A luscious, harissa-packed tomato sauce, perfectly cooked eggs and delicious garnishes? This shakshuka recipe will be your go-to for those days you can’t be bothered cooking. It’s easy, quick and seriously tasty.
There’s a reason my boyfriend literally wants this for breakfast every day! It’s delicious, filling, EASY and quick to pull together. He doesn’t cook much but when he does, this guy is always at the top of his list.
You can scale this recipe really easily and it’s a brilliant one for brunch with friends and family. I love serving it up straight from the pan so everyone can dive in and help themselves.
What is shakshuka?
Essentially, shakshuka is gently poached eggs nestled in a punchy tomato-based sauce. Traditionally, it’s made with tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, onion and spices like coriander and cumin. My version uses harissa as a little shortcut to maximum flavour, and I keep it simple by just using tinned tomatoes.
Ingredients
The reason this shakshuka recipe is on constant rotation in my house is because the ingredients are all kitchen staples.
- Tinned tomatoes. I like using whole, peeled plum tomatoes but anything will do. The peeled ones are good because it just means you’ll get a smoother sauce without those pesky skins. Mutti is my go-to.
- Harissa paste. This is my secret ingredient to supercharge your tomato sauce. It’s got heat, sweetness, and warming spice and will take your shakshuka to another level. I like using the Belazu rose harissa, which isn’t too spicy and has that lovely hint of rose. A little warning though – different harissa brands all have different levels of heat so make sure you taste it before using it!
- Eggs. Always free range. Any will do, but I LOVE the colour you get from the yolks of Clarence Court Burford Browns. So beautiful.
- Tahini. You don’t NEED the tahini, but I love it as a welcome creamy contrast against the deep, savoury tomato sauce. So delicious. Similarly to harissa, tahini vastly differs based on brand. Try and find one made in Palestine, Lebanon or Israel. It can be very bitter if it’s not a good quality tahini.
How to make shakshuka
Start by getting a little olive oil into a small pan, along with your harissa paste and spices. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add your tinned tomatoes. My favourite hack for getting the residual tomato juice out of the can is to fill it ¼ with water, give the can a little swirl so the water captures the tomatoes and then pour that in the pan too.
Cook, stirring for five minutes as the tomatoes start to break down and the sauce starts to thicken. Once the sauce is lovely and thick, make two little holes in the sauce using the back of your spoon. Crack your eggs into the holes, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
Cook the eggs for 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Once the eggs are cooked (the whites will now be white), remove the pan from the heat, drizzle with that tahini and garnish with fresh mint, a little dukkah and marinated feta if you like!
Got a question about shakshuka?
You can make the sauce in advance (and I do this quite often), then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to add your eggs. You can make this up to five days in advance and it’ll be fine. Just keep it in the fridge in a covered container.
Honestly, shakshuka is really a full meal in itself! I love serving it with some lovely fresh bread for dipping. Try soft, garlic flatbreads or no-knead chilli cheese focaccia, they’re both lovely.
The harissa does add a kick of spice for sure – you could reduce the quantity if you’re worried. Use 1/2 a tablespoon instead.
Watch how to make it
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EASY Shakshuka (Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A luscious, harissa-packed tomato sauce, perfectly cooked eggs and delicious garnishes? This shakshuka recipe will be your go-to for those days you really can’t be bothered cooking. I promise it’s easy, quick and seriously tasty.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 x 400g/14oz tin of peeled plum tomatoes (you can also use crushed or chopped)
- 2 free-range eggs
To garnish –
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 handful of torn mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon dukkah
- 1 tablespoon marinated feta (or regular feta, crumbled)
Instructions
- Cook the spices. Start by adding 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a small pan over a medium heat. Add the 1 tablespoon of harissa, along with 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring for a minute until fragrant.
- Make the sauce. Add the tin of tomatoes, then refill the tin quarter of the way up with water, give it a little swirl then pour that into the pan too. Stir, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until thick and glossy (about 5 minutes).
- Add the eggs. Make two little holes in the pan with your spoon, then crack one egg into each hole. Pop the lid on (use a plate if you don’t have a lid) and let the eggs poach in the pan for 4 minutes, until the whites have changed colour (they’ll go white from being clear) but the yolks are still runny.
- Garnish and serve. When the eggs are ready, remove the pan from the heat. I like serving this shakshuka straight from the pan to reduce dishes and it’s also just way easier – no risk of breaking the eggs by transferring them to another plate! Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of tahini, followed by 1 tablespoon of dukkah, the mint and the marinated feta. Eat straight away, ideally with a good chunk of your favourite bread to mop up all the sauce.
Notes
SCALE IT UP: You can easily scale up this shakshuka recipe – it’s a great one to make for a crowd. Everyone can help themselves from the pan, saving on dishes!
PREP AHEAD: Make the tomato sauce in advance if you like. It will keep for five days in the fridge, so you can just reheat it in a pan with a little water (start with 1 tablespoon) before you add the eggs.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with no-knead focaccia, rosemary parmesan bread, Vogel’s style seed bread, soft garlic flatbreads or two-ingredient dough garlic naan.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: vegetarian
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: shakshuka, baked eggs, brunch
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