Fire-Roasted Shakshuka Recipe

What do you think of when you think of brunch? Scrambled eggs with potatoes and toast? Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon? A short stack of pancakes for the table? If your usual brunchtime fare is getting a bit monotonous, why not switch things up and make some shakshuka? A warm, savory dish combining eggs and seasoned, saucy tomatoes, shakshuka is a common morning meal in Israel. It has roots in northeast Africa, per The Culture Trip, and became popular for its convenience, affordability, and bold flavors. This shakshuka recipe by Michelle McGlinn is easy to put together and its combination of spices and fire-roasted tomatoes will surely wake up your taste buds.

"Roasting the vegetables first deepens the flavors — roasted garlic and onion get deeply soft and caramelized, offering an almost-sweet roasted flavor. Roasting peppers does the same, and peeling the skin off makes them blend into the sauce smoothly without any bitter taste," McGlinn says. "Otherwise, it's a pretty easy and straightforward shakshuka, which in itself has the fun technique of poaching the eggs in the tomatoes! Never skip that in a shakshuka, because it is the perfect way to marry the eggs into the dish and achieve runny yolks and soft whites," she adds. She also notes that this technique "makes it so delicious to scoop [the eggs] up with crusty bread," and really, what more could you want from a breakfast dish?

Don't be intimidated by the lengthy ingredient list here — it's mostly spices and pantry staples, and it'll give the finished product an unforgettable taste. The seasonings you'll need are cumin, paprika, sumac, coriander, cinnamon, and salt and pepper. Produce-wise, you'll need red bell peppers, fresh garlic, yellow onion, and parsley. You'll also need eggs, of course, plus canned tomatoes (both whole and fire-roasted) and olive oil.

"The whole tomatoes have a more fresh flavor and bulk up the sauce while it stews," McGlinn notes. "You could swap them out for many things, like an extra two cans of fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, [or] tomato puree. Any option will result in a good, tomatoey shakshuka! You could even use fresh tomatoes and roast them with the peppers, then stew them down."

It's time to get started. While your oven preheats to 400 F, slice the peppers, quarter the onion, and cut the head of garlic in half. Put that all on a foil-lined sheet pan and drizzle everything with olive oil and some salt and pepper. Pop that in the oven, and when your vegetables are good and roasted, place the peppers in a plastic wrap-covered bowl to steam and cool down. After that, rub the skins off and chop the peppers; chop the onion as well and squeeze the cloves from the roasted garlic.

Pressed for time? "You could roast the vegetables ahead of time, peel the skins from the peppers, chop and store in an airtight container for 2-3 days," McGlinn suggests. Need to save even more time? "You could also make the tomato mixture in advance, then gently reheat over the stove and poach the eggs when ready to serve."

Now, for the base of the shakshuka. Place the canned whole tomatoes in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat and smash them with a wooden spoon. Then, add in the sumac, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and diced tomatoes and let the mixture simmer. Once your sauce is simmering, add your roasted vegetables: onion, garlic, and red peppers.

You're almost done! Use a spoon to create "wells" in the tomato mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cover the pot and continue cooking until the egg whites are done and the yolks are still slightly runny. Once that's done, take it off the heat and scatter the pan with chopped parsley and a little more salt and pepper.

You've officially made some flavorful fire-roasted shakshuka! "Since this is a vegetarian dish, I serve it with breakfast meats like bacon or sausage," McGlinn says. "I also always serve with crusty bread like a baguette, or toast, so you can scoop the tomatoes up. This would also be good with pulled chicken for a really hearty brunch, or a light arugula salad for something green."

This recipe makes four servings, so you may end up with leftovers. "The only tricky part in saving shakshuka is the eggs; generally, they don't keep or reheat well," notes McGlinn. "If saving leftovers, remove any eggs and discard and save the tomato mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator."