1
StepHeat the olive oil in a 28 cm frying pan and cook the sliced onion and peppers over medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft and just beginning to colour at the edges.
Breakfast
Shakshuka
Eggs poached in a thick pepper and tomato sauce spiked with harissa, cumin and caraway, cooked and served in the same pan. The sauce is reduced properly first so the eggs sit in wells rather than floating. Feta and parsley go on at the very end, with bread for scooping.
35 min
Prep: 10 / Cook: 25
4
servings
Easy
Difficulty
4.6
8 Ratings
Layla Haddad
This content is owned by the author and used with their consent.
Terms ↗July 19, 2026
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g onion
- 2 pieces red pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp caraway seed
- 1 tbsp harissa
- 2 cans canned tomato
- 1 tsp sugar
- 0 salt
- 6 pieces egg
To serve
- 100 g feta
- 15 g flat-leaf parsley
- 0 crusty bread
Preparation
6 Steps
2
StepAdd the sliced garlic, cumin, paprika, caraway and harissa and stir for a minute, until the spices smell toasted and the oil turns red.
3
StepTip in the tomatoes with the sugar and a good pinch of salt. Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, until a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail that holds for a second or two.
4
StepMake six wells with the back of the spoon and crack an egg into each. Season the whites, not the yolks, or they will speckle.
5
StepCover the pan and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the whites are just set and the yolks still move when you shake the pan. If you prefer it even, slide the uncovered pan into a 190 C oven for 6 minutes instead.
6
StepCrumble the feta over, scatter with chopped parsley, and take the pan straight to the table with bread. Do not let it sit — the residual heat keeps cooking the yolks.
Chef's Tip
Drag a spoon through the sauce before you crack the eggs in — if the trail closes up immediately, keep reducing. Cook the eggs covered over low heat and pull the pan while the yolks still wobble, because they carry on setting on the way to the table.
Comments (4)
swapped the harissa for a spoon of chipotle. not authentic at all but very good.
not authentic but i would happily eat it
caraway was new to me here and it absolutely belongs
first attempt my sauce was too loose. reduced it properly the second time, totally different dish.
made this for four people at nine in the morning and looked like a genius