Eggplant, Chickpea, and Chard Shakshuka

Quick and easy Shakshuka with eggplant, chickpeas, and chard – a well-balanced breakfast or dinner that requires right around 40 minutes to prepare.

Is there anything a runny yolk can’t solve?

In all seriousness, yolks are best when gooey, and if you feel the same, this easy vegetable-packed Shakshuka recipe is yours for the taking.

This fabulous meal of poached eggs in spiced tomato sauce is warm, rich, and satisfying, while staying nice and healthful.

You don’t need to be an expert at poaching eggs or have any background in African or Middle Eastern cuisine to become a Shakshuka aficionado!

When all is said and done, you’re basically making a one-pot meal in a skillet. It’s very similar to making soup or stew!

Let’s dive in!

What is Shakshuka?:

Shakshuka is a classic North African and Middle Eastern meal of eggs stewed in a generously-spiced sauce made from tomatoes, red peppers, and often harissa paste (which is a combination of roasted red peppers, vinegar, garlic, caraway and coriander seeds, cumin, and herbs).

It is eaten any time of the day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

The sauce is an art in and of itself, as creating that perfect balance of spice, cutting the acidity from the tomatoes and peppers. 

A traditional approach to Shakshuka involves sautéed onion, bell pepper, some warm spices, and either whole peeled or diced tomatoes with spices like cumin, cayenne, and chili powder (and/or harissa paste). Once this mixture becomes nice and flavorful, eggs are cracked into the sauce and cooked just until the whites set up for a nice runny yolk.

I take creative liberties to add more veggies to my Shakshuka – in this case, eggplant, chickpeas, and chard! 

Toasting up bread to serve with the Shakshuka enables everyone to enjoy the meal by dolloping the sauce and eggs on top of the bread for easy transport to your mouth. 🙂

Is Shakshuka Spicy?:

In a word, no. Shaksuka is mild, unless you intentionally raise the heat using spicy harissa paste and/or add more cayenne. While Shakshuka contains plenty of spices, it isn’t hot unless you want it to be.

If you’re very spice averse, skip the cayenne altogether and the meal will be very mild.

Do You Need Harissa Paste For Shakshuka?:

You can make Shakshuka without harissa paste by using ground cumin, cayenne, and a touch of chili powder. Adding bell pepper to shakshuka also helps take the place of harissa paste.

If you have harissa paste on hand and/or enjoy cooking with big bold sauces, you can always add 1/3 cup of it for more flavor. Simply add it when you add the diced tomatoes.

You can also make your own homemade harissa paste if you’re a real go getter!

Recipe Adaptations:

• You can can get as creative as you’d like and toss in virtually any fresh seasonal vegetables. Simply sauté up your fresh vegetables to incorporate them into your Shakshuka!
• Add 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, or regular cane sugar to the sauce to cut some of the acidity.
• Replace the chickpeas with black beans, kidney beans, green peas, and/or omit them altogether.
• Use baby spinach or kale instead of chard.
• Omit the eggplant.

How to Make Eggplant, Chickpea, and Chard Shakshuka:

Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet (10-inch or 12-inch recommended) over medium-high. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the eggplant and sauté until golden-brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, cumin, cayenne, chili powder and sea salt and bring to a full boil.

Add the chopped chard leaves and chickpeas. Cover, and cook until chard has wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Dig 4 to 6 wells into the Shakshuka mixture and crack eggs into the wells. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the egg whites have set up, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with feta cheese and fresh parsley. 

For serving, I toasted up some gluten-free bread. Simply spoon the eggs and sauce onto the bread and enjoy like an open-faced sandwich!

More Incredible Egg Recipes:

• Easy Spanish Omelette
• Spaghetti Squash Egg Nests
• Ground Turkey Egg Roll Bowls
• Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Avocado and Jammy Egg
• Tomato, Kale and Parmesan Baked Eggs

Team runny yolk, and away we go!

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