Shakshuka with crumbled feta
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce with crumbled feta and parsley. Ready in 25 minutes — a speedy, satisfying vegetarian supper.
Shakshuka is the dinner equivalent of a cosy hug: eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce that’s wildly forgiving and impossibly quick. It’s perfect for those nights when you want something warm and satisfying without faffing about.
This one-pan version is vegetarian, ready in about 25 minutes and behaves beautifully — serve with crusty bread or flatbreads to mop up the sauce. Slightly smoky spices and a sharp lemon finish lift it out of the ordinary.
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper — seeds removed, diced
- 2 garlic cloves — finely sliced or minced
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 0 ml chilli flakes
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 4 eggs — large
- 50 g crumbled feta — optional
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 1 lemon — zest and wedges to serve
Equipment
- 25–28 cm frying pan with lid
- grater (for lemon zest)
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients: finely chop the brown onion, dice the red pepper, mince the garlic, roughly chop the fresh parsley and zest the lemon. Have the eggs at room temperature if you can.
Heat the olive oil in a 25–28 cm frying pan over medium heat. Add the brown onion and red pepper and sweat gently, stirring occasionally, until very soft and slightly caramelised.
Add the garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin and chilli flakes and fry for 1 minute until fragrant — stir constantly so the spices don’t burn.
Stir in the tinned chopped tomatoes and tomato purée, then add the salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly and the oil separates at the edges.
Using the back of a spoon, make four shallow wells in the sauce. Crack one egg into each well. Cover the pan and cook gently until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 7 minutes. For firmer yolks cook 2–3 minutes longer.
Remove the lid, scatter the crumbled feta and fresh parsley over the eggs, add a little lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon to finish. Serve straight from the pan with crusty bread or flatbreads if you like.
Tips
- Use room-temperature eggs so they set evenly; cold eggs can sink the sauce temperature and take longer to cook.
- If you prefer a smoother sauce, blitz half the tinned tomatoes in a blender before adding, but reserve some chopped for texture.
- To make ahead: cook the sauce, cool and refrigerate up to 48 hours. Reheat gently and add eggs to finish (add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick).
- If you don’t have a lid, lay a baking tray over the pan to trap steam, or finish under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes — watch closely.
- Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water and cook fresh eggs to serve.
Substitutions
tinned chopped tomatoes → passata 400 ml
Stays closecrumbled feta → halloumi, cubed and briefly fried (50 g)
Noticeably differentsmoked paprika → sweet paprika 1 tsp
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 410
- Calories
- 18 g
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 800 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make shakshuka for one?
Yes — halve the recipe ingredients and use a smaller frying pan. Reduce simmering times slightly if the sauce volume is much smaller.
How do I get perfectly runny yolks every time?
Cook over a gentle simmer with the lid on for about 7 minutes for runny yolks. If your hob runs hot, reduce the heat and add a minute or two. Use room-temperature eggs for even cooking.
Can I add meat such as chorizo or sausages?
Yes — slice and fry 150 g chorizo or sausages in the pan first until browned, remove, then follow the recipe and add the meat back in with the tomatoes. The dish will no longer be vegetarian.
Is it freezer-friendly?
Cooked shakshuka sauce freezes well but eggs do not. Freeze only the sauce for up to 3 months and poach fresh eggs when you reheat.
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