Shakshuka with Fresh Herbs

Eggs poached in a tomato based sauce with fresh rosemary and basil. This shakshuka with fresh herbs is delicious when served with warm toasted bread.

Have you ever had shakshuka before? Or have you heard of it?

No? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. I didn’t know what it was until a few weeks ago when I randomly came across a picture of it, and I knew I had to try it. Shakshuka is an Israeli-Tunisian dish where eggs are poached in a tomato based sauce. Oftentimes they’re cooked with red bell peppers, garlic, and onions and seasoned with cumin and paprika. Once they come out of the oven, nice and hot, dip bread into the sauce.

There are so many variations out there. You might know a variation of this dish called Eggs in Hell, which doesn’t have as pretty of a name, right?

This dish is super easy to make. I loved the tomato based sauce with runny eggs. Dip your slice of toasted bread into the sauce, and you’ll have a delicious combination of herb filled tomato sauce with the richness of the poached eggs. It’s soo tasty and addictive. My sisters and I ended up eating this by the spoonful once we ran out of bread.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

While the oven is heating, add a little vegetable oil to a small skillet. Allow the vegetable oil to warm up for about a minute over medium heat. Once the vegetable oil has heated, add minced garlic. Cook them until they become golden brown and aromatic. Next, add the sliced onions and red bell peppers. Cook these until they have softened. Season with cumin and paprika.

To be honest, before this dish, I have never used cumin. I had it in my pantry because I’ve always planned on making my own taco seasoning, but I never used it. I think it might be the strong smell that turns me away from it. Yes, I sniff my spices. I want to know what I’m in for. While cumin smells super strong and overwhelming, this spice works very well in this dish. Don’t be afraid to use it.

Next, pour in your favorite tomato sauce. I used Ragu since it’s one of my favorites. Add diced tomatoes and half a sprig of rosemary to the sauce, and stir it to evenly incorporate the ingredients. Once the sauce starts to simmer, pour it into the baking dish. I used a 9 inch baking dish.

Crack eggs over the tomato sauce. I used only four but you can definitely add more if you like. The shakshuka should serve about 4-5 people. So you may want to have as many eggs as this dish will serve. Garnish the top with the other half sprig of rosemary. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.

Bake the shakshuka in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until the egg whites turn solid. Ovens all work differently and you know yours best. The time it takes for the shakshuka may vary depending on your oven.

Sprinkle extra cheese on top if you like while the dish is still hot. Garnish with shredded basil.

Serve the shakshuka warm with toasted bread.

Enjoy!

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Shakshuka with Fresh Herbs

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Eggs poached in a tomato based sauce with fresh rosemary and basil. This shakshuka with fresh herbs is delicious when served with warm toasted bread.

Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Appetizer/Entree

Serves: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 6-7 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium sized red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 24 oz jar of tomato sauce
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 large sprig of rosemary, torn
• 4-5 cracked eggs
• ⅛ cup mozzarella cheese, more if desired
• 1 sprig of basil, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a large sized skillet, add vegetable oil over medium heat. Allow the vegetable oil to heat for about a minute before adding the minced garlic. Cook the garlic until they turn golden brown and aromatic.
3. Add the red bell pepper and onions. Cook them until they have softened. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and add the diced tomatoes, cumin, paprika, and half a sprig of rosemary. Cook the sauce until it comes to a simmer.
4. Pour the sauce into a 9inch baking dish.
5. Crack the eggs over the sauce.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and the rest of the rosemary between the eggs.
7. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the egg whites have solidified.
8. Top the shakshuka with shredded basil and extra mozzarella cheese if needed.
9. Serve the shakshuka warm with bread.

Notes

For a gluten free version, use gluten free bread.

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