If you are looking for an easy meal that is bursting with flavour, super cheap to make and uses ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard, then give this Shakshuka recipe a try. Chunky veg and beans in a thick spicy tomato sauce with eggs cooked in it and then pita bread to dip in. Yum!
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What is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka (or sometimes Shakshouka) is a North African spicy dish of eggs stewed in a tomato and bean sauce. It is thought to have originated in Tunisia (but now really popular in Israel and Middle Eastern countries) and this is our twist on it, with a few changes and some extra ingredients just to make it even more tasty and nutrient dense.
In Arabic, Shakshuka translates to "haphazard mixture", which this really is. It's a mixture of tomatoes, eggs and beans, with plenty of herbs and spices to keep it far from bland. Chilli, paprika and cumin are the main flavours here, making it nice and smokey with a kick of heat.
It's a really simple one pot dish that is usually enjoyed for breakfast or brunch, but equally suitable for lunch and dinner. It's a hearty and satisfying meal on a budget.
Why You Will Love It
- Really cheap to make
- Low calorie
- Can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Eggs - We always use the best quality organic free range eggs. They are a little more expensive, but it is worth it.
- Beans - We used butter beans in this recipe, but they can be swapped for chickpeas. We used canned beans to save some time, but to make this a more budget friendly recipe, you could soak your own beans overnight and cook them to use in this.
- Tomatoes - Use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can, as you will really be able to taste the difference. Cheap tinned tomatoes are really watery and you will end up with a watery finished sauce.
- Onion - We used a small brown onion, however you can swap it for shallots for a sweeter flavour.
- Bell pepper - We used red bell pepper as they are the sweetest. However you could use other colours instead, or a mixture.
- Cayenne, cumin and paprika - This is was gives the lovely smokey flavour, with just a little kick of spice.
- Feta - We topped our shakshuka with feta. This adds so much creaminess to the finished dish. Try to use the best quality, authentic, feta as it has the best flavour.
- Parsley - This adds lots of freshness at the end, but it is optional.
- Olives - The saltiness of the olives pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the tomatoes.
- Pita bread - This is optional, but it's the perfect way to scoop up all the sauce at the end, and to dip into the runny yolks.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Shakshuka
One: Chop the onion and red bell pepper and mince the garlic.
Two: Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, bell pepper and garlic for 5 minutes.
Three: Add the tomatoes, beans and spices. Cook for a further 5 minutes. This will make your tomato sauce base.
Four: Make wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one.
Five: Put a lid on and cook until the egg whites have cooked - about 10 minutes.
Six: Top the shakshuka with feta, chopped parsley and sliced olives.
What Veg to Use
Onions and bell peppers form the base of this dish, but there is no reason why you can't add some mushrooms and aubergines, or whatever veg you have that needs using up really.
Although not traditional, we have added a can of butter beans to ours to bulk it out and make it a protein packed meal. You could swap them for chickpeas, or simply leave them out.
You also want to use the best quality tomatoes possible. Tomato really is the heart of the dish, so choose the best brand you can afford, as they won't be overly watery. We then add some tomato purée (tomato paste) just to intensify the tomato flavour.
Toppings
Some creamy feta and fresh herbs are a must on Shakshuka. We used curly parsley, but you could use coriander instead if you wanted.
We also sprinkled over some chopped olives, as the extra saltiness worked really well with the creaminess of the eggs and beans. Sometimes you will find anchovies on it too.
Serving Suggestions
It pretty much has everything you could want from a meal already in it, but we still serve ours up with some freshly grilled pita bread and some creamy hummus on the side.
You could always make some of our super easy flatbreads to use instead of the pita. They are great for mopping up the sauce.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Although traditionally it's a breakfast or brunch dish, it's great for lunch and dinner too.
- You can use any vegetables you like as the base, so it's a great way to use it veg that is on the turn.
- If you want to make a vegan version, leave the eggs out and swap the butter beans for chickpeas.
- Use the best quality tomatoes you can afford, as cheap tomatoes are watery and they really are the base of the dish.
- You can cook this dish in the oven once you have cracked the eggs into it - it will take around 7-10 minutes.
- Serve with pita, flatbread or crusty bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
We cooked ours on the hob (stove), as it was already on there anyway. But once the eggs are cracked into the tomato sauce, you can then put it in the oven to cook the eggs. They will take around 7 to 10 minutes in the oven to set.
We have given the cooking time as a guide, but it will depend on what heat you have it on. You don't want to overcook the eggs, as a runny yolk is a must we think - it's like an extra sauce. The eggs should still jiggle a little if you shake the pan.
If you don't like poached eggs, you could cook the sauce and then serve it with scrambled or fried eggs, or even some halloumi for something a little different.
This is one of those meals that I wouldn't recommend reheating or freezing. The eggs would get overcooked whereas they are much better fresh. This serves 4, so if you are making it for less people, then just halve or divide the recipe (change the portion amount in the recipe card to automatically recalculate the ingredients).
More Egg Recipes
If you've tried this shakshuka recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
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Recipe
Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 200 g (1 cups) of Cooked butter beans - (you could use chickpeas or any bean though)
- 800 g (1.75 lb) of Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 3 Garlic clove - crushed
- 1 Onion - diced
- 1 Red bell pepper - diced
- 0.5 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon of Ground cumin
- 0.5 tablespoon of Smoked paprika
- 30 g (0.25 cups) of Feta
- 4 tablespoon of Fresh parsley - chopped
- 2 tablespoon of Green olives - sliced
- 2 Whole wheat pita breads
- 0.5 tablespoon of Olive oil
Instructions
- Heat 0.5 tbsp of Olive oil in a large pan and cook 1 Onion, 1 Red bell pepper and 3 Garlic clove for 5 minutes.
- Add 800 g of Chopped tomatoes, 200 g of Cooked butter beans, 0.5 tsp of Cayenne pepper, 0.5 tsp of Ground cumin and 0.5 tbsp of Smoked paprika. Cook for a further 5 minutes. This will make your tomato sauce base.
- Make four wells in the sauce and crack 4 Eggs into them.
- Put a lid on and cook until the egg whites have cooked - about 10 minutes.
- Top with 30 g of Feta, 4 tbsp of Fresh parsley and 2 tbsp of Green olives.
- Serve with 2 Whole wheat pita breads for dipping.
Recipe Tips
- Although traditionally it's a breakfast or brunch dish, it's great for lunch and dinner too.
- You can use any vegetables you like as the base, so it's a great way to use it veg that is on the turn.
- If you want to make a vegan version, leave the eggs out and swap the butterbeans for chickpeas.
- Use the best quality tomatoes you can afford, as cheap tomatoes are watery and they really are the base of the dish.
- You can cook this dish in the oven once you have cracked the eggs in to it - it will take around 7-10 minutes.
- Serve with pita, flatbread or crusty bread.
- Weight Watchers SmartPoints: 11
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Nadia says
Absolutely LOVE Shakshuka :D It's so healthy full of protein and fibre. Yum! :)
GiGi Eats says
I have been wanting to make something like this for EONS!!! Why the heck have I not done it yet?!
Kelly says
My family can have eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner so this would be a hit at our house! I've always wanted to try Shakshuka and yours looks perfect! :)