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Easy Shakshuka

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Shakshuka is a flavorful North African and Middle Eastern dish featuring poached eggs in a spiced tomato sauce. It’s simple, nutritious, and can be prepared in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
  • 1/2 onion (red or white), diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced*
  • 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes (can substitute with 28 ounces of diced fresh tomato or canned whole or diced tomatoes)
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if you prefer less heat)
  • 1 pinch each cardamom and coriander (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 5 ounces frozen and chopped spinach, thawed
  • 6 eggs
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (if you intend to bake the eggs)
  2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and fragrant. The onion should begin to turn translucent. 
  3. Add the tomato and seasonings. Cook and stir for a couple minutes. If using an alternative to crushed tomatoes, use a spatula to crush the tomato by hand. If the mixture seems dry (we want it to be saucy!) add a bit of water.
  4. Once the sauce is simmering, add the chickpeas and spinach. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce is thick enough that you could form indents for the eggs.
  5. Make six indents in the sauce. Carefully crack one egg into each indent.
  6. Let the sauce and eggs cook for one minute, then transfer the skillet into the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the whites have completely set. Alternatively, you could cover the pan with a lid and cook over the stove until the eggs are ready (about 3-4 minutes for set egg whites but runny yolks).
  7. Once the eggs are done, with the whites cooked but the yolks still a bit runny, remove the pan from the oven or turn off the stove. Sprinkle with parsley, if using. Serve immediately. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

*Tip: We like to mince the garlic first, before starting any other part of the recipe. When we crush or mince fresh garlic, a health-promoting compound called allicin begins to form. This process is deactivated by heat. Studies show that allowing cut garlic to sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking maximizes the amount of allicin produced. Keep in mind that jarred, pre-minced garlic does not contain as much allicin as freshly minced garlic. 

Find it online: https://bodytosoulhealth.com/easy-shakshuka/

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