Weekend Brunch is an important thing in my house
Not only because I have a tendency to get hangry when not fed, but because I think it’s important to mark the weekend with something intentional and positive to disengage from the stresses of the week. In my opinion, brunch is best when enjoyed around the people you love while doing something you love. For me, that usually means staying at home curled up with my honey and some Netflix or puttering around the farmers’ market. Essentially, brunch should not be unwrapping an energy bar while driving to your first errand of the day – unless you’re heading directly to a late brunch after running those errands, of course.
One of my favorite ways to mark the weekend is by making Shakshuka, a savory stew that pairs best with a chilly fall or winter morning and an inclination to not rush to the next activity.
What is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka is a savory stew often found in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines whose essential components include eggs poached in a rich tomato sauce with peppers, onions, and various spices. Some variations of Shakshuka also include meat, yogurt or cheese, and additional vegetables or greens.
In my version, I love to add sausage, lamb, or chorizo, both poblano and bell peppers, and swap in green onions in place of the traditional white or yellow as a dietary preference. I also love to top my Shakshuka with a salty feta cheese or creamy goat cheese because I think it pairs well with the rich umami of the tomatoes and heat from the peppers and spices. If you prefer to make it without meat, it makes a hearty option on top of cauliflower rice, potatoes, or sautéed greens. We generally eat this dish for breakfast or brunch, but it also makes an amazing comfort food option for dinner.
A note for special diets
This Shakshuka recipe is grain-free and gluten-free. If you choose to use a lactose-free sour cream or a sharp white cheddar in place of the feta cheese, it is also friendly for SIBO diets.
Shakshuka
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 6 portions
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sausage, lamb, or chorizo
- 1 bell pepper (I prefer yellow), diced
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup of cilantro (plus more to top, if desired)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes - AND -
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (for a total of 42.5 oz)
- 2 tbsp garlic oil (you may sub 4 minced garlic cloves)
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 6 large eggs
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- In a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat, brown sausage until cooked through.
- Add bell pepper, poblano pepper, and green onions, and cilantro, sauteeing for about 2 minutes to allow the peppers to get some direct heat.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine.
- Season the mixture with the garlic oil, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer.
- Once the tomato sauce is nice and bubbly, make a well in each section that you would like to add an egg. Gently crack an egg into each well.
- Top the dish with feta cheese and place in the oven to continue cooking. I prefer my egg whites to be cooked through for safety reasons, but like my yolks to be slightly runny still. If your tomato sauce was sufficiently hot when you add the eggs this should only take an additional 7-10 minutes in the oven to complete cooking. Alternatively, if you would prefer to continue poaching the eggs on top of the stove instead of the oven, you may do so.
- Serve warm with additional cilantro on top.
Courses Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/6th of the recipe
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 410 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 24 g | 37% | |
Saturated Fat 9 g | 45% | |
Cholesterol 248 mg | 83% | |
Sodium 1518 mg | 63% | |
Total Carbohydrates 21 g | 7% | |
Dietary Fiber 4 g | 16% | |
Sugars 12 g | ||
Protein 26 g | 52% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
mmm what interesting recipe. I like the fact that the recipe includes feta. I love it. Love the unique flavors in this recipe! I want to try it for lunch.
This reminds me of our eggs in purgatory . I love sauce and eggs the addition of feta is wonderful and the meat with peppers makes it much heartier!
This tasty, easy and colorful Shakshuka is calling my name! I was always a fan of gluten-free recipes and I am pinning this recipe for later!
This looks so wonderful! This is my kind of breakfast…definitely one I need to make one of these weekends. My family would love this!
This is just like my eggs in purgatory. It’s one of our favorite brunches! Savory breakfasts are always popular at our house. I like your sprinkling of Feta on top. Yummy breakfast anytime!!
My dream recipe any time in the day – could have this as a breakfast, lunch or dinner – superb – I love, love shakshoukas and your recipe is just gorgeous!
I love shakshuka and this is taking it to the next level with my favorite feta on top. Never thought of adding meat to my shakshuka before but why not? Sounds yum.
oooh! I’ve never had Shakshuka, and I think that has to change. What a great combination of flavors and color. Yum!
Yummm I’m all about this recipe. Looks wonderful!
Yum! This looks so delicious! I have always wanted to make this, but never did! It is such a beautiful dish! I love the feta on top! So gorgeous! I want some right now! I’ll be honest!
This looks hearty and delicious! My boys would love this dish, its full of their favorite foods.
I’ve always wanted to try shukshuka! Looks delicious!
What a delish recipe! I love the use of veggies, eggs and feta in it. I bet this would be perfect for a weekend brunch. Adding to my list!
We love shakshuka and this with cheese is my favorite. I usually play around with types of cheeses and Feta is my favorite. Saving this for later.
I have a whole family that loves eggs in sauce. They eat them in just about everything mom would make including pasta. She would make this dish when we were kids without tthe feta I like that addition
What a beautiful way to start the day! This dish would be perfect for our Sunday family brunches! I love how rich this is!
Mmm shakshukas are so darn delicious! I love all the feta in this recipe – perfect for breakfast or dinner around here!
I just finished eating a similar breakfast. So delicious and easy to prepare. It is the perfect recipe for entertaining too…just make 2 pans!!
I’ve never had eggs like this but I’ve been wanting to try this for some time. It looks so good and hearty! I love all the ingredients in this dish and it’s just bursting with vibrant colors too!
We make Eggs in Purgatory quite a bit. We’ve even had them as a light lunch. They are easy to make and look on the fancy side. I’m planning on something similar when our kids come over for brunch. We love homemade crusty bread with this so none of the delicious sauce goes to waste.
This is such a hearty and filling brunch idea. Looks so colorful and delicious. My family will go gaga for this.
I’ve seen Shakshuka on restaurant menus and on Pinterest, but I’ve always been kind of afraid of it! I need to get over that, because it looks easy to make, and I love all the ingredients in it. I’m saving this to try one weekend soon
We love brunch too! On the weekends’ breakfast seems sneaks up on us. We leap out of bed to our favorite weekend activities. Then we realize we are hungry and we make brunch together. Best memories!
Brunch is super important in our house too! This shakshuka looks excellent! Seriously, this has to be the best I’ve seen! It looks incredibly flavorful and delicious!