Shakshuka
Soft eggs nestled in a smoky, gently spiced tomato and pepper sauce, finished with creamy feta and fresh parsley — this shakshuka is the kind of dish that makes an ordinary morning feel special. It’s vibrant, one-pan, and deeply comforting, with plenty of crusty bread for scooping up every last bit.
Ingredients
Tomato-pepper base
- 2 tbsp (30 ml)olive oil
- 150 gyellow onion, finely diced
- 150 gred bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves (9 g)garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tspground cumin
- 1 tspsweet paprika
- 1/4 tspchilli flakes
- 1 tbsp (18 g)tomato paste
- 400 gcrushed tomatoes
- 60 mlwater
- 3/4 tspfine sea salt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper
Eggs and finishing
- 4 largeeggs
- 80 gfeta, crumbled
- 10 gflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
To serve
- 120 grustic bread
Instructions
- 1
Prepare all the ingredients first: finely dice the onion and bell pepper, slice the garlic, crumble the feta, and chop the parsley. This mise en place matters because the sauce cooks quickly once it starts, and having everything ready keeps the vegetables from overbrowning.
- 2
Heat a wide sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden. You want sweetness and tenderness here, not deep browning, so lower the heat slightly if the edges colour too fast.
- 3
Add the garlic, cumin, sweet paprika, and chilli flakes. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to darken it slightly. Blooming the spices in oil and frying the tomato paste briefly gives the sauce a deeper, rounder flavour.
- 4
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water, then season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a lively simmer, then reduce to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a brief trail. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- 5
Use the back of a spoon to make 4 wells in the sauce. Crack 1 egg into each well. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the whites are just set but the yolks are still soft. Check at 5 minutes; exact timing depends on pan size and lid fit. If you prefer firmer yolks, cook 1-2 minutes longer.
- 6
Scatter the feta over the sauce, avoiding covering the yolks completely so the eggs stay visible. Sprinkle over the parsley, then let the shakshuka sit off the heat for 2 minutes; this gentle rest helps the eggs finish setting without turning rubbery.
- 7
Serve straight from the pan with the rustic bread alongside for scooping. For the best texture, dip the bread into the thick sauce first, then break into the yolk.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Use a pan about 24-26 cm wide so the sauce is deep enough to cradle the eggs without spreading too thin.
- •If your tomatoes taste sharp, let the sauce simmer an extra 2-3 minutes before adding the eggs; longer cooking softens the acidity naturally.
- •For a more pronounced heat, increase the chilli flakes to 1/2 tsp.
- •Good-quality feta packed in brine gives the best creamy, tangy finish and looks beautiful on camera against the red sauce.
- •This dish pairs well with olives, sliced cucumber, or a simple green salad for brunch.
Background
Shakshuka is a beloved North African and Middle Eastern dish of eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, widely eaten for breakfast, lunch, or supper. Its exact origins are debated, but it became especially popular across the Maghreb and later throughout the Levant and Israel, with many regional variations. Adding feta is a modern, widely loved touch that brings a salty, creamy contrast to the rich tomato base.
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