tomato & red pepper shakshuka

We make this shakshuka at least once a month — it’s our go-to for long, lazy weekend mornings when everyone gathers around the table. There’s something about a pan of gently bubbling, spiced tomato and sweet red pepper sauce that feels both comforting and celebratory.

It’s beautifully simple to make, yet packed with flavour — rich, thick tomatoes, softened peppers and warming spices forming the perfect base for cracked eggs that set just enough while staying gloriously soft in the middle.

We love finishing it with generous handfuls of crumbly feta and serving it straight from the pan. For a vegan version, it’s just as delicious topped with cooling coconut yoghurt and slices of creamy avocado on the side.

Rustic, vibrant and made for sharing — this is the kind of breakfast that turns into a ritual.

Serves 4 & takes 30 minutes to cook

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, peeled and diced

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 2 red peppers, thinly sliced

• 3 heaped teaspoons of smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree

• 1-2 tablespoons of harissa paste (or another tablespoon of tomato puree)

• Juice of 1 lime

• 2x 400g cans of tinned tomatoes

• Olive oil

• Salt

For the topping (all optional)

• 100g feta

• 4 organic eggs

• Handful of chopped parsley

• Pinch of chilli flakes

• Pinch of pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C, grill setting.

2. Place an oven-friendly pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the diced onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.

3. Once soft, add the sliced peppers and paprika. Mix well and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the peppers start to become soft. At this point, mix through the harissa paste (if using), tomato puree, lime juice and tinned tomatoes. Mix well and leave to simmer for 15 minutes - if it begins to bubble too aggressively, reduce the temperature a little.

4. Once the shakshuka is hot and tastes delicious, crack 4 eggs on top of the sauce - do not touch or mix the eggs through. Place the dish into the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes until the eggs have cooked through but still have a runny yolk. If you don't want to cook in the oven, simply leave the dish over a medium heat until the eggs have cooked through, you can put a lid on the whole thing to speed up the cooking at this point but try not to over cook as the egg yolks will turn hard.

5. Once all of the egg whites have turned from translucent to white, you’re ready to serve. Crumble the feta on top of the shakshuka and top with a pinch of pepper, chilli flakes and some chopped parsley.

TIP:

For the vegan version, simply replace the cracked eggs and feta with dollops of creamy plain plant-based yoghurt and serve with a side of sliced avocado.