What is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka is tomatoes, cumin, allspice, some onion, and spices right? Basic. Simple. It could be a salsa with a $15 dollar price tag.
For the past two years, I’ve heard many of my friends talk about “Shakshuka.” First, it was my vegetarian friends. Then it was the meat eaters. Then it was on the menu of every trendy brunch spot I visited. It couldn’t be that great, right? Oh, how wrong I was.
One Sunday afternoon, I walked down the aisles of Trader Joes when it was there. Shakshuka Starter Kit. I caved. It was time to try this.
I got home. Got distracted.
I didn’t eat the Shakshuka until about a month later. I followed the instructions. It looked interesting. Mostly like a tomato-y soup
When I took the first bite, I was blown away. This was the savory breakfast item I didn’t know I had needed in my life prior. Immediately, I looked up tons of recipes. There was the Israeli take, the north-African version, the Palenstinan version and more.
There is one thing I love almost as much as eating and cooking and that is food history! Learning the history of Shakshuka did not disappoint.
Shakshuka (sometimes spelled shakshouka) has been around the Mediterranean basin for centuries. Generally, shakshuka consists of tomato and chili pepper base with a variety of seasonings added. Like with many food traditions, historians (and grandmas alike) debate how and where shakshuka was originally created. Some argue it originates from Morocco, Tunisia, and, others will say it is from Yemen.
After trying many different versions, I ended up with this. A Veggie Packed Shakshuka that can be made fresh or meal-prepped in advance. It’s a great dish to use up any of those pesky leftover bits and bobs in the veggie drawer. Either way it’s freakin good.
Storage, reheat directions are located below the recipe.
Veggie Packed Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion Minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
Spice Mix
- 1.5 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice (substitute: equal parts ground cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon)
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- Pinch Cayenne Powder
- 1 cup Mushrooms Chopped
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper Any color will do
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes whole or cut
- 15 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes
- 6 Eggs
- Fresh Parsley chopped
Instructions
Tomato Base
- Heat olive oil in a skillet with a lid at medium-heat.
- Add onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add garlic. Cook garlic-onion mixture then add spices. Once you start smelling the spices it's time for the next step. Prepare for some stomach rumbles.
- Add in chopped mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Note: You could add any additional veggies you want at this time. I've tried minced cauliflower, zucchini, etc. and it turns out great. If the spices start to burn, add a splash of water.
- Add in canned diced tomatoes and salt. Cover and let simmer for 10-13 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally.
Egg Portion
- If you a making this ahead of time, cool down the tomate sauce then divide. Bring it back to heat in a pan or microwave then proceed with the following steps.
- Make 4 small holes in the sauce with the back of a spoon. Gently crack an egg into each well. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to low for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and paprika.
- Enjoy
- Note: This is a perfect dish to add to a brunch spread. Serve with fresh sourdough bread.
Nutrition
Storage directions
To Meal Prep: I’ve made this a few times as a prepped meal. Once with the full thing cooked in advance and once cooking only the eggs the day of. Both work. Cook as directed. Portion it out and then refrigerate it.
To freeze: Don’t add any egg to it. Cook the saucy goodness, portion into containers, and freeze. Thaw and add in eggs while you reheat. You could store it as TJ’s does. Freeze the saucy goodness for future use. Thaw the sauce then cook eggs as directed.
Reheat Directions
To Reheat from Frozen: Defrost the tomato mixture. Place mixture in an oiled pan and bring to a simmer. Add eggs. You can also reheat in a microwave-safe bowl. Once the mixture is warm, crack the eggs in and zap for one to two more minutes. They should come out delicious.
To Reheat from the Fridge: The same as above without the defrosting piece.
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