Breakfast Brunch One pot Recipe Vegetarian Yeast Free Shakshuka Michael Catling20 June 2025010 views Ditch your morning scrambled eggs for this spicy one-pot wonder. If you’re cooking on a budget, this is one vegetarian dish you need to have in your repertoire. The eggs are gently poached in a smoky tomato sauce, which is packed full of peppers and store-cupboard spices. In North Africa, the dish is eaten for breakfast but it’s perfect for any meal of the day. Just a grab a hunk of crusty bread and get stuck in. How To Make Shakshuka Chef Catling’s recipe notes Recipe: Shakshuka Frequently asked questions Tips & Notes To Know Use a lidded frying pan or skillet: You’ll need to be able to cover the pan towards the end of this recipe – it’s essential for poaching the eggs.Make egg wells: Use a spoon to create little pockets for the eggs to sit in – this helps them to nestle into the sauce and cook evenly. Set a timer: How long you cook your eggs for comes down to personal preference. I like mine when the egg whites have just set and the yolks are perfectly runny, which takes around 5 minutes. If you like firmer yolks, you can cook them for up to 8 minutes. Keep in mind that they’ll continue to cook in the tomato sauce, even after you take the pan off the heat. Shakshuka Pin Print Ingredients 1 tsp olive oil1 banana shallot, finely diced1/4 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely sliced1/4 green pepper, deseeded and finely sliced2 garlic cloves, crushed1/2 red chilli, finely chopped1/2 tsp cumin seeds1/4 tsp fennel seeds1/2 x 400g can peeled tomatoes1 tsp smoked paprika2 frozen spinach cubes1/2 tsp granulated sugar2 large free-range eggs To serve1 lime wedgeSmall handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped Instructions Step 1Heat the olive oil in the pan and toss in the shallot and peppers. Fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are starting to soften. Step 2Stir in the garlic, red chilli, cumin seeds and fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute more. Step 3Tip in the peeled tomatoes with the smoked paprika, frozen spinach, sugar and 50ml of water and leave to bubble away gently for 8-10 minutes until the spinach is fully defrosted. Step 4Season to taste and make two indentations in the tomato mixture. Carefully crack an egg into each one, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook over a gentle heat for 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Step 5Scatter with fresh coriander before serving and garnish with lime wedges on the side. Tag me on Instagram at @Chef_Catling. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Shakshuka? Shakshuka (or Shakshouka) is a Tunisian breakfast dish in origin, though it is also popular throughout North Africa and in the Middle East. Traditionally, the dish consists of eggs gently poached in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce with plenty of bread on the side to mop up the juices. What’s The Difference Between Plum And Canned Chopped Tomatoes? Canned tomatoes are picked at their ripest and retain more texture than passata because they are less processed. Canned cherry tomatoes are highly prized because of their wonderfully sweet flavour, while whole peeled ‘plum’ tomatoes are generally favoured over chopped tomatoes because they are the most versatile and fuller in flavour. It is true that you get what you pay for, so try and seek out the best quality tomatoes to produce a richer and more flavourful sauce.