One Pan Green Shakshuka
North African poached eggs come alive with healthy greens, earthy pantry herbs, and tangy lime juice!
A brightly colored riff on the traditional tomato and egg dish popular throughout North Africa and the Middle East, One Pan Green Shakshuka is a simple, healthy breakfast combining green vegetables, aromatic spices, feta cheese and gently poached eggs.
This Green Shakshuka recipe uses a range of healthy green veggies including celery, leeks, green onions, peas, and baby spinach. There’s no limit to the green veggies you use, as green is definitely good for making this versatile shakshuka version as tasty and hearty as possible. I’ll take this green, leafy breakfast over a power smoothie every day of the week!
Green Shakshuka does a great job utilizing the Middle Eastern herbs and spices we have in our pantries, and folding their delicious layers into a meal that is at once sweet, salty and a little earthy. Common pantry herbs – garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin and paprika – provide lashings of rich flavor that’s soaked up by the veggies. This sweet spicy flavor is contrasted well by the sharpness of crumbled feta cheese, and tangy lime juice.
The soft poached eggs cook right near the end of the process when the spinach and veggies have reduced. It’s as simple as creating a few little depressions in the thick sauce, and letting the steam do its work. When serving shakshuka, the trick is to get the poaching time just right. The yolks should just be runny enough that they can be mixed in with the leafy sauce as you eat, although if you prefer them harder you can always cook them for longer.
I love the aroma and flavor that this easy vegetarian compote creates – it’s a brilliant breakfast for lazy weekends, where you can linger over a good meal with your loved ones. One Pan Green Shakshuka can be served with flatbread, wraps, or simple crusty bread. I’m also not going to hold it against you if you want to cook up some bacon or chorizo to enjoy as a protein side dish!
One Pan Green Shakshuka
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon harissa seasoning
- 8-10 oz baby spinach
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 3-4 large eggs
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until fragrant. Add the leeks and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the leek has softened, add the garlic, cumin, paprika and harissa, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add spinach, lime juice, parsley and cilantro to the pan, and cook, stirring for two minutes. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins or until heated through. Add the peas, bringing the mixture to a simmer.
- Create gaps in the shakshuka to pour the eggs into, using a large spoon. Crack an egg into each depression, then partially cover the shakshuka with a lid. Poach the eggs for 5 mins for soft yolks, or longer for harder eggs done to your preference.
- Remove the green shakshuka from the heat and sprinkle generously with the feta cheese, salt and pepper. Place the pan on a wooden chopping board and serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from Taste