Recipe: Shakshuka

I first had shakshuka when I went to Israel/Palestine in the summer of 2013 and let me tell you, it was one of my favourite and most memorable trips ever! The people, the culture, the food - I would definitely go back. 

Soooo what IS shakshuka?

Shakshuka is a middle eastern breakfast dish made with tomatoes, garlic, onions, spices and poached eggs. It’s also found in North African cuisine. It's nourishing, healthy, and super easy to make! And when I say easy to make, it’s one pan and takes 30 mins or less to make. I added a few extra ingredients that deviated a bit from the traditional recipe. The “untraditional” Chia’s additional ingredients are marked with an asterisk.

I made this shakshuka one Sunday and didn’t have any canned tomatoes so I used one jar of pasta sauce instead. It was a little thinner in consistency but still delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 2 cups of kale, roughly chopped*

• 2 cups of spinach*

• 2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• ¼ teaspoon chili powder

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon*

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg*

• ¼ teaspoon turmeric 

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

• 6 large eggs

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

2. Add the chopped bell pepper and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.

3. Add the finely chopped garlic, kale, and spices. Stir around making sure that the spices are evenly distributed. Cook for an additional minute.

4. Pour the full can of tomatoes into the pan and break down the tomatoes. If you don’t have canned tomatoes, a jar of pasta sauce works too. It just might be a bit thinner in terms of consistency. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a simmer.

5. Using your spoon, make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cover the pan and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the eggs are done to how you like them. 

6. Turn the heat off and garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley.

7. Enjoy on its own or with pita bread or toast!

A NOTE ABOUT EGGS:

make sure that it’s cooked properly! It can get a little challenging to know when the eggs are done once it’s in the pan but once most of the egg whites have gone opaque and the yolk is a little jiggly, the residual heat will continue to cook them. If you’re not a fan of poached eggs, you can also fry your eggs or scramble them separately. For a vegan alternative, you can use tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas. The variations are endless!

Once you make this, let me know by commenting down below or if you’re on Instagram, you can tag me @chiantelle and @chiaseats. Looking forward to seeing your creations!

Chiantelle nicole

Registered Holistic Nutritionist™ (R.H.N.), Self-Proclaimed Food Enthusiast, Chia’s Eats