A healthy, very filling dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, shakshuka is wonderful whether served for a crowd or for one!
Shakshuka (pronounced shahk-shoo-kah, emphasis on the middle syllable) is an Israeli dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. It’s delicious, healthy and very filling.
Shakshuka for dinner
Outside of Israel, shakshuka is usually considered as a breakfast food. But in Israel, it is often served for dinner. Israelis tend to eat their main meal for lunch, then have a lighter, meatless dinner.
So I often serve shakshuka for dinner. And while the spicy tomato sauce and runny egg yolks practically beg for crusty bread, bread is not mandatory! A fork and a knife (plus a spoon) are just as efficient, as my husband and I have discovered after we stopped eating bread.
But is shakshuka low carb?
While this not a low carb recipe, I feel that the carbs here are the good, healthy, slow digesting carbs. So I do eat this meal frequently. But I’m on a moderate carb diet (80 grams or so per day). This is obviously not a good choice for you if you’re on a very low carb, ketogenic diet.
By the way, a lighter, egg-based dinner, is wonderful. Another light dinner that I make quite often is this tasty dish of creamed spinach baked eggs.
Shakshuka for one in mini cast iron skillets
Shakshuka is traditionally prepared in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, then spooned onto individual plates. But I have a set of adorable mini cast iron skillets and I often use them to make individual shakshuka portions. I also often make shakshuka for one as my own lunch. Accordingly, This recipe makes a single serving of shakshuka, but you can easily double or triple it.
Either way, when making shakshuka, plan to poach 1-2 eggs per person (It’s good that eggs are no longer vilified!).
Don’t cover the skillet
Here’s little tip: at the very last step, after you add the eggs to have them poached in the tomato sauce, it’s tempting to cover the skillet so that the egg whites can cook faster. However, covering the skillet will result in a milky film forming on the egg yolks. Still tasty, but not as pretty.
So I think it’s best to patiently cook the eggs uncovered. If it seems like the tomato sauce is drying out while the eggs cook, lower the heat to medium-low. You can also drizzle a bit of water on the tomato sauce of it’s drying out and the egg whites are still not fully cooked.
PS. If you’re too lazy to make shakshuka, a similar but easier recipe is this recipe for baked eggs in tomato sauce.
Shakshuka For One
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch for the eggs
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1-2 large eggs
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch dried parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion and peppers are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds, until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the tomato and water. Cook 10 more minutes over medium heat, stirring often, to allow the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
- Break the eggs on top of the shakshuka. Cook, uncovered, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 5-10 minutes.
- Season the eggs with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle with dried parsley, and serve.
