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Shakshuka is a North American Dish made of soft cooked eggs, gently poached or braised in a delicious chunky tomato and bell pepper sauce. It's a perfect dish for Fathers Day and The Mediterranean Dish has an amazing recipe with links to purchase ingredients.
Ingredients: what you'll need to make shakshuka
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Vegetables: 1 large chopped onion, 1 to 2 green bell peppers, and 2 minced garlic cloves. These three ingredients (plus spices) creates a sofrito to start the chunky sauce.
- Spices: coriander, cumin, paprika-- a trio of warm North African flavors. If you like spicy shakshuka (some call it eggs in purgatory), add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Tomatoes: In this recipe, I use 6 fresh medium-sized tomatoes and about ½ cup of tomato sauce, this combination gives me the texture and flavor I'm looking for. It helps if your fresh tomatoes are soft and almost overripe. If tomatoes are not in season, you can replace them with 1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes or 6 cups canned chopped tomatoes with their juices. If you use the canned tomato alternative, you can omit the tomato sauce.
- Eggs: 6 large raw eggs
- Garnish: This is totally optional, but for me a handful of fresh chopped parsley and mint just before serving adds freshness and a pop of color. And if you love your shakshuka with feta, then add a sprinkle of creamy feta cheese just before serving.
How to Make Shakshuka
- Make the shakshuka tomato sauce. Start by sauteing chopped onions, bell peppers, and garlic with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a large, heavy skillet or pan (with a lid). Season with kosher salt and coriander, paprika, cumin, and crushed pepper flakes. Cook for at least 5 minutes, stirring, until the veggies are tender, then add fresh diced tomatoes (I used 6 vine ripe tomatoes) and ½ cup of tomato sauce. (Or, if you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned a large 28-ounce of canned whole tomatoes or 6 cups of canned diced tomatoes). Bring the tomatoes to a boil, then cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes, then uncover and cook a few more minutes until your sauce has thickened.
- Add the eggs and cook. When the sauce is ready, use the back of a spoon and make some holes in the sauce. Crack your eggs and nestle each egg in one of the holes you created. Cover the skillet and allow the eggs to simmer in the sauce over medium-low heat until the egg whites have settled (as I said earlier, the eggs are supposed to be soft and somewhat runny. If you like your eggs hard, you can let them cook a bit longer).
- Serve immediately! Once the eggs are ready, garnish with parsley and serve immediately!