be sure to spin really dry (or dry with paper towels.)
- Chop up half of a small red onion.
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and cook onion, then add Minced Garlic (affiliate link) and cook a minute or two longer.
- Then add kale to the frying pan and cook about 5 minutes, turning over and over as the kale wilts. Season kale with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper as desired.
- While kale cooks, beat the eggs with the soy sauce or coconut aminos and a dash of Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) if using.
- Put the kale into a casserole dish that you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil.
- Sprinkle part of the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the kale (saving a little for the top).
- Pour beaten eggs over the kale and cheese; then take a fork and gently “stir” to coat all the pieces of kale with egg.
- Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top of the mixture.,
- Bake at 375F/190C for about 30 minutes, or until eggs are set and starting to lightly brown on top.
- Serve hot, with a little Umami-filled sour cream if desired.
More Meatless Breakfasts with Veggies:
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 8 oz. chopped kale (see notes)
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 T olive oil
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp. Tamari or other soy sauce (see notes)
- 3/4 C grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 eggs, beaten well
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F190C. Spray a casserole dish (about 8″ x 12″) with non-stick spray or olive oil.
- If you need to cut up the kale, start by cuting off kale stems and discarding, then wash kale leaves and dry well. (I used a salad spinner.) Pile kale leaves up on top of each other and cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide, then turn cutting board the other way and cut again so you have squares just under an inch square.
- If you’re using chopped kale that comes in a bag it doesn’t absolutely need to be washed, but I sometimes give it a soak just to crisp up the leaves.
- Chop onion into pieces about 1/2 inch.
- Heat olive oil in large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, then add onions and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes more.
- Then add kale to the pan, turning over and over as it wilts and cooking about 5 minutes, or until kale is significantly wilted and softened. (Kale will cook more in the oven, so it doesn’t need to be completely soft at this point.)
- Season kale with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper as desired.
- Put the wilted kale into the casserole dish. Top with 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.
- Beat eggs with the soy sauce or Coconut Aminos and Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) or other seasoning of your choice.
- Pour eggs over the kale/cheese in the casserole dish. Then use a fork and “stir” gently until ingredients are well distributed.
- Bake about 30 minutes or until eggs are well set and the top is lightly browned.
- Serve hot. This is good with sour cream added at the table.
Notes
I originally made this with Red Russian Kale, but use any kale variety you prefer. Thicker types of kale may need to be sauteed a bit longer.
Be sure to use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) if needed. You can use Coconut Aminos (affiliate link) instead of soy sauce if you prefer. I love Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) in eggs, but use any all-purpose seasoning blend if you prefer.
Recipe adapted from Regina Schrambling’s Collard Squares.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 210Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 266mgSodium: 853mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 15g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Kale and Red Onion Savory Breakfast is a great dish for low-carb or Keto diet plans, and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, although South Beach would recommend low-fat cheese.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Breakfast Recipes for more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This savory breakfast recipe was first posted in 2008, when I had Red Russian Kale in my garden! It was updated with new photos and a change to make it lower in carbs in 2020, and the recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
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