Shakshuka Bowl Poached Eggs (Printable)

Poached eggs simmered in spiced tomato sauce with peppers, served with warm pita bread.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
02 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 2 cups baby spinach
06 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

→ Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1 teaspoon paprika
10 - ½ teaspoon ground coriander
11 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 - 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Eggs & Garnish

15 - 4 to 6 large eggs
16 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
17 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

→ To Serve

18 - 4 pita breads, warmed

# How-To:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
02 - Add diced red and yellow bell peppers along with jalapeño. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
03 - Stir in minced garlic, ground cumin, paprika, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in crushed tomatoes and add sugar, salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
05 - Add baby spinach and cook until wilted, approximately 2 minutes.
06 - Make small wells in the sauce using the back of a spoon. Carefully crack eggs into each well.
07 - Cover the skillet and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until egg whites are set but yolks remain runny.
08 - Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley and crumbled feta cheese.
09 - Transfer to serving bowls and serve immediately with warm pita bread for dipping.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels restaurant-quality but comes together in under 45 minutes, which means you can actually make this on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The spices create this warm, complex flavor that tastes like you've been cooking for hours when really you've barely started.
  • One skillet does all the work, so cleanup is almost as quick as the cooking itself.
02 -
  • The sauce needs to bubble for the full time so it thickens enough to cradle the eggs properly; rushing this step leaves you with watery results that won't hold anything.
  • If your eggs are older than a week, they're more likely to fragment in the hot sauce, so fresher is genuinely better here.
  • The heat matters—if your flame is too high, the bottoms will burn before the eggs finish cooking, so settle in at medium or medium-low and be patient.
03 -
  • Make the sauce ahead of time and reheat it gently before adding the eggs—this saves you when you're cooking for guests and keeps things moving smoothly.
  • If an egg cracks into the sauce before it's supposed to, don't panic; stir it in gently and just have one less egg to nest, adjusting portions accordingly.
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