Shakshuka with Feta and Herbs
Eggs baked in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, finished with crumbled feta and fresh herbs — bright, simple Mediterranean comfort.
Shakshuka is the sort of dish that looks impressive but is devilishly simple — eggs baked in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce. It’s perfect for a relaxed weekend brunch, midweek supper or when you want something hearty without fuss.
This version uses a gentle hit of smoked paprika and cumin, optional harissa for warmth, and crumbled vegetarian-friendly feta for creamy contrast. Serve it straight from the pan with good crusty bread for mopping up the sauce and yolks.
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 150 g brown onion — finely chopped
- 180 g red pepper — deseeded and diced (about 1 large)
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 1 red chilli — finely sliced, optional
- 10 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 15 ml harissa paste — optional
- 5 g caster sugar
- 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes — two 400 g tins
- 8 free-range eggs — see note on yolk doneness in steps
- 100 g feta made with vegetarian rennet — crumbled
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 15 g fresh flatleaf parsley — roughly chopped
- 1 lemon — juice and wedges to finish
- salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
Equipment
- ovenproof frying pan (25–28cm)
- spatula
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional.
Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the brown onion, dice the red pepper into roughly 1 cm pieces, crush the garlic cloves and finely slice the red chilli (if using).
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium hob flame. Add the brown onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelise.
Add the red pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes until it has softened.
Stir in the garlic cloves, red chilli, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, harissa paste (if using) and caster sugar. Cook for 1 minute until the spices are fragrant.
Pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and deepened in colour.
Use the back of a spoon to make eight shallow wells in the sauce. Crack the free-range eggs into the wells, spacing them evenly, then scatter the crumbled feta made with vegetarian rennet over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes (540 seconds) for runny yolks. For slightly firmer yolks bake 11–12 minutes. Alternatively, return the pan to the hob, cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 6–8 minutes for runny yolks.
Remove from the oven or hob, scatter over the fresh coriander and fresh flatleaf parsley, squeeze over the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve straight from the pan with crusty bread if you like.
Tips
- If your canned tomatoes are very acidic, add the caster sugar to balance the sauce.
- To make individual portions, divide the sauce among ovenproof dishes before cracking in the eggs.
- Leftovers reheat gently on the hob — add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
- If you don’t have an ovenproof frying pan, transfer the sauce to a shallow baking tin before adding the eggs and baking.
- For perfectly even yolks, crack each egg into a small bowl first then tip into the wells.
Substitutions
feta made with vegetarian rennet → crème fraîche or ricotta, 100 g, stirred lightly into the sauce
Stays closeharissa paste → sriracha or a pinch of chilli flakes, to taste
Stays closered pepper → aubergine, 200 g, diced and softened until tender
Noticeably differentfree-range eggs → silken tofu, 300 g, for a vegan-style bake (omit feta)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 347
- Calories
- 18 g
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 560 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes — make the tomato and pepper sauce up to 48 hours ahead, cool and refrigerate. Reheat gently, then add the eggs and bake as directed.
How do I know when the eggs are cooked?
For runny yolks, the whites should be set but glossy around the yolk after 9 minutes in the oven. If whites are still translucent, bake a minute or two longer.
Can I freeze shakshuka?
Sauce freezes well for up to 3 months, but cooked eggs do not — freeze only the sauce and add fresh eggs when reheating.
How can I make it spicier or milder?
Adjust the amount of harissa or chilli. For milder flavour remove the seeds from the red chilli or omit harissa entirely.
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