Meal Prep Monday: Spicy Chickpea Shakshuka

Happy first day of May, friends!

Coming at you with a recipe that I’ve been curious to try for a while: a North African dish called shakshuka. Essentially, it’s eggs poached in a tomato sauce and is typically served for breakfast. I had a few leftover vegetables, half a jar of tomato sauce, and a can of chickpeas lying around, so I figured I’d go for it with this recipe from The Petite Cook!

I always love an excuse to pull out my cast iron skillet. In this recipe, it’s used to caramelize the red peppers and onions, which are then seasoned with cumin, paprika, and Sriracha (because of course), and then used to simmer the chickpeas and tomato sauce.

When that’s finished, all that’s left to do is make little wells in the sauce, crack an egg right in (I was skeptical of this at first, but it ended up working), and put it in the oven.

Although I am typically a sweets-for-breakfast kind of person, I loved getting the chance to try something savory and more hearty. The spices in this recipe are warm and comforting, and it’s versatile enough to enjoy for breakfast or a meatless-yet-filling dinner!

Spicy Chickpea Shaksuka

from The Petite Cook

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped into strips
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Tabasco Green Sauce, or more to taste (I used Sriracha)
• 1 cup chickpeas, drained
• 1 large handful fresh basil
• 2 x400g (14oz) cans whole plum tomatoes (I used half a jar of regular tomato sauce)
• 4 large free-range eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and squeeze through your fingers to create a chunky purée. Set aside until ready to use.
3. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat with the olive oil, then fold in red onion and chopped bell pepper, and cook without stirring for 4-5 min, until softened and gently browned.
4. Add garlic, paprika and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Fold in the tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, adding chickpeas half-way through cooking time. If the mixture gets to dry, pour in some of the tomato juice reserved from the can, then season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in a couple of fresh basil leaves.
6. With the help of a spoon, make a well near the edge of the pan and break an egg directly into it. Repeat with the remaining eggs, then season them with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Transfer the pan to the oven in the middle rack and cook for about 6-8 min, until the eggs are cooked through and the yolks are still runny.
8. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a handful basil leaves on top and serve straight away with crusty bread on the side.