The perfect breakfast food is one that requires little effort but is nutritious and filling enough to last until lunch time. In our opinion, shakshouka fits this description quite well. It’s fairly easy to make and can easily be modified so you don’t get tired of eating the same thing.
What Is Shakshouka?
Shakshouka, also spelled shakshuka, is a traditional Maghrebi or North African dish consisting of eggs and vegetables. This dish is popular throughout the North African region to the Middle East and there is some controversy regarding its origins. Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Palestine, Egypt, and Israel are some of the countries that traditionally eat Shakshouka.
The name “shakshouka” or “shakshuka” is generally believed to mean “shaken” or “mixed up,” referring to the way it is cooked. Indeed, shakshouka is a fairly simple but flavorful dish. Essentially, shakshouka is poached eggs in tomato sauce seasoned with various spices. It’s simple to make, which is why it makes perfect sense for shakshouka to be a breakfast food (though it can be eaten any time of the day, too). It’s also very filling and nutritious.
As you may have guessed from the numerous cultures that eat Shakshouka, there are a few variations, such as by adding meat. Moreover, this dish is quite versatile and has been modified to suit different tastes.
In its simplest form, shakshouka contains eggs, tomatoes (or tomato paste), olive oil, garlic, and a variety of vegetables available to the region. Others also add lamb, fish, or feta cheese.
Easy Shakshouka Recipes
Here are some awesome shakshouka recipes to try.
Basic Shakshouka
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
4 eggs
1 skillet
Steps:
1. Heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion has turned translucent.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and spices—paprika and cumin. Stir and let simmer for about 25 minutes.
3. Using a spoon, make 4 wells onto the tomato sauce. Crack 4 eggs onto each well. Let the eggs cook until the whites are firm. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes. You can keep the tomato sauce from drying up by adding a few tablespoons of water.
4. Serve with bread.
Tunisian Shakshouka (Ojja)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
½ cup chopped scallions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 plum tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 chili pepper, chopped
2 dried chili peppers
Parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp harissa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
4 eggs
½ cup water
Steps:
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Let cook until fragrant and onions start to become translucent.
2. Next, add the scallions, tomatoes, chili peppers, dried chili, parsley, and harissa. Season with paprika and salt. Sauté until the tomatoes turn soft.
3. Add the water and mix.
4. Crack the eggs one-by-one onto the mixture. Season with pepper and salt. Cover the skillet and let the eggs cook until the whites are firm but the yolk remains soft or runny.
5. Serve with bread.
Kosher Shakshouka
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red chili pepper, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 cup canned tomatoes
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
Steps:
1. Heat up the oil. Sauté the onion until it turns translucent.
2. Then, add the garlic, yellow pepper, chili pepper, tomato, and canned tomatoes.
3. Season the mixture with salt, sweet paprika, cumin, and turmeric.
4. Crack the eggs onto the mixture and let them cook.
5. Finish with fresh parsley and serve with pita.
Shakshouka With Chorizo
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 lb Spanish-style Chorizo, sliced
1 large onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp ground cayenne
Salt
Pepper
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Steps:
1. Heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and let it cook until slightly crisp.
2. Add the onions. Let it cook first before adding the garlic.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and bell pepper. Then, season with paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce should thicken a bit.
4. Make 4 wells in the mixture using a spoon. Crack the eggs onto the wells. Cover and let it simmer for another 3 minutes or so. Alternatively, you could transfer this to a preheated oven and let cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Top with parsley and crumbled feta cheese. Serve with pita or flatbread.
Lamb Shakshouka
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
½ lb ground lamb
1 shallot, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chili pepper
1 can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp Aleppo pepper
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
Parsley, roughly chopped
Steps:
1. Heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground lamb and let cook. Break up the meat to make sure it is cooked through. You may want to drain excess fat.
2. Stir in onions and bell pepper. Let cook until soft, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and chilies.
4. Add the tomato paste and spices, then add the canned tomatoes. Stir everything to cover everything with the tomato sauce. Let this simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Make a well into the mixture and crack the 4 eggs. Cover and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Garnish with parsley and serve with flatbread.
These are just some of our favorite shakshouka variations. Learn more tasty recipes at Eat Café.
