Original Story Published by: Jen Wheeler for Chowhound
Photo Source: ©Chowhound
If a truly perfect dish exists, it just might be shakshuka. Easy to make, totally flexible, both comforting and exciting to eat, healthy, inexpensive, and composed of ingredients you likely regularly have on hand, it checks all the boxes for an ideal meal—plus, it’s fit for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner! As long as you like eggs and tomatoes, you’ll love this one-pan marvel, but even if you don’t do one or another of those ingredients, you can still make a version that appeals to you (there’s that aforementioned flexibility coming into play).
What is shakshuka?
Shakshuka (also spelled shakshouka), in it simplest form, is a warmly spiced vegetarian dish of saucy tomatoes, often with peppers or onions, with eggs cracked right into the mix, usually left whole and simmered to desired doneness, whether you prefer lightly poached or hard-cooked so the yolks are firm.
Where did shakshuka come from?
The dish as we know it is North African in origin, although it may have descended from the Ottoman Empire’s saksuka, which did not include tomatoes but did feature meat; 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’s only kept gaining in popularity all over the world. Its inclusion in renowned Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s 2011 cookbook “Plenty” helped spread the word, and nowadays, Instagram is a steady source of tantalizing shakshuka shots. You’re apt to find shakshuka on even the fanciest brunch menus these days, but while some places may have the nerve to sell it for $20 and up, there’s zero pretension when it comes to the dish. You can even buy it in meal kit form, but you really don’t need to. You barely need a recipe, and then only the first time you make it.
