At brunch, it’s always hard to choose between a sweet breakfast — pancakes, French toast, and the like — and something from the Benedicts and omelets section of the menu. If you’re a friendly morning person and good at sharing, you can always ask for an extra plate, split a couple of breakfasts, and have your eggs and your syrup too. But for our money, the savory waffle has always been the better compromise: fluffy, sweet, and savory all at once, and bonus, it doesn’t undermine our coffee buzz.

The centerpiece of this waffle is a big dollop of lemony ricotta. The cheese has a sweet creaminess, but it also feels light — it’s a wonderful foil for the crispy, golden brown waffle. And we love how the lemon brightens up a melange of smoky, lightly charred onions and mushrooms. Three kinds of onions? Yes, and you’ll want all of them: their variously sweet, earthy, and tangy flavors balance out the meaty mushrooms, and they look very pretty strewn across the waffle with a handful of peppery microgreens.

We created this recipe with spring and vegetarian brunch in mind, but it would also make a very elegant dinner. We’d even go so far as to pair it with a crisp glass of white wine.

Our tip: If you don’t have three different kinds of onions, use what you’ve got, and swap in other veggies for flavor and variety. For example, a grilled sweet pepper could fill in for the sweeter pearl onions. And, if your kiddos (or S.O.) are mushroom averse, chunks of plant-based breakfast sausage