Shakshuka
Shakshuka is an African and Middle Eastern dish of poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce. Savory, hearty, and full of flavour: Shakshuka may be the ultimate breakfast for dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder (For medium spicy. Decrease to 1/2 tsp or eliminate for mild.)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes with juice
- 6 eggs (Use 4-6 eggs, depending on servings.)
- Feta cheese, for serving
- crusty bread or pita, for serving
Instructions
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OPTIONAL: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Using your oven is optional, and only if you have decided that you will be cooking your eggs in the oven. I prefer this method, honestly, but it does create one extra step for you. If you'd prefer not to use your oven, the eggs are easily cooked on the stovetop. See below for more cooking details.
Make the Shakshuka tomato sauce:
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In a large frying pan or cast iron skillet (if you will be using your oven, make sure to use an oven-safe pan!), saute onion, red pepper, and green pepper in olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
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Add garlic and all spices: oregano, paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Stir to release their aromas, then add the crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for 10 minutes, to allow the flavours to meld.
Cook the eggs:
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OPTION 1: in the oven. To cook the eggs in the oven, make sure your oven has been preheated to 350 degrees and that you are using an oven-safe pan. Carefully make small indents for each of the eggs in the tomato sauce, then crack the eggs into each indent. Transfer your pan into the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes for a soft yolk (15+ minutes will yield a hard yolk). Eggs will be done once the whites look opaque but the yolks are still jiggly.
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OPTION 2: on the stovetop. Carefully make small indents for each of the eggs in the tomato sauce, then crack the eggs into each indent. Cover your pan with a tightly-sealing lid and cook for 5-8 minutes for a soft yolk. (8+ minutes will yield a hard yolk.) Eggs will be done once the whites look opaque but the yolks are still jiggly.
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Garnish each serving with Feta cheese and serve with a hunk of crusty bread or pita.
Recipe Notes
- I prefer to use my oven to cook the eggs, as I find that the eggs cook more slowly and give you more control over the perfect soft yolk runny-ness. Sometimes I find that when the eggs are cooked on the stovetop, they go from under-done to over-done too quickly. But you do you!