One of my favorite breakfast dishes features some of my favorite flavors. Tomato! Garlic! Paprika! Shakshuka is a dish common in Israel, other parts of the Middle East, and increasingly trendy brunch restaurants, but it’s surprisingly very easy to make right at home. And I highly recommend it, given the medley of delicious flavors and ingredients that comprise this dish.
what is it?
Truthfully, there are many different ways to make shakshuka. Green shakshuka, for example, often has a spinach and brussels sprout base. Other recipes might have goat cheese or ricotta mixed in versus feta crumbled on top.
The recipe I made is a bit more traditional, using a heavy tomato base with a mix of onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Once the veggies and spices have simmered together, 6 eggs are cracked into the skillet and cooked to your liking. Super easy!
⟶ the recipe
shakshuka
ingredients
6 large eggs
½ yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red or green bell pepper (or half of each), thinly sliced
½ tablespoon tomato paste
15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
Cherry or vine tomatoes, fully ripened
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch each of salt and pepper
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Total time
10 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Start by sautéing the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Scootch vegetables to the side of the pan and add tomato paste. Stir rapidly for a few seconds, and then cook until the paste is slightly caramelized. Add the diced tomatoes, and some fresh, ripe cherry or vine tomatoes if you have them. Stir in salt and pepper to taste, and add the paprika for a bit of heat.
Let sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened and not liquidy. With the back of a medium-large spoon create 6 divots in the sauce and gently crack in the eggs.
Cover and cook for a few minutes until the eggs have settled and the whites have solidified completely. Give the pan a gentle shake to make sure there’s no more runny egg white. Remove the skillet from the heat, and top with a healthy handful of chopped parsley and crumbled feta.
Serve shakshuka straight from the skillet, and pair with fresh, crusty bread.
⟶ recipe notes
- Another way shakshuka recipes can vary comes down to what types of spices you use. I simply used paprika with salt and pepper for this recipe, but you may opt for a combination of other popular Middle Eastern spices like cumin, chili powder, or cayenne for that extra spicy kick
- Depending on how you like your eggs, you can cook for less time for runnier yolks, or you can keep the lid on the skillet for longer if you prefer the yolks cooked through. Personally, I like them right in the middle with jammy yolks that aren’t quite cooked through. Just make sure the whites have cooked completely before eating!
