Savory french toast is always a gamble, but in my opinion, it’s always delicious. And now that breakfast radishes are calling my name at the farmer’s market, I knew it was time for this rich, zippy, electric lemon za’atar french toast with buttered radishes. It’s easy to make, and it’s scaled for a single serving, so if you’re daring enough to try it, you can test it on yourself before serving it to a group. I promise it won’t disappoint 😉
I love small breakfast radishes for this, preferably with green stems still on, as those crisp up in the butter as you let them cook. But if you can’t find any, this will work just as well with kale, swiss chard, or any other greens that crisp up in a pan, because if you’re eating what is essentially eggs, bread, and butter, it’s always good to sneak a little green in there.
Since this is a serving for one, I usually end up eyeballing all the ingredients as soon as I learn the recipe. You can also scale this up or down based on who you are eating with – but even if it’s just alone, I love a fancy savory french toast breakfast for one.
Table of contents
What are breakfast radishes?
Breakfast radishes are arguably my favorite kind of radish. Their full name is the French Breakfast Radish, and they are one of the over 100 radish varieties that you can find in the spring and summer months! They have a mild flavor compared to their spicy counterparts, and tend to be peppery and crisp, with their greens tasting similar to the green parts of romaine. Overall, they give a very vegetal and refreshing bite, and are amazing when pan fried with a bit of butter.
Ingredients you’ll need for this savory french toast
- Egg & milk: this french toast recipe starts out pretty traditionally—with an egg/milk mixture we’ll be dunking bread in. Some less traditional ingredients will be added, but the base stays the same. Use one large egg and the milk of your choice
- Za’atar: a combination of herbs, spices, toasted sesame seeds, and dried sumac common in Middle Eastern cuisine. Za’atar is a key component of this recipe’s flavor profile. If you don’t already have it in your spice cabinet, this is your sign to buy some—you’ll be happy you did.
- Lemon juice: a necessary counter balance to the buttery richness of other elements in this dish, lemon brings us brightness and acidity.
- Bread: any kind you like will work here, but whole wheat and sourdough are my favorites.
- Butter: while salted butter is my preference, use what you have and adjust salt to taste.
- Breakfast radishes: this variety of radish is readily available in most parts of the country in spring and summer months, serving us peppery and vegetal flavor as opposed to the sharpness and spiciness of other varietals. Ones with their green tops still attached are ideal, if you can find them!
- Ricotta cheese: this will be used as a creamy topping that brings the whole dish together.
How to prepare the lemon za’atar savory french toast
- In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, za’atar, salt and lemon juice. Drop in the bread and let it soak up as much of the liquid on one side before flipping to let the other side soak, the goal is to have all of the liquid absorbed.
- Place a large pan over medium heat and add the butter, let it fully melt before adding the bread. Cook until nice and golden, about 3 minutes on each side.
- There should still be a bit of butter left in the pan when you remove the bread, add the radishes in, give the pan a quick shake to coat and let them cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Give them a flip, season with a pinch of salt and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the French toast to a plate, swoosh the ricotta on top (I love a swoosh) and pile on the radishes. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a few cracks of black pepper.
Looking for other ways to use radishes?
And that’s everything for this savory french toast and breakfast radishes!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Savory French Toast & Breakfast Radishes
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk but any milk will do!
- 1 teaspoon fresh za’atar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about ½ lemon
- 1 large slice of bread whole wheat or sourdough are my favorite
- 1 tablespoon of salted butter
- 3-4 small breakfast radishes really well washed
- 3 tablespoons whole milk ricotta cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, za’atar, salt and lemon juice. Drop in the bread and let it soak up as much of the liquid on one side before flipping to let the other side soak, the goal is to have all of the liquid absorbed.
- Place a large pan over medium heat and add the butter, let it fully melt before adding the bread. Cook until nice and golden, about 3 minutes on each side.
- There should still be a bit of butter left in the pan when you remove the bread, add the radishes in, give the pan a quick shake to coat and let them cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Give them a flip, season with a pinch of salt and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the French toast to a plate, swoosh the ricotta on top (I love a swoosh) and pile on the radishes. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a few cracks of black pepper.
This was quick, easy, well balanced, delicious and nutritious.
I’ll be making it again!
This was a lovely and quick recipe. I love savory breakfast and this was particularly good because it wasnt heavy or oily. I made it with cottage cheese instead of ricotta for a bit more protein.