Shakshuka with chickpeas and spinach
Eggs poached in a smoky tomato and capsicum sauce, with chickpeas for substance. One pan, and bread is optional.
Notable for: antioxidants, vitamin C, fibre
Ingredients
- 8eggs, size 7
- 820 gchickpeas in brine, 2 cans, drained
- 800 gchopped tomatoes, 2 cans
- 2red capsicum, sliced
- 250 gbrown onions, sliced
- 120 gbaby spinach
- 120 gfeta, crumbled
- 10 gground cumin
- 10 gsmoked paprika
- 15 gcrushed garlic
- 10 mlolive oil
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan and cook the onion and capsicum for 10 minutes until soft and slumped.
Add the cumin, paprika and garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer for 10 minutes until thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail.
Stir the spinach through until it wilts, then season.
Make eight wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each one.
Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 6 to 8 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, then scatter the feta over the top.
Thicken the sauce before the eggs
A loose sauce lets the eggs sink and spread. Reduce it until a spoon leaves a clear trail, and each egg sits in its own well and poaches properly.
Storage
Best on the day, since the yolks firm up in the fridge.
The sauce alone keeps four days and freezes, so make a double batch of it.
Cost per serving is indicative, based on New Zealand supermarket prices as at September 2026. Batch prices your own week against your own store on the day. Nutrition figures, including calories, are estimates rather than label readings, so always check the packet if you have an allergy. "Notable for" reflects well-established qualities of the ingredients used, not a lab measurement of this exact dish.