We love a Shakshuka (who doesn’t) and this herby green shakshuka is built on leeks, greens, jammy eggs and a generous handful of herbs. It's a simple pan cooked dish that swaps out the heavier tomato based flavours for one that is jam packed of plants and vitamins. Perfect as breakfast, lunch or dinner it’s packed with flavour, super satisfying, comes together quickly and is designed to be eaten straight from the pan with flatbread or pita.

Tips

  • Slow-cook the herbs and garlic: Cook the leeks, garlic and herbs all over a moderate heat and stir often to avoid them burning on the bottom of the pan. The longer you cook the base, the better it will taste as it allows the flavours to fully go through the Maillard reaction which brings out the rich aromas.
  • Freshen with citrus: Lemon or lime juice will add an acidity to the dish that keeps it fresh. You can use either lemon or lime juice or even preserved lemons.
  • Batch the base: To save time you can make the base in advance, it only really works for 2 days otherwise the greens will start to darken.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 800g leeks finely sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves grated
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 ground coriander
  • 250g mix of fresh coriander, dill, parsley, roughly chopped
  • 250g of mixed greens, kale spinach, chard, roughly chopped
  • 150g petit pois
  • 250g baby spinach
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 - 3 lemons or limes
  • 8 free range eggs
  • 1 tbsp fresh harissa paste
  • Fresh mint, leaves stripped and chopped finely
  • Feta cheese, crumbled

Method

  1. Remove the stalks from the mixed greens. Blanch the greens briefly in salty water for 1-2 minutes and then immediately put into icy water to stop them cooking and maintain their lovely colour. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Place the greens into a blender with the peas and blend until it makes a chunky puree, mix with a drizzle of olive oil. 
  2. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large pan (cast iron if you have it) and place on medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add the leeks and cook, stirring until the leeks soften which takes around 15 minutes.
  3. Add the ground cumin and coriander and toast the spices slightly and then add the grated garlic, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until they become aromatic before adding the green puree and cooking off for 2-3 minutes, add the baby spinach and stir through until its wilted. Taste and season as needed. 
  4. Make small wells for the eggs (one well for each egg), crack an egg into each well and season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish and cook for about 3 - 5 minutes over low heat or until the whites are set and the yolks are jammy. If you prefer firmer yolks cook for 3 - 5 minutes longer. If your pan is cast iron you can just put under the grill rather than cover it.
  5. Spoon the harissa all over the eggs and top with crumbled feta and chopped mint. Serve the shakshuka immediately with lemon or lime wedges to squeeze and some warm flatbread or toasted pita. 
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