Green Shakshuka

Green Shakshuka is a modern take on the classic dish which features eggs cooked on top of a spicy tomato and pepper sauce.

In this version, there’s lightly spiced green vegetables and herbs instead of the peppers and tomatoes.

I’ve used broccoli, courgette, baby spinach, peas and coriander leaf. But use whatever green vegetables and herbs you like.

Green Shakshuka makes a wonderfully fresh breakfast or brunch, lunch or main course.

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Sometimes spelt shakshouka, chakchouka or chakchuka (and meaning ‘shaken’ in Hebrew and ‘mixture’ in Arabic), shakshuka is a classic of North Africa and the Middle East.

Traditionally, eggs are cracked on top of a spicy tomato and pepper stew (which sometimes contains meat) and cooked until just set.

The meaty version often includes merguez sausage, although I’ve also made a Shakshuka with Merguez Spiced Meatballs which was rather good.

But the recipe I want to share with you today is very different, despite bearing the name shakshuka.

GREEN SHAKSHUKA

I’ve been unable to find the origins of Green Shakshuka, although it seems to be modern dish.

At its most basic it’s simply sautéed green vegetables with eggs cooked on top. So I could easily imagine people in North Africa and the Middle East making it eons ago.

The really great thing about Green Shakshuka though, is that you can adapt it to whatever veggies you have to hand.

For the shakshuka you see in this post, I used courgette, broccoli, frozen peas and baby spinach.

But just about any green vegetable you can think of can be used. At various times I’ve included asparagus, sprouting broccoli, spring greens, cavolo nero, broad beans, leeks and green pepper.

EGGS: A WONDER FOOD

One of the many reasons I love shakshuka is that it’s another way to eat eggs.

Despite previously (and wrongly) getting a bad press on health grounds, current advice in the UK is that there is no limit on the number of eggs that can be eaten in a week.

That’s great news as eggs are cheap, easily available and a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals.

Read more about the health benefits of eggs here

HOW TO MAKE GREEN SHAKSHUKA

Green Shakshuka is pretty quick to make. Depending on how long your chosen vegetables take to soften, you’re probably looking at 30 minutes start to finish.

First off, you’re going to need a fairly wide pan, preferably non-stick. Choose one with a lid too as you’ll need that later.

Into the pan, you add some olive oil and start softening sliced onions, followed by garlic and green chilli.

The green veggies are then added, in order of time they’ll take to cook. In my case, that means broccoli first.

Next went in courgette batons and frozen peas.

We don’t need to fully cook the vegetables at this stage as they’ll be steamed along with the eggs later. But we do want them to start softening and also take on a little colour.

Just before I add my spinach, I sprinkle in some spices. I like ground coriander and paprika. Add cayenne or chilli powder too if you want to up the heat.

Baby spinach barely needs cooking at all, just a minute or so to wilt it. I add fresh coriander at this point: parsley and/or dill would be good too.

Next, make little hollows in the veg mix before cracking the eggs into them.

Actually, to make sure I don’t get any shell into the shakshuka, I crack the eggs into a little ramekin first.

Another useful tip is one I learned while perfecting my Turkish Eggs recipe. If you strain the eggs through a small sieve before cooking then this gets rid of the watery part of the egg white.

COOKING THE EGGS

I like my egg whites to be completely set while the yolk is still runny.

I find this takes around 7-8 minutes when making shakshuka. Increase or decrease this time to get the eggs done to your taste.

The eggs need steam to cook properly, so make sure your veggie mixture isn’t too dry.

If there isn’t much steam when you pop a lid on your pan, then just tip in a small amount of water from a boiled kettle and quickly put the lid back on. This will do the trick.

Your Green Shakshuka is technically done at this point. But there’s a few extra flourishes that make it even better.

TOPPINGS & EXTRAS

I think every shakshuka needs a little sprinkle of something on top. Ground cumin is fine, although sumac is better if you have it.

But my favourite is za’atar spice blend. Nutty, herby, with a slight sour tang, my version contains toasted sesame seeds, sumac, dried oregano and thyme, plus a little salt.

Crumbled feta is a deservedly popular topping for Green Shakshuka. But I also like the mellower, creamy notes of a semi-hard sheep’s cheese, grated over the top.

I’ve sometimes served it with a drizzle of yogurt, but you could stir in a couple of tablespoonsful when you add the spinach instead. To add a fresh, raw element to your bowl, slice half an avocado per person.

The amounts shown in the recipe will feed one person generously for a main meal, or two as a breakfast, brunch or light meal. Serve some bread alongside too if you like.

I hope you’ll try easy, versatile Green Shakshuka, and adapt it to the veggies in your fridge or what’s best right now.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

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Green Shakshuka

A modern take on a classic: eggs cooked on top of green vegetables & herbs instead of the usual peppers in tomato sauce.

Green Shakshuka makes a wonderfully fresh breakfast or brunch, lunch or main course.

See Recipe Notes for different vegetables to try.

Course Breakfast, Main Course, Lunch, Light Meal, Brunch

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian, North African

Keyword eggs

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 1 as a main dish, 2 as a light meal

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 green chilli finely chopped, seeds in or out as preferred
• Half a small head of broccoli broken up and thinly sliced
• 1 medium courgette cut into batons or slices
• 1 large handful peas fresh or frozen
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach any tough stems removed
• 1 large bunch fresh herbs: coriander, parsley, dill, or a mixture roughly chopped or torn
• 2 eggs
• 30 g cheese: feta, goat's or sheep cheese optional
• sumac, za'atar or cumin for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil into a large frying or sauté pan and put it over low-moderate heat.

2. When hot, add the onion and cook until starting to soften and brown (3-5 min).

   Add the garlic and green chill and cook for 2 min.

3. Turn the heat up to moderate then add the broccoli. Cook until starting to soften a little (3 min).

   Add the courgette and peas, season everything with salt and pepper, then cook for a further 2 min.

4. Stir in the ground cumin and paprika. Cook for 1 min.

5. Stir in the spinach plus half the chopped herbs.

   Cook until the spinach is just wilted (1-2 min).

6. Make 2 slight indentations in the greens with a spoon then crack an egg into each one.

7. Put on the lid and cook until the eggs are done to your liking (5-8 min)

   Note: the eggs will cook better if there is steam in the pan, so if it looks dry pour in a little boiling water from a kettle and replace the lid.

8. Serve immediately with the rest of the herbs scattered over, plus the cheese if using, and a sprinkle of sumac, za'atar or cumin.

Recipe Notes

Almost any green vegetable can be included, just change cooking times as needed. Try leek, green peppers, asparagus, chard, broad beans, kale or spring greens.

Yogurt is a good addition too: either stir in 2 tbsp full fat yogurt when adding the spinach, or drizzle over before serving.