Easy and Delicious Shakshuka

This morning we started the week with a healthy and filling breakfast. I made a delicious Shakshuka in my Passionista Kitchen!

This delicious dish comes from North Africa but it is also very popular in Israel and the Middle East. Shakshuka combines a rich tomato and red pepper sauce with poached eggs. When you break the egg yolks into the sauce it makes it even more rich and creamy.

This is definitely a dish that you should include in your recipe arsenal as it is a very versatile dish and one that can be put together quickly with impressive results.

I am a lover of spices and hot peppers so for me this dish has a kick to it but you can tone it down as you prefer. Spicing shakshuka can vary across the board, but most recipes start with paprika and cumin and expand from there to include coriander, caraway, turmeric and even saffron.

Serve it family style with slices of thick crusty bread. This will become a family favorite!

Here is what you need:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion diced

1 red bell pepper diced

5 garlic cloves pressed or finely chopped

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp hot chili powder or chili flakes

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

5-6 large eggs

salt and pepper to taste

1 small bunch fresh cilantro chopped for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until the onions becomes translucent. Add spices and cook for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes for all the flavors to combine.

Reduce the heat to low. Use a large spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cover the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve with warm crusty bread. Enjoy!