Shakshuka with Feta and Fresh Parsley
Easy, one-pan eggs poached in a spiced tinned tomato sauce, finished with crumbled feta and parsley — brilliant for breakfast or a relaxed supper.
Shakshuka is a brilliant, low-faff dish — eggs gently poached in a spiced tinned tomato sauce. It’s unfussy, packed with flavour and comes together in one pan.
Use this for a weekend breakfast, a fuss-free supper or a sociable midweek meal. Pair with crusty bread or warm flatbreads to mop up every last drop of sauce.
Ingredients
- 800 g tinned plum tomatoes — two 400 g tins, break up by hand or with a spoon when added
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — finely sliced
- 1 red pepper — seeds removed, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml dried chilli flakes — reduce to 1/2 tsp if you prefer mild
- 5 ml soft brown sugar — balances the tomato acidity
- 5 ml sea salt
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 4 large eggs
- 100 g crumbled feta
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 1 lemon — for squeezing over at the end
Equipment
- large frying pan with lid or ovenproof frying pan
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the finely sliced brown onion and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelise, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic cloves, smoked paprika, ground cumin and dried chilli flakes and fry for 1 minute until aromatic. Be careful not to let the garlic or spices burn.
Add the tinned plum tomatoes, soft brown sugar and sea salt. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook gently, uncovered, until the sauce thickens and concentrates flavour, about 15 minutes.
Season with black pepper and taste; adjust salt or chilli if needed. If the sauce seems too thick, add a tablespoon of water. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.
Make four shallow wells in the sauce and crack a large egg into each well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft, 6–10 minutes depending on how runny you like them (about 8 minutes for jammy yolks).
Remove the lid, sprinkle over the crumbled feta and fresh parsley, and squeeze over the lemon. Serve straight from the pan with crusty bread or flatbreads to mop up the sauce.
Tips
- Use tinned plum tomatoes for a meatier, less watery sauce — crush them by hand for the best texture.
- If you prefer firmer yolks, finish the pan under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes (watch carefully) — alternatively keep the lid on a little longer.
- Make the sauce ahead: cool, refrigerate up to 3 days, then reheat and add eggs when ready to serve.
- If the sauce is too acidic, a little extra soft brown sugar or a knob of butter stirred in at the end will smooth it.
- For a smokier, deeper flavour, add 1 tbsp of tomato purée with the spices at step 2.
Substitutions
crumbled feta → goat's cheese, same quantity (100 g)
Stays closelarge eggs → firm tofu, cubed, 200 g (for a vegan version; omit feta)
Noticeably differenttinned plum tomatoes → tinned chopped tomatoes, same quantity (800 g)
Stays closeolive oil → rapeseed oil, same quantity (30 ml)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 274
- Calories
- 12 g
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this in the oven?
Yes — use an ovenproof frying pan, make the wells for the eggs, then bake in a preheated 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 8–12 minutes until the whites are set.
How long can I keep leftovers?
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob; add a fresh egg if you want runny yolks.
Can I freeze shakshuka?
Freeze the tomato sauce (without eggs) for up to 3 months. Defrost, reheat and add fresh eggs to finish.
How do I make it spicier or milder?
Increase or reduce the dried chilli flakes, or add a splash of harissa for heat. To make it milder, omit the chilli and add a little extra sugar to balance acidity.
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