Name: Quinoa Shakshuka (Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 small yellow onion, (chopped); 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced ((about ½ tbsp)); 1-2 tsp paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/8 tsp cayenne ((optional)); 1 tsp ground turmeric ((optional)); 28 oz can diced tomatoes - (I like Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted); 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed; 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water; 2 cups packed organic kale, baby kale or spinach, chopped - (about 2.5 oz); 4 large eggs, room temperature ((ideally organic, free-range)); fine sea salt; freshly ground pepper; warm pita wedges or bread; plain Greek yogurt; feta cheese; fresh herbs ((basil, cilantro, parsley))

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I looove Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Ross makes fun of me for always suggesting it when we’re trying to pick somewhere to eat…and I’m sure some of my friends have experienced this too haha, but I won’t apologize for picking delicious food!

If you’re not as familiar with this type of cuisine, shakshuka is a great starter dish to try. The general concept is eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, but there are lots of different variations. I took some creative liberties (as usual) and added quinoa to boost the protein content — but it cooks right in the sauce so no need to break out a second pan!

Getting the eggs just right

Well actually I can’t fully speak to that since I broke the yolk in the bottom right egg 🙁 But it was still delicious so don’t worry! And learn from my mistakes: the key is to carefully crack the eggs right onto the surface of the sauce, so that the whites spread out. A bunch of recipes I read say to make an indent in the sauce, but that makes it harder for the whites to cook — you want them to cook quickly so that the yolks are deliciously runny. And once the eggs are set, you’ll spoon some sauce over the whites, letting the yolks peek through.

If you’re new to quinoa…

Here’s some key info from my Easy Mexican Quinoa Veggie Bake post: quinoa has 6 grams of protein per serving and it’s a complete protein, which means that it contains all of the nine essential amino acids (more on that here). It’s probably the all-around best plant-based protein, from a nutrition standpoint but also because it’s so versatile and easy to make. So you should definitely get on board!

You can find it at almost any grocery store nowadays (probably near the rice), and there are a ton of options on Amazon. Not surprisingly, I order the massive bags — I most recently got Viva Naturals brand.

This recipe is already in our regular rotation — hope you love it, too! Let me know in the comments below if you try it 🙂

Quinoa Shakshuka (Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce)

I love my take on the traditional shakshuka because the quinoa adds protein and the greens blend right into the sauce. I like to make the sauce spicy but use the minimum amounts as directed below for a mild but still flavorful sauce.

Add two more eggs to make six smaller portions.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 4 - 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced (about ½ tbsp)
1-2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 tsp ground turmeric (optional)
28 oz can diced tomatoes - I like Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
2 cups packed organic kale, baby kale or spinach, chopped - about 2.5 oz
4 large eggs, room temperature (ideally organic, free-range)
fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Optional toppings

warm pita wedges or bread
plain Greek yogurt
feta cheese
fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley)

Instructions

In a large skillet (I use a 10” x 3”), heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Add tomatoes with their juices, quinoa, broth/water, and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer for 12 mins, or until quinoa is cooked - the outer layer will have separated and it should be soft, not crunchy.
Test the sauce and add more spices, freshly ground pepper and salt to taste (I added ½ tsp but it will depend on whether your tomatoes and broth were salted). If you want a thicker sauce, turn the heat up to medium and cook until it’s reached your desired consistency. For a thinner sauce, add more water or broth.
Add kale and slowly stir until wilted (returning the heat to low if you turned it up).
Carefully crack each egg onto the surface of the sauce, avoiding the perimeter of the pan (don’t make an indent/well), letting the whites distribute over the sauce. Cover and cook on low until the yolks are just set, 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully spoon sauce over the egg whites, avoiding the yolks. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. If using feta, sprinkle it over the top of the dish.
Serve right away with pita or bread, yogurt and fresh herbs. See note below for leftovers.

Notes

You can use a can of whole peeled tomatoes for a more authentic version but you’ll need to break them up with your hands or a potato masher, which is why I think diced is easier.

The sauce mixture keeps well in the fridge (without the eggs) for about a week. So if you wanted to plan on leftovers, you could use only as many eggs as needed in one area of the sauce, and then enjoy the rest later either on its own or with a fresh egg.

If you have extra herbs, see my post on How to Keep Herbs Fresh for Weeks.