There are a ton of different recipes and methods for making shakshuka, but you really only need 3 things: tomatoes, eggs, and spice! (Oh, and feta is a requirement for mine, too.)
As shakshuka originates from Northern Africa, it traditionally calls for harissa paste, a Tunisian blend of roasted hot peppers, sweet bell peppers, spices, and olive oil. Not all harissas are created equal, though! If you've ever bitten into one hot pepper and had it be WAY spicier than the rest, you understand.
The spices are infused into the oil to make the paste bold and bright, serving as the backbone of this dish. I often like adding cinnamon to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes and peppers - yes, cinnamon in a savory dish is great! Its "warming" qualities also go really well with some heat!
However, this is pandemic-use-what-you-have cooking, and shakshuka is one of those meals that you can't really do incorrectly (though I'd advise against using up that vinegary hot sauce in place of harissa or other chilies; the stew is acidic enough from the tomatoes already)!
You could:⠀
- use up leftover Thai chili paste or dried Mexican chilies ⠀
- raid your packet drawer for those red pepper flakes you put on pizza, and infuse them in a hot pan with a glug of olive oil⠀
- finally find a use for that half-jar of marinated sweet bell peppers from that pre-pandemic cocktail party (again, rinse/pat dry any excess brine)⠀
- add a can of drained garbanzo beans for more lean, meatless protein and fiber⠀
- substitute another summery, watery, sautee-able veggie for the bell peppers (I added cubed zucchini once when I had extra to use up, and I've thrown in greens too)⠀
- sub some Parmesan, cotija, or another salty, crumbly cheese in place of the feta. Technically, that Parm might make it veer more into the Italian "eggs in purgatory" dish (hello, geographically-close lands with similar foods!) but in all likelihood, it's going to be delicious.⠀
- eat shakshuka for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or brunch, since we're not going out again anytime soon.
