Eggs are poached in a flavorful tomato sauce for this easy, vegetarian, one-pan meal. This version of Shakshuka with Feta and White Beans gets a flavor boost from roasted red peppers, feta, and white beans. Serve this protein-packed recipe at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Even if you’ve never heard of Shakshuka, it’s a dish that you will likely find comforting and familiar. It’s one of those budget-friendly, pantry-staple recipes that is impossible not to love. And while it’s one of the best vegetarian healthy meals to enjoy for dinner, if you love a savory, healthy breakfast, you’ll definitely want this recipe in your rotation.
This version of shakshuka is made at the stovetop in about 25 minutes, but I also love simmering this recipe in the slow cooker.
What Is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka (or Shakshouka) is a common dish found in Northern Africa and throughout the Middle East in which eggs are poached in a thick tomato-based sauce that often includes spices and aromatics. In Italy, a spicy version of this dish is sometimes called Eggs in Purgatory.
How to Make
- Saute aromatics - Saute spices and garlic in olive oil to toast them and bring out their flavor.
- Make tomato sauce - Add in the tomatoes and any vegetables you’re using. This will form the base of the dish.
- Poach Eggs - Crack the eggs directly into the tomato mixture. Cover and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your liking, 6 to 9 minutes (the lower cook time should give you cooked whites and runny yolks).
- Add toppings - You can finish the dish with a drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper over the eggs, cheese, and / or fresh herbs.
- Enjoy warm!
How to Serve It
Shakshuka can be served on its own in shallow bowls, but it’s also great served with crusty bread (I love it with this no-knead bread), pita bread, or any flatbread for scooping up the flavorful sauce. It is a complete meal on its own, but also delicious with a lemony arugula salad or another simple green salad on the side.
If you want to add more or different vegetables to the tomato sauce, try any of these:
- Zucchini
- Summer Squash
- Onions
- Diced or Shredded Carrots
- Bell Peppers
- Finely Chopped Broccoli
- Peas
Shakshuka for One!
This is a great recipe to enjoy if you’re just cooking for one. Simply divide the recipe in half (click on the number of servings in the recipe card to easily make this adjustment) and cook it in a smaller skillet. A skillet that is 8 to 10 inches will work well if you’re making a single serving.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil - Use a good quality olive to cook the sauce, but it’s also delicious to drizzle a bit more over the finished dish before serving.
- Garlic, Smoked Paprika, Ground Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes - Pantry staples add bold flavor. Smoked paprika adds a really nice smoky flavor, but regular paprika works just fine. I like a spicy tomato sauce, but feel free to adjust the red pepper flakes to your spice preference or use hot sauce or a small pinch of cayenne pepper instead.
- Crushed Tomatoes and Diced Tomatoes - Two types of tomatoes will give your sauce a nice balance between smooth and chunky.
- Roasted Red Peppers - You can always roast these yourself, but I prefer to just buy them in a jar to save time. Either way, you’ll get great red bell pepper flavor in the dish.
- Cannellini Beans - Any white beans (or really any type of beans you prefer) work well here. You can even skip them for a lighter version of the dish.
- Eggs - These are the heart of any shakshuka recipe. Poaching them in the tomato sauce gives them tons of great flavor.
- Crumbed cheese, Fresh Parsley, and Flatbread - These are all optional and are used to finish off the dish. Adding crumbled, flavorful cheese like feta or goat cheese and fresh herbs (I like parsley, but fresh cilantro, basil, or green onion work well too) adds color and great dimension to the recipe.
Tips
- Taste the sauce. You can taste the sauce before you add the eggs to make sure the flavor is exactly how you’d like it. Add some more salt if you want it more salty or more red pepper flakes if you’d like more spice.
- Crack Eggs into Dishes. It can be messy to crack the eggs directly into the tomato sauce, so if you prefer, you can first crack the eggs into measuring cups first. The handles make it easy to transfer the eggs directly into the tomato sauce without breaking them.
- Cook an Extra Egg. If this is your first time making shakshuka, try cracking an extra egg into the dish to serve as your “test egg”. That way, you can remove that egg and check it for done-ness without disrupting the other eggs you plan to serve for your meal.
The best way to make this dish ahead is to prepare the tomato sauce ahead of time and reheat it in a pan before adding the eggs. That way the eggs will be warm and perfectly poached before you serve them. But leftovers are also great (see below).
If you’re planning on storing leftovers, let the shakshuka cool slightly and then transfer the sauce and eggs to a lidded container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave to serve.
More Egg-Based Meals
- Chilaquiles with Fresh Tomatoes and Fried Eggs
- Sheet Pan Hash Browns and Eggs with Avocado Salsa
- Spaghetti Squash Egg Nests
- Kale Salad with Chicken, Croutons and Soft Boiled Eggs
- Warm White Beans and Kale on Toast
Favorite Tools
- Dutch Oven - A good Dutch oven will last a lifetime and can be used for everything from making soup to baking bread.
Shakshuka with Feta and White Beans Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Skillet with Lid
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, plus more for topping
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika (sub regular paprika)
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1 15 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can Diced, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups Chopped Roasted Red Peppers (from a jar of roasted red peppers)
- 1 15 ounce can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 large Eggs
- ½ cup Crumbled Feta or Goat Cheese (optional)
- Chopped Parsley, for garnish (optional)
- Flatbread or Crusty Bread, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven (use one that has a tight-fitting lid), heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Saute for one minute to toast the spices.
- Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes (including liquid), and roasted red peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquids start to bubble.
- Stir in the beans.
- Reduce heat to low-medium. Make 4 shallow wells in the tomato mixture with the back of a spoon. Crack the eggs into the wells. Cover and cook until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your liking, 6 to 9 minutes.
- Season the tops of the eggs with some salt and black pepper. Drizzle the shakshuka with olive oil and top with cheese and parsley. Serve warm with flatbread or crusty bread.
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