Shakshuka (Traditional Vegetable Stew with Poached Eggs)
Shakshuka is a bright and vibrant tomato based egg dish made with poached eggs cooked in a bed of chunky tomato and vegetable sauce that's spiced with the perfect amount of cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes.
Quick Overview
- This incredible egg dish originated in North Africa back in the Ottoman Empire rule and it’s also traditional to Morocco, Yamen, Turkey, and several others Middle Eastern countries. Some include meat, different vegetables and sliced bread.
- With so many variations as there are, this one is my favorite. This shakshuka version is a tomato and vegetable stew with poached eggs and it is the traditional Israeli version.
- While you may automatically see this as a breakfast dish because of the eggs, in Israel, it can be served for lunch and dinner as well!
- For serving, grab some rustic bread, pita, or challah alongside it!
Lyuba’s Tips to Make Delicious Shakshuka
- Tomatoes: use whole canned tomatoes and preferably San Marzano.
- It can be spicy or mild – it all depends how much heat you want to add. Some people use cayenne pepper to spice up this dish. I, on the other hand, like to use red pepper flakes because it adds heat to the dish without overpowering other flavors and completely numbing your tongue! You can always increase the amount of red pepper flakes to make it spicier.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and stew the vegetables for approximately 20-25 minutes. DON’T try to rush the vegetables, do give them time to stew for optimal flavor!
- Don’t bother with the oven! It will only take eggs to cook for approximately 5-10 minutes and you can easily watch for the perfect doneness.
What to Serve with Shakshuka?
- Bread, of course! You will almost always see a side of bread with this dish, be it challah, pita, or other regional breads. You will use the bread to scoop up the tomato stew.
- Also, I love to sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top of the shakshuka just before serving. It’s deliciously complimentary to the tomatoes and eggs.
Make it Ahead of Time
You can make shakshuka’s vegetable stew ahead of time, just don’t let it stew for quite as long. Then, store it in the refrigerator until ready to make the dish for up to 2 days. It’s easy to reheat it in the skillet over medium to medium-low heat, then poach the eggs as described in the recipe.
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Shakshuka Recipe
Shakshuka is a bright and vibrant tomato based egg dish made with poached eggs cooked in a bed of chunky tomato and vegetable sauce that's spiced with the perfect amount of cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes.
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Servings: 6 (serves 4-6)
Calories: 171kcal
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp white granulated sugar
- black pepper
- salt to taste
- 6 eggs
- 2-3 tbsp fresh minced cilantro
- bread for serving
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese* optional
Instructions
- Finely chop onion and bell pepper. Smash and mince garlic cloves.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.
- Add onion and pepper and cook for a few minutes, until completely softened.
- Push vegetables aside and add garlic to the pan. Sauté garlic until fragrant and mix it in.
- Add the entire can if whole plum tomatoes to the pan and carefully crush and bread up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
- Mix in salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Mix everything well and lower the heat to medium-low. Stew the vegetables for 20-25 minutes. Make sure to stir them from time to time to avoid burning on the bottom.
- Make a small well (not too deep) with the back of a spoon in the tomato stew and crack and egg into it. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7-10 minutes, depending on how well done you like your eggs.
- Take off the heat when the eggs are done enough.
- Sprinkle some fresh cilantro on top and if you wish, sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese as well.
- Serve with bread.
Video
Notes
- Spice Level: Shakshuka can be spicy or mild – it all depends how much heat you want to add. Some people use cayenne pepper to spice up this dish. Or, you can use red pepper flakes because it adds heat to the dish without overpowering other flavors and completely numbing your tongue!
- Make Ahead: You can make the tomato stew ahead of time, just don’t let it stew for quite as long. Cool and store it in the refrigerator until ready to make the dish for up to 2 days. It’s easy to reheat it in the skillet over medium to medium-low heat, then poach the eggs as described in the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1442IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles or tag #willcookforsmiles!
More Great Breakfast Recipes
- Crustless Quiche – a low-carb quiche made with bacon, cheddar, mushrooms, and spinach, but without crust.
- Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce – soft, poached eggs over warm Canadian bacon, toasted English muffin, and topped with an easy, homemade Hollandaise sauce.
- Biscuits and Gravy – soft and fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuits fresh from the oven and topped with easy white sausage gravy.
- The BEST French Toast – This classic breakfast recipe features sweet egg-soaked Brioche bread simply cooked in a pan and served with your favorite toppings.
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in May, 2021.
Categories:
Breakfast Recipes, Brunch Recipes, Egg Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Middle Eastern Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
My family loves this recipe! It’s the perfect Sunday brunch. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome, Jane! I am so glad you guys love it!
Shakshouka originated in North African countries of Libya and Tunisia. Shakshouka is Arabic for ” mixture ” in Tunisia dialect. It is the quintessential meal 😋 of the Arab world cuisine traditionally served in a cast iron pan or a Tajine as in Morocco. Thank you
You are so welcome, Kim!