Healthy Shakshuka Recipe — Private GP London | Dr Daniel Gordon (2024)

FAQs

Is shakshuka good for you? ›

Shakshuka is an easy-to-make and surprisingly healthy breakfast or lunch option, bringing together the health benefits of eggs and cooked tomatoes. If you've never heard of or tried Shakshuka, you are seriously missing out!

Bread or pita bread.

The first side you want to serve with your shakshuka is of course the bread, so you can dip it into the sauce. For a very western version, you'll want to make a classic no-knead bread (super easy!) for the occasion.

Shakshuka is a simple dish made of gently poached eggs in a delicious chunky tomato and bell pepper sauce. Said to have originated in Tunisia, this breakfast recipe is popular in many parts of North Africa and the Middle East.

What to serve with shakshuka. This dish is often served with crusty bread for dipping. We recommend a sourdough or crusty bread or, for something lighter, you could try a pitta bread. You could also serve a salad alongside such as Middle Eastern carrot salad, chickpea salad or fattoush.

Easy Shakshuka

The saucy, savory breakfast is a great option for those with diabetes because it combines protein-rich eggs with nutrient-rich veggies. “It doesn't have any starchy veggies or added sugar, so it won't spike your blood sugar,” Rizzo adds.

Shakshuka is one of my favorite breakfasts…and lunches…and dinners. Though this Middle Eastern and North African dish is traditionally eaten for breakfast, it's so easy, filling, and flavorful that it's a great option for any meal of the day.

Turkish Menemen and Israeli shakshuka are very similar but differ in the method and seasoning. Both are breakfast dishes where eggs are cooked in a tomato sauce. In menemen the eggs are virtually scrambled into the sauce, whereas shakshuka eggs are placed on the sauce and only slightly mixed.

Some people might know this dish as “eggs in purgatory” or “menemen” (which is the Turkish name for this dish). The name “shakshuka” actually means all mixed up in Tunisian dialect, which explains the recipe for this comfort food.

shakshouka, a Maghrebi (North African) dish, popular throughout the region, featuring poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, seasoned with peppers, onion, garlic, and various spices. The word shakshouka comes from Maghrebi Arabic dialect and means “mixed.”

Is shakshuka Israeli or African? ›

Even though many people today associate shakshuka with Israel, it actually originated in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire: the only reason shakshuka is eaten in Israel is because North African Jewish immigrants brought it there.

In Jewish culture, a large batch of tomato stew is made for the Sabbath dinner and the leftovers used the following morning to make a breakfast shakshouka with eggs.

Shakshuka is traditionally eaten with bread. Try a crusty variety like a sliced baguette to go with your shakshuka, or try it with warm pita bread or naan. You could also eat shakshuka on its own, or with rice if you prefer!

Today, shakshuka is most strongly associated with the Middle East and Israel in particular, where it was introduced by Jewish immigrants from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Libya. It's always been an affordable, filling, and undemanding meal, so it's no wonder it keeps gaining popularity all over the world.

If you like your eggs runny, however, I find that the stovetop-to-broiler method is the only surefire way to cook the egg whites thoroughly without overcooking the yolks. Make Ahead: The tomato sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Eating eggs and tomatoes together provides several health benefits. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, beta-carotene, folate, potassium, vitamin C, flavonoids, and vitamin E, which have been associated with reduced cardiovascular risk.