Chickpea Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a one-pot wonder that’s equally great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s best served family-style, with the pan set on the table and a big wooden spoon set next to it, ready for scooping and sharing. Serve this with thick slices of toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and a pinch of flakey sea salt on top, or go the flatbread route with hot torn pieces of pita bread or naan, all for dunking into poached yolks and scooping up sauce.
Chickpea Shakshuka
6 to 8 eggs
One 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato puree or tomato pasata
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
A pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: greens like arugula or baby kale, chopped herbs like cilantro or mint or parsley, feta or goat cheese
Heat a good drizzle of olive oil a large, shallow pan, adding the diced onion once it’s hot. Cook the onion on low to medium heat until it’s translucent and very fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, spices, chickpeas, and tomato paste. Cook until the tomato paste and onions just begin to brown on the bottom of the pan, then pour in the can of diced tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the tomatoes to sweeten and lose a bit of their acidity — I like to stir occasionally and use the bottom of a wooden spoon to smash some of the chickpeas to thicken the sauce. While the sauce is simmering, set out the eggs to that they are brought to room temperature (this helps with even cooking). After 30 minutes or so, create a well in the sauce with a spoon for each egg to cook in and crack the eggs into the holes you’ve made in the sauce. Turn the heat back up to medium and cover, allowing the eggs to poach in the sauce for a few minutes, checking periodically. Remove from the heat when the whites have just cooked through and the yolks are still very runny. Serve with toasted slices of bread, naan, or pita.
