On a recent pilgrimage to Israel, I encountered the cultural phenomenon that is the traditional Israeli breakfast: Fresh vegetable salads, an abundance of fruit, creamy bowls of hummus, smoky eggplant baba ghanouj, borekas, and pastries of every description. The pièce de résistance, however, was the warm and savory shakshouka. Featuring delicately poached eggs, spices and vibrant herbs, I knew I needed to make this when I returned home.
Fun to say (shak-SHOO-kah) and even more fun to prepare, this delicious souvenir from the Holy Land warms me from the inside out!
SERVINGS6CHANGE SERVING SIZE |
COOK TIME20minutes |
PREP TIME15minutes |
READY IN35minutes |
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1 can (28 oz) tomato(es) crushed
- 2 tbsp cilantro or parsley chopped, plus extra for garnish
- black pepper to taste
- 5-6 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Warm the oil in an oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Once oil shimmers, add onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook until the onions are translucent.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and paprika. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes with their juices and cilantro. Stir, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Off the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make a well near the edge of the pan with the back of a spoon and crack the egg into it. Spoon a bit of the tomato mixture over the whites to contain the egg. Repeat with remaining eggs, and season with salt and pepper.
- Put the skillet to the oven and bake for 8–12 minutes, checking often after 8 minutes. Cook until the egg whites are an opaque white and the yolks have risen a little but are still soft.
- Take the hot skillet out and place on a heat-safe surface. Garnish with fresh cilantro or a crumble of feta and enjoy!