Description
This easy Shakshuka with Fresh Tomatoes brings tender eggs and a rich tomato pepper sauce together in one pan. It is a quick and simple choice for healthy breakfast ideas or the best relaxed brunch. Serve it for a weeknight dinner or meal prep and set it out for a holiday morning or potluck or casual party. Fresh herbs and warm spices give every spoonful bold flavor while crusty bread makes the saucy skillet satisfying and comforting for family meals.
Ingredients
- 6 medium Fresh ripe tomatoes
- 4 Large eggs
- 1 medium Red bell pepper
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon Fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/3 cup Crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped Fresh parsley
- 4 slices Crusty bread
Instructions
- Cut the six tomatoes into irregular chunks and dice the red bell pepper and yellow onion into uneven pieces. Finely chop the three garlic cloves so they can spread through the sauce. Keep the tomato pieces larger than the pepper and onion pieces because they will soften and release their juices during cooking. The prepared vegetables should look naturally varied rather than perfectly uniform.
- Cook the chopped onion and red bell pepper with the olive oil until the pieces soften and become glossy. Their colors should deepen while a few edges begin to turn lightly golden. Stir in the chopped garlic near the end so it becomes fragrant and lightly softened without turning dark. The vegetables should shift into a loose uneven layer with some pieces gathered near the center.
- Add the six chopped tomatoes to the softened vegetables and partially mix them with the cumin and smoked paprika and coriander and salt and black pepper. The tomatoes will begin releasing juice as they soften. Continue cooking until the mixture changes from separate pieces into a thick bubbling sauce. Leave some irregular tomato chunks visible while darker red sauce gathers between the softened peppers and onions.
- Create four uneven wells in the thick tomato sauce and place one egg into each opening. The whites should spread slightly into the surrounding sauce while the yolks remain visible. Shift a little sauce around the edges of the whites without covering the yolks. The eggs should sit at natural distances with imperfect shapes rather than forming a symmetrical pattern.
- Cook the four eggs until the whites turn opaque and set around the edges. The yolks should remain glossy and soft while a few areas of white develop faint golden edges where they meet the sauce. Scatter the crumbled feta unevenly across the hot surface so some pieces soften and others keep their shape. The finished skillet should show thick sauce and irregular egg edges and natural variations in color.
- Scoop one softly cooked egg with one fourth of the thick tomato sauce onto a white plate. Keep the yolk intact while allowing the rustic sauce to spread naturally around the egg. Finish the portion with one fourth of the chopped parsley and a little of the softened feta. Add one slice of crusty bread at the edge so the plated serving looks casual and ready for dipping.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Choose ripe tomatoes that feel heavy for their size because they release enough juice and create a naturally rich sauce.
- Simmer the tomato mixture uncovered until visibly thick because a watery sauce can make the eggs spread too far.
- Use medium low heat after adding the eggs so the whites set gently while the yolks stay soft and glossy.
- Prepare the tomato sauce ahead and reheat it before adding fresh eggs for a faster breakfast or weeknight dinner.
Storage: Allow leftover Shakshuka with Fresh Tomatoes to cool until it is no longer steaming. Transfer the sauce and cooked eggs into a shallow airtight container and refrigerate promptly. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. The yolks will continue to firm during storage so the reheated eggs will not remain as soft as they were when freshly cooked. Reheat one portion gently until the tomato sauce is hot and the egg is warmed through. Slow reheating helps prevent the sauce from scorching and keeps the egg white from becoming rubbery. For the best meal prep result store the cooked tomato sauce without eggs for up to three days. Reheat the sauce until bubbling and then add fresh eggs and cook them just before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: North African and Middle Eastern inspired