Shakshuka is a North African breakfast dish of simmered peppers and tomatoes with lightly poached eggs. This shakshuka with feta and spinach is a delicious twist on the original. It's easy to make and is great for breakfast, brunch or dinner!
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There are many variations of shakshuka, this version includes creamy feta and spinach. I've been making this version for years now and we love it! Its warming spices and tasty tomato and pepper sauce is the perfect vehicle for those lovely gooey eggs.
Now I know Shakshuka is traditionally a breakfast dish but we tend to have it for lunch or for a light dinner served with some good bread, you will definitely need some good crusty style bread for mopping up that sauce and for dipping in those eggs.
👩🍳Why This Recipe Works
- Spinach and feta - perfect in that rich tomato and pepper sauce!
- Light dinner - this works really well as a light dinner, just add crusty bread for dipping.
- One-pot meal - all cooked in one pan, less washing up is always a winner!
📝What You'll Need
- Onions - One large white onion is all you'll need.
- Peppers - Two good-sized bell peppers (capsicum)
- Tomatoes - I use a can of chopped tomatoes, you can use fresh tomatoes if you wish.
- Spices and herbs - For the spices, you will need ground cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper is optional, and I would omit this if serving to young children. For herbs, I use fresh coriander (cilantro), flat-leaf parsley works really well too.
- Spinach - Fresh spinach is best for this recipe. If you prefer your spinach on the milder side, then baby spinach will work too.
- Feta - Look for good quality feta, Greek feta is best.
- Eggs - One large egg per person is enough for a light dinner or breakfast.
🥣How To Make It
This is just a quick visual guide, please find the detailed recipe in the recipe card below.
- Heat oil in a skillet, add the onions and cook them for about 20 minutes until they are soft then add the pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Then add the garlic and spices, cook those for a minute then pour in the tomatoes. I usually add a little water to the tin, give it a swirl around add to the pan. Add a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Now add the spinach, one handful at a time, it will wilt quickly.
- Make 4 wells in the sauce and gently crack in one egg in each well. Crumble in the feta, larger lumps are better for this dish. Cover with a lid and cook for about 7 - 12 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs.
👩🍳Top Tips
- Cook the onions until soft, the longer you can cook the onions the better, they should be soft and golden, not browned. If cooked long enough they will be soft and sweet which really adds to the flavour of this dish.
- Choose the right skillet. You will see in the photos I use a cast iron pan. My skillet is very well seasoned so can hold up to the tomatoes. If your cast iron skillet is not well seasoned then I recommend using another pan as the acid in the tomatoes will damage your cast iron skillet.
- Make sure you use a skillet with a lid. I prefer to cook the eggs in the sauce on the hob, so you will need a cover that will sit snugly on the skillet. This will steam the eggs, and I think they cook better this way. You can cook them in the oven but I find they dry out quite quickly this way.
- Don't add too many eggs to the pan! My skillet measures to 22cm/9inches and can hold a maximum of 4 eggs for this recipe.
🍽How To Serve It
I serve this Shakshuka from hob to table in the pan and serve it straight from the skillet. We love this on its own with some good crispy bread or with some Soda Bread. This recipe is enough for 4 people for brunch or a light dinner.
📖 FAQs
This really is best made fresh but you can make the base or sauce up to two days ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it, reheat it then follow the recipe from step 3.
I don't recommend freezing this dish. It really is best made fresh and eaten straight away.
You May Also Like
If you like this Shakshuka you may also like my Baked Eggs Florentine, this is a rich and creamy egg dish perfect for brunch. If you want something on the healthier side then check out my Sweet Potato Frittata with Broccoli. Or maybe you want something quick and easy, then my Crunchy Granola is just for you!
More Breakfast Recipes
More Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes
Shakshuka with Feta and Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white onion halved and thinly sliced thinly
- 2 large red bell peppers (capsicum) pith and seeds removed then sliced thinly
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 x 14oz can (400g) chopped/diced tomatoes
- 3 ½ cups of 100g spinach
- 75 g feta
- 4 large free-range eggs
- A small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) just the leaves.
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet or large pan and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes over a low to medium until they are soft. They should be golden brown. Stir regularly to avoid burning. Add the sliced peppers and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Now add the garlic and the spices, cook for a minute until they release their aromas. Pour in the tomatoes. I usually add a little water to the tin, give it a swirl around add to the pan. Add a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.The sauce should be thick.
- Now add the spinach, one handful at a time, it will wilt down quickly, stir it through the sauce.
- Make 4 wells in the sauce and gently crack in one egg in each well, cover with a lid and cook for about 5 - 7 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs.Finally, roughly crumble in the feta, larger lumps are better for this dish.
- Top with fresh coriander leaves when the eggs are ready.Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cooking the eggs - If you don't have a lid for your skillet you can use the oven method as per the recipe linked.
- Heat - If you like your shakshuka on the spicier side then add a little more cayenne, or serve with hot sauce or dried red chilli flakes.
- Freezing and storing - This recipe is best made fresh and I do not recommend freezing this dish.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is calculated using an online nutritional tool.
- Recipe Inspiration - This recipe is inspired by and very roughly adapted from this recipe.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published on July 28, 2015. It has now been updated with new photos, a step by step guide and expert tips.
Teresa Demelo
Garden is giving me lots of veggies right now and I was actually looking for a zucchini recipe when I came across your recipe. Modified it to use what I had harvested today - zucchini, onion, oregano, basil, fresh tomatoes and spinach. Was amazing and leftovers will be enjoyed just as much. Thank you.
Michelle Alston
I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Brianna
I fell in love with shakshuka in Marrakech! Your version with feta and spinach looks absolutely scrumptious!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Brianna x
Laura
I fell in love with Shakshuka in Turkey and can't get enough of it. Great recipe!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Laura, it's one of our favourites too x
Dannii
This is my favourite brunch to make. With loads of homemade flatbreads to dip in.
Michelle Alston
Thanks Dannii, yes to lots of flatbreads for dipping!
Angela
Love this recipe! Perfect for breakfast or dinner. The feta adds such a creamy salty bite. YUM!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Angela, I'm glad you like it.
Sue
Love this! Perfect for the weekend, when we like to have brunch-type meals. The spinach and feta really round this out!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Sue, I'm so glad you like it 🙂
Phil
Very nice Shakshuka. Made it bunch of times now, and love how thick with capsicum it is, compared to other versions. On one occasion, I didn't have smoked paprika, so used double the quantity of regular paprika, which was also very tasty.
I like to bulk prepare everything up to the egg stage, then freeze the base in single servings, reheat for a minute or 2 in the microwave, before popping it in the oven with an egg. Makes for a quick, low maintenance, healthy and delicious breakfast before work.
Thank you!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Phil! I'm so glad you like it. I'm loving your idea of freezing the base and making it a quick breakfast! I'll have to try that.
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen
YUM this looks amazing! I have seen so many shakshuka recipes but am yet to get round to making on myself - definitely need to get onto that. I love how you used spinach to make it a little healthier than the traditional recipe, and I can just imagine how good it would be with that crusty bread in the photo.
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Claudia, I'm glad you like it. Yep I think crusty bread is compulsory with this dish 😉