How to Soft Boil an Egg: Quick and Easy

It’s morning and you’ve missed your alarm and realize you barely have time for breakfast. Yet, like most people, you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and fuels your body with energy for the challenges that lie ahead. A soft-boiled egg is a good breakfast choice on both your busy and relaxed morning. Not only can they be quick and easy to make, but they are extremely healthy. The typical egg packs a huge punch for such a tiny package, containing large amount of essential nutrients. A large egg has around 75 calories, a vast amount of high-quality protein, essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and is a great source of choline, folate, and riboflavin. They help you maintain muscle mass, improve your strength, and even promote healthy-eye and brain health. Just one soft-boiled egg can make a tremendous difference in your overall health.

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The perfect soft-boiled egg should have a firm, custard like white with a warm runny yolk. Some people prefer their soft-boiled egg to be a little firmer while others prefer a softer texture. For example, when ordering at a restaurant, someone may ask for either a 5- or 6-minute soft-boiled egg. Just that one minute extra causes a considerable difference in the softness of the egg. Learning to make soft-boiled eggs may feel tricky compared to the process of making hard-boiled eggs, but rest assured that you can master the process easily. Read on to find out how you can make soft-boiled eggs quick and easily, and give yourself all of the wholesome nutrition they offer whenever the mood strikes.

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Timing is Key

The most important part of making the perfect soft-boiled egg is getting the timing right. Once you’ve mastered the timing, the rest of the process is a breeze. When cooking on the stove, you want to bring your water up to a boil, but then lower it until it turns into a rapid simmer. Turning down the heat is important because if added to boiling water, the egg will cook too quickly, and you’ll end up with more of a hard-boiled egg. Once your water has reached a simmer, slowly add the eggs into the pot and then begin timing. Timing is dependent upon how many eggs you’re cooking at once.

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If cooking only 1-2 eggs you want to set your timer between 4 and 7 minutes. 4 minutes will give you the runniest egg, while 7 minutes will make the eggs a little firmer, but nevertheless keep the yolk spoon able.

When you’re cooking 3-4 eggs, it merely requires a few extra seconds, not minutes. Essentially, you’ll allow them half a minute extra and then remove them from the water.

When cooking more eggs than 4 eggs at a time, it’s advisable to cook them in batches. Batches make the process easier and ensure the eggs come out just right and don’t end up under cooked.

It’s crucial that you use a kitchen timer when making soft-boiled eggs. Simply watching the clock is the easiest way to mess up your eggs. The moment your timer goes off, have a bowl nearby to transfer your eggs to. Some people prefer filling the bowl with ice, which will cool the eggs and prevent them from continuing to cook from the existing heat inside the eggs. However, you want to remove the eggs from the ice after just one minute, or they will get too cold, and you’ll be stuck eating cold eggs for breakfast.

Serving Soft-boiled Eggs

If you’ve had soft-boiled eggs before, you recall how they are like a little package nestled neatly inside of an egg cup. Egg cups are designed solely for soft-boiled eggs, as it keeps the shell together and sturdy, while making it easy to dip your toast inside the egg. There are two ways to open the egg once it’s in the egg holder. If you have an egg slicer, that device will easily remove the top of the egg shell, exposing the inside. However, you can also use the edge of a knife and gently tap around the top of the egg until the top is easily removed. Once you get the top open, you can dig right in and enjoy.

How you enjoy your soft-boiled eggs is dependent on your personal preference. Some people use a spoon to scoop out the insides of the egg and consume it by itself. Others dip their toast into the open egg or even spread the contents of the egg onto a piece of toast and enjoy them that way. Soft-boiled eggs are best enjoyed when they are nice and warm.

How to Eat Soft-boiled Eggs Without an Egg Cup

If you’re new to soft-boiled eggs, or just haven’t gotten around to buying an egg cup, never fear as this trick will allow you eat your egg easily without an egg cup. You’ll fill a small ramekin with a couple of tablespoons of rice or any other uncooked grain of similar size. You then set your soft-boiled egg in the middle, and the grains contain the egg, without you worrying about it falling over and leaking out. If you don’t drip any egg on the rice, you can use the same rice over and over again, making it a straightforward process.

Soft-boiled eggs may seem intimidating at first, but with the tips provided here in this guide, you will quickly and easily cook up the perfect soft-boiled eggs in no time at all.

Sources:

1. How to Cook Eggs, How Stuff Works
2. Easy Boiled Eggs, Australian Eggs