Shakshuka: Healthy Recipe for Brunch or Dinner

Shakshuka recipeI first ate shakshuka many years ago in Israel when my children were quite young. I had never even heard of the poached egg and tomato dish before. I remember that l liked it very much, and I remember that is was part of a very special evening. My family was in Israel because my husband was taking a summer sabbatical at the Weizmann Institute. We took weekend excursions around the entire small country and were visiting Eilat on this particular weekend. It was super hot, and we ate dinner directly on the beach, just feet away from the Red Sea. Between courses, I cooled off in the water and swam with a dolphin. The entire experience was quite memorable.

Jerusalem

Erin and Emily, Israel 1999

But I never ate Shakshuka again until a few months ago. It was my younger daughter Emily who reintroduced me to it. She’s in graduate school now, and my older daughter and I visited Emily for a girls weekend. We made shakshuka for dinner. (We got pedicures, went to a honey festival and visited a speakeasy too.) The shakshuka was so delicious, and it brought back such good memories and gave us wonderful new memories. At home, I played around with the ingredients a few times before I came up with this healthy version. It’s so simple to make and so tasty. It makes a perfect entrée for dinner or brunch, especially Mother’s Day brunch.

Shakshuka egg recipe

Shakshuka: the healthful poached egg and tomato dish that's perfect for any meal.Click To Tweet

And if you’re looking for a collection of brunch recipes or healthy comfort foods, try Smoked Salmon Frittata, healthy hashbrown casserole, Greek-Inspired Macaroni and Cheese or my Trimmed-Down Sweet Noodle Kugel, a favorite healthy Jewish comfort food. Finally, if Mother’s Day brunch isn’t your thing, but you’d like to gift Mom a healthy living book (or put one on your wish list), check out Healthy Living Books for Mother’s Day.

Shakshuka: Healthy Recipe for Brunch or Dinner

If you like your eggs runny, use pasteurized eggs to reduce your risk of salmonella or other food borne illness. Otherwise, simmer your eggs a little longer until they are cooked through.
5 from 8 votes
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Course: Brunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 1
Calories: 340kcal
Author: Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 large bell peppers, sliced (any color, I prefer red and orange)
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 11/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, no salt added, undrained
  • 12 fluid ounces vegetable juice (like V8) or tomato juice
  • 6 ounces baby spinach
  • 4 ounces feta cheese (about 1 cup)
  • 8 large eggs

Instructions

  • Using a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers until soft, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir. Add the tomatoes and vegetable juice. Bring the contents to a boil. Decrease the heat, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes until thick. Stir occasionally.
  • Add the spinach. Mix and allow the spinach to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add the feta cheese and stir.
  • Using a spoon, make a well in the vegetables and sauce. Add a cracked egg into the well. Do the same with each egg.
  • Cover and simmer until the eggs are cooked to your preference, about 4 minutes for runny eggs and 10 minutes for eggs cooked through.

Nutrition

Serving: 2eggs, 11/3 cups veg | Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 445mg | Sodium: 720mg | Fiber: 7g

 

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Jill Weisenberger

I'm Jill, and I believe simple changes in your mindset and health habits can bring life-changing rewards. And I don't believe in willpower. It's waaaay overrated. As a food-loving registered dietitian nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist and certified health and wellness coach, I've helped thousands of people solve their food and nutrition problems. If you're looking for a better way to master this whole healthy eating/healthy living thing or if you're trying to prevent or manage diabetes or heart problems, you'll find plenty of resources right here.

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9 Comments

  1. Leonard G. on September 20, 2017 at 8:35 am

    Awesome post, thanks for sharing. I also get brunch recipes at chefclub

  2. Rebecca on September 20, 2017 at 1:32 pm

    I had never tried shakshuka before. My family was a little skeptical, but I’m happy to report that everyone loved it. I’ll definitely be making this again.

    • Jill Weisenberger on September 20, 2017 at 1:33 pm

      Thanks for sharing your experience Rebecca. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it. It’s great to have another healthful, quick-to-prepare recipe on file.

  3. Marie on November 5, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    I really like your way with this recipe. Others don’t have the same amount of vegetables or the feta cheese. I really enjoyed this and so did my guests.

  4. Anna on March 16, 2019 at 11:54 am

    What do you have with it?

    • Jill Weisenberger on March 17, 2019 at 10:47 am

      My family loves to dip bread into it. We might also have it with fresh fruit. If we’re having it for dinner, I might make a salad too – usually one with arugula. Hope you like it!

  5. Melanie on January 26, 2020 at 1:19 pm

    I made this for our family this past weekend and they loved it. I am making it to bring to a friends family tomorrow but my question is; can I make it today, refrigerate without the 30 minute oven step and then have them cook it tomorrow evening for their dinner? If so, how long would I tell them to cook it taken out of the refrigerator?

    • Jill Weisenberger on January 26, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      I’m so glad you like it. I’ve never tried to make it in advance like that. My guess, is yes, it can probably be done that way. But this is only a guess. I don’t use a 30-minute baking step. Instead I cover the skillet and finish it on the stove. If you were to try it in advance, I think that I’d add the eggs and feta cheese just prior to baking. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. Keep food safety in mind. Keep everything cold between cooking sessions.

  6. Supriya Kutty on May 16, 2020 at 8:05 am

    Shakshuka the name is really interesting and the dish seems even more interesting. I will definitely try it, as it seems healthy and I was looking to make something different. I find this the perfect thing. I really liked it, thank you for making it.

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Jill Weisenberger

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