Make a fast, flavorful, garden-fresh, garlicky tomato sauce, then poach eggs directly in it for a classic Shakshuka. Traditionally served with crusty bread for sopping up the sauce, this dish is equally delicious over rice, noodles, or quinoa. The sauce freezes well in individual portions, so you can enjoy a taste of summer any time of year.
You can make excellent Shakshuka from either fresh garden tomatoes or good-quality canned or jarred tomatoes.
I recently had the pleasure of demonstrating this recipe at the Alfred Farmer’s Market. August in New York brings peak tomato season, so the market provided everything I needed to make one of my favorite quick, fresh meals: Shakshuka.
Shakshuka — a one-pan sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and spices with eggs poached on top — is a farmer’s market dream. The day was bright, the crowd friendly, and the hands-on demo was a blast.
One fun topic we discussed was how a little alcohol can accentuate tomato flavors. Certain flavor compounds in tomatoes are more readily released when cooked with a splash of wine or vodka. If you prefer not to use alcohol, the dish will still be excellent — the alcohol mostly cooks away — so feel free to omit it.
Shakshuka (pronounced “shack-SHOO-kah”) is beautiful, fast, nutritious, and versatile. The sauce freezes well in single-serving portions, making it easy to enjoy later when fresh tomatoes aren’t available.
Its flexibility is one of the dish’s strengths. Here are some variations and serving ideas:
- Use fresh garden tomatoes or a 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand.
- Make the sauce fresh, or freeze portions for later use.
- Add extra vegetables like grated carrot, cubed eggplant, or grated zucchini along with the peppers.
- For a heartier meal, stir in cooked crumbled sausage while the sauce simmers.
- Serve with crusty bread, rice, noodles, quinoa, or other grains.
- Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Finish with crumbled feta or farmer’s cheese, or leave it out for a dairy-free option.
Smoked paprika and cumin bring depth and warmth to the sauce. If you can’t find smoked paprika, regular paprika will work but with a different flavor profile. I prefer sweet smoked paprika, but use hot smoked paprika if you like more heat.
If you skip the sausage, this dish is a satisfying option for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Will you shake your shakshuka?
Farmers’ Market Tomato Sauce and Poached Eggs (Shakshuka) | Make Ahead Mondays
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the Shakshuka Sauce:
- *See Notes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion trimmed of root and blossom ends, peeled and diced
- 1 large bell pepper stemmed, seeded and diced
- 1 large jalapeno pepper or other hot pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes adjust according to heat preference
- 4 to 8 plum tomatoes depending on size, cored and coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine or dry red wine, or vodka
To Serve Shakshuka:
- One batch Shakshuka sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
- a handful of fresh parsley and chives or other green herbs chopped
- Optional: crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
To Make the Shakshuka Sauce:
-
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño with a pinch of salt and lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, ground cumin, and crushed red pepper and cook until the spices are aromatic, about 1 minute.
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Add the chopped tomatoes, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Stir in the wine or vodka and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens slightly. At this point you can portion and freeze the sauce or proceed to finish and serve.
To Serve from Fresh:
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Make small wells in the simmering sauce with the back of a spoon. Crack an egg into each well, lower the heat to low, and cook until the whites are set and the yolks reach your preferred doneness. For firmer eggs, cover the pan briefly. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and, if desired, crumbled feta. Serve with crusty bread, rice, noodles, or quinoa.
To Serve from Frozen:
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Place frozen sauce in a covered heavy-bottomed pan with 1/2 cup water over medium-low heat. Cook until thawed and bubbling. Make wells, crack in eggs, lower heat to low and cook until eggs are done to your liking. Garnish with fresh herbs and optional feta, and serve.
Notes
If the sauce starts to stick while cooking, add a splash of water and stir to loosen it.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use with your preferred calculator.
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