Green Shakshuka

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Shakshuka is that fun-to-say, even more fun-to-eat breakfast recipe! Traditionally, you make shakshuka with a spicy chunky tomato sauce and crack eggs over the sauce. This Green Shakshuka is a more modern version of the recipe that substitutes tomato sauce for dark leafy greens. It’s a healthy, hearty vegetarian breakfast that’s full of flavor!

What is Shakshuka

If you’ve never heard of Shakshuka before, it’s a North African breakfast dish that’s made with a tomato stew. The eggs are poached is the sauce that’s made with tomatoes, red peppers and onions. And usually it incorporates middle eastern spices including cumin, paprika and coriander.

What ethnicity is shakshuka

Like a lot of middle eastern dishes, the exact origin of Shakshuka seems to be disputed. The popular theories are that it originated in Turkey, Morocco or Yemen. When I shared the traditional shakshuka recipe on my instagram, there were over a thousand comments from people claiming it originated from this country or that country. One thing’s for sure is that it’s Middle Eastern and it’s marvelous.

What do you eat with shakshuka

Generally, this is a breakfast recipe so you would eat it on it’s own with some bread. It’s common to have Shakshuka with pita, baguette, challah or other types of crusty bread. But this is also a super popular breakfast-for-dinner recipe (brinner anyone?). And it that case, it goes really well with a mediterranean chopped salad or even a white bean soup.

How to make green shakshuka

Unlike the traditional version of shakshuka with the pretty standard ingredients and directions, there is a lot more flexibility with green shakshuka. That’s because it’s a relatively modern recipe that’s been adapted from the classic version. For that reason, you can pretty much saute onions and peppers with any green vegetables.

What ingredients do you need for green shakshuka

Here are the ingredients that I chose to use in my green shakshuka:

• Eggs
• Kale
• Onions
• Green peppers
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Spices

Steps to make green shakshuka

The first step is to saute the onions and peppers together. Then add the garlic. You want all the vegetables to soften without browning too much. And you want the garlic to become fragrant without burning.

Next add the fresh kale, mix it around until it wilts and throw in the chopped cilantro. At this point, you can also add some water to the skillet if it is looking too dry.

Now you’re ready for the fun part! Time to create little wells or nests for the eggs. I like doing this with a back of a wooden spoon. And then carefully crack the eggs into the nests. Don’t worry if the egg whites spill over the kale. But for best presentation, you can use crack the eggs into small bowls and then carefully pour them into the skillet.

And now it’s time to transfer the cast iron skillet into the oven. You can also keep it on the stovetop and simply cover it with a lid from any other pan. You’ll essentially be poaching the eggs. As for timing, you can decide based on how runny you like the eggs. A good suggestion is 7-10 minutes. Just make sure that the egg whites are set and not jiggly.

Then you can top it off with some feta cheese, fresh cilantro and dig in with some bread.

• Use a cast iron pan or oven safe pan. You can certainly make this in a regular pan and cover the pan with a lid to cook the eggs, but I love that the eggs don’t get steamy and when when I transfer it to the oven. They remain whole and yellow, which has such a better presentation overall for the dish. If you still want to make it only on the stovetop, you can use a cast iron and any lid from another pan.
• Space out the egg nests. Make sure that there is enough room between the egg nests so the eggs don’t run into each other. It’s very possible to fit 6 eggs into a standard cast iron pan. But I don’t usually like to risk it, and prefer to only use 5 so all the eggs stay neat and separated.
• Vary the ingredients: There are no set rules when it comes to this green shakshuka. So if you’re not a fan of kale, try spinach or collard greens or leeks and asparagus. To make it more hearty, you can add some beef sausage to it. If you’re not a fan of feta, you can use goat cheese instead or even cotija cheese. You can also play around with spices to bring out the flavors you enjoy.

For more shakshuka recipes:

• Shakshuka
• Shakshuka with feta

For more egg recipes:

• Vegetable Frittata
• Low Carb Egg Wrap
• Souffle Omelette
• Baked Eggs in Bread

I love how basic the ingredients are to make this green shakshuka, but how comforting and tasty the end product is. I think that’s the big appeal with Shakshuka in general. It’s one of those recipes that sounds so foreign and unique. Yet in essence, it’s tomatoes, onions and peppers with poached eggs. It just feels like the best warm comforting meal that’s just enough familiar, but also just enough exotic.

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Green Shakshuka recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

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Review

Green Shakshuka

Green Shakshuka is a modern version of the Middle Eastern recipe. It includes cracked eggs over a medley of green vegetables. It’s vegetarian & gluten-free!

5 from 18 votes

Author Yumna Jawad

Servings 3 servings

Course Breakfast

Calories 282

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Video

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup onions sliced or diced
• ▢ 1 cup green bell peppers sliced or diced
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1 bunch kale destemmed, roughly chopped
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 5 eggs
• ▢ 2 ounces feta cheese for serving
• ▢ Crusty bread for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions become soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, cilantro and cumin, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
• Add the kale in batches, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they soften, but don’t wilt, about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat. You can add ¼ cup water to soften the kale and create more of a sauce, but this is optional.
• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, create 5 small nests between the vegetables. Gently crack the eggs into nests.
• Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 7-10 minutes, until the egg whites are set.
• Remove the shakshuka from the oven and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta cheese, garnish with cilantro, and serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Equipment

Zwilling Knife Block Set

Cutting Board

10″ Cast Iron Skillet

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 2-3 days in the fridge.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However please review the section under tips for many ways you can vary this recipe and still get excellent results.

Equipment: I love using the Staub cast iron skillet. It has a thick heavy bottom for even heat distribution and transfers seamlessly from stovetop to the oven. 

* Please note the nutrition label does not include the bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 289mg, Sodium: 327mg, Potassium: 359mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2650IU, Vitamin C: 67.7mg, Calcium: 184mg, Iron: 2.2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Course: Breakfast