Last updated on May 12th, 2023

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Easy Shakshuka and Poached Eggs

Making Shakshuka is a fun way to poach eggs!

To emphasize, this recipe marries a medley of red peppers, onions, zucchini and spinach with a spicy tomato sauce creating a delicious layer to poach eggs. Furthermore, it’s topped with slices of ripe avocado and melted mozzarella cheese. 

Fun right? It beats the typical method of poaching eggs, i.e. simmering them in hot water. Boring!

…another way to poach eggs

I found many Shakshuka recipes while looking for another way to poach eggs, and when I get hooked on a recipe idea I’ve never heard of, I like to know exactly where it comes from and try it out to add variety to my low-carb diet.

Shakshuka is undoubtedly an easy, quick breakfast idea when stuck in a rut (no more boring poached eggs, please!).

Overall, you can easily use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Shakshuka does mean “shaken up” after all. Moreover, there are no extra pots to clean, and it’s an absolute timesaver.

Why you will love Shakshuka and Poached Eggs 

Kudos to the people of North Africa for bringing this fantastic nourishing dish to the world’s attention, besides influencing many food enthusiasts (me included) who put their spin on the traditional recipe.

In brief, this recipe begins with a thick tomato-based sauce cooked with fragrant spices and nutritious vegetables that turns into a bed for yellowy runny egg yolks. All while mozzarella cheese melts in the sauce surrounded by layers of ripe avocadoes slices.

• Shakshuka is a nutritious, healthy, protein-rich meal that is great for the day’s first meal.
• This flavourful dish adds variety to your morning breakfast recipes, particularly egg-based ones.
• You can make it your own in many ways for a quick brunch, lunch or dinner.
• Shakshuka is similarly cooked in a single pan like Smoky Eggplant Curry Salsa, and cleaning extra pots is unnecessary.
• Sunday mornings can’t get any better with a hearty serving of this Shakshuka recipe, which the entire family will love.

Egg-based meals that are Similar to Shakshuka

Besides the usual poached eggs for breakfast, you may like similar Shakshuka dishes from around the world, such as:

Eggs in Purgatory

Sometimes referred to as Italian Shakshuka, similarly served from the skillet, except it originates from Italy. Generally, the tomato base is cooked Italian style with basil and oregano.

Huevos Rancheros

A popular Mexican dish with fried egg served on a warm corn tortilla, accompanied by a tomato salsa instead of a tomato sauce. Huevos Rancheros means ‘ranchers eggs’ served sunny side up. 

Menemen

Scrambled eggs mixed into tomato sauce is the standard way to make Menemen, and it is spicier than shakshuka. This Turkish dish is named primarily after Menemen, a place in the Turkish city of Izmir where tomatoes are abundant in that particular region during the summer.

Carbs and Servings in Shakshuka and Poached Eggs

7.3g net carbs (10.5g Carbs, 3.2g Fibre) / one serving

While this recipe is a little carb-heavy due to the onions, it remains under 10g net carbs per serving.

The net carbs and calories are based on a serving that contains one egg and a quarter of tomato sauce. The photos show 2 eggs, but you could add 2 more eggs to the recipe since the recipe makes sufficient tomato sauce.

By all means, add fewer vegetables, switch the onions out with green onions and onion powder or add more fibre to reduce the net carbs further.

Ingredients to make Shakshuka and Poached Eggs

Olive Oil – to sautee the vegetables.

Vegetables – Onions and colourful veggies like bell pepper and zucchini.

Garlic Cloves – make this recipe garlicky and flavourful. Add less or more.

Crushed Tomatoes – create the tomatoey base to poach the eggs in.

Water – adds a little volume.

Seasonings – oregano, paprika, cumin, chilli flakes, salt, and black pepper gives the recipe flavour. I also like to mix extra in a bowl and sprinkle it over the eggs at the end.

Eggs – crack them right into the sauce to poach.

Avocadoes – slices on top of the Shakshuka add a little creamy texture and tastes good with the tomato sauce.

Mozzarella cheese – Thin slices or grated mozzarella cheese to melt over the sauce.

Let’s make Shakshuka and Poached Eggs

Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat, then add the garlic, onions, peppers and zucchini.

Cook the vegetables for about 2 minutes until they turn slightly soft and fork-tender.

Turn the heat down to low, stir in the crushed tomatoes, and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the seasonings to the vegetable and tomato mixture, stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour in the water, add the spinach and let it all cook to thicken for another 2-3 minutes.

Turn down the heat, make openings in the sauce with a wooden spoon and gently crack an egg into each opening.

Add cheese slices in the spaces between the eggs. You may need to cut them in half to make them fit.

Cover the pan and gently allow the eggs to poach for about 5 minutes until the whites are opaque, firmly set, and the yolks slightly jiggly.

Lift the lid, add the avocado slices over the melted cheese and sprinkle some of the seasonings (paprika, oregano etc.) over the eggs.

Switch off the heat and serve immediately. Spoon a poached egg with the sauce onto a plate and serve with low-carb bread or a side salad.

Tips and Recommendations for making Shakshuka and Poached Eggs

• Adjust the cooking time according to how you like your eggs. For firmer eggs, cook for about 7-8 minutes longer.
• I use a good quality pan with a lid like this Lagostina skillet to make Shakshuka, which is easy to clean. If you don’t have a lid, a pre-seasoned Cast-Iron skillet is also a good choice; place it under a broiler to help the eggs cook evenly.
• Sometimes I add some sweetener to the sauce while simmering because the crushed tomatoes can make the Shakshuka a little tangy, depending on the brand used.
• Add less water for a thicker sauce; for a thinner sauce, add more water.
• Add the avocado slices at the end to prevent them from overcooking, as they taste different when heated (to me, anyway).
• This recipe makes 2 servings (one egg per person), with extra sauce remaining in the pan, but you can add 2 extra eggs to make this recipe for 4 servings.

Variations and Substitutions

• Switch the vegetables with other low-carb veggies like rutabaga, broccoli, or kale.
• Replace the protein with tofu, ground or shredded cooked meat for a no-egg Shakshuka.
• Use any melting cheese like Cheddar Emmenthal or Gruyere cheese which tastes creamy and buttery, as it does in my recipe for Buttery Gruyere Spaghetti Squash.

Storage, Reheating and Meal Prep

Shakshuka is best eaten immediately, although some delicious sauce remains leftover once the eggs are eaten. I like to store that leftover sauce in an air-tight container and keep it in the fridge. I reheat it in the microwave the next day, top it with a fried egg, or enjoy it without anything else (maybe a small green salad).

One good thing about this recipe is that you can make the sauce ahead and refrigerate it for several days. Here’s how to prepare it for meal prep:

Make the tomato sauce ahead and store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5-7 days, then reheat it in the skillet and crack your eggs into the sauce to poach.

Did you make this recipe?

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