Favorite Shakshuka With Chickpeas And Harissa
Shakshuka is at the top of our list of eggs-for-dinner recipes, though in Israel it's brunch fare above all. It's a one-pan dish of eggs baked in a spice-laden tomato sauce, and served with a pile of warm pita bread. This version, created by New York Shuk to include our chickpeas and their harissa, showcases the beauty of simple, tasty ingredients. New York Shuk suggests doubling the sauce because it also pairs perfectly with meatballs.
What Is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka is a beloved Israeli and North African dish featuring eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce. The name comes from Arabic, meaning roughly "a mixture." While it's traditionally breakfast or brunch food in Israel, it's equally delicious for dinner, one of the best eggs-for-dinner options you can make.
The beauty of shakshuka is in its simplicity: a flavorful tomato sauce, eggs poached directly in that sauce, and warm bread for scooping everything up. It's cozy, satisfying, and comes together in one pan. Different versions exist across the Middle East and North Africa, with variations in spicing and additions, but the core concept remains the same.
This version adds chickpeas for protein and substance, and uses thick harissa paste for authentic North African heat and flavor.
The Star: Chickpeas
Let's talk about chickpeas and why they're perfect for shakshuka. Our chickpeas are tiny and intensely nutty, with a firm texture that holds up beautifully to simmering in tomato sauce.
What makes chickpeas ideal for this shakshuka is their size (they distribute evenly throughout the sauce), their firm texture (they don't get mushy), and their nutty flavor (they complement the spiced tomato sauce without competing with it). When cooked with bay leaf, olive oil, and salt, then simmered in harissa-spiced tomato sauce, they become incredibly flavorful while providing protein that makes the dish more substantial.
The chickpeas transform shakshuka from a light egg dish into something that feels like a complete, satisfying meal.
The New York Shuk Partnership
This recipe was created by New York Shuk, a company making authentic Middle Eastern and North African products including preserved lemons, harissa, za'atar, and spice blends. Their Signature Harissa is used in this recipe, a thick paste made from red chiles, spices, and olive oil that provides both heat and deep flavor.
The collaboration celebrates how thoughtful ingredient sourcing, quality chickpeas, authentic harissa, can create something that tastes genuinely delicious and respectful of culinary traditions.
The Harissa
Harissa is a North African chile paste made from red chiles, garlic, spices (typically cumin, coriander, caraway), and olive oil. It's essential to Tunisian, Moroccan, and Algerian cooking and has become popular worldwide for its complex heat and flavor.
This recipe uses thick harissa paste, not the thin sauce variety. The thick paste (like New York Shuk's Signature Harissa) has concentrated flavor and the right consistency for the tomato sauce. It provides heat, but also depth and complexity from the spices and roasted chiles.
If you can't find quality harissa paste, this dish won't taste the same. Harissa is what gives it authentic North African flavor.
The Tomato Sauce
The sauce is simple but needs time to develop properly. Olive oil and sliced garlic heat gently until the garlic becomes fragrant but doesn't brown, about 1-2 minutes. This gentle cooking creates sweet garlic flavor without bitterness.
Then harissa paste, crushed tomatoes (two 28-oz cans, this makes a lot of sauce), and salt get stirred in. The sauce simmers over medium-low heat for 30 minutes until thickened and the flavors meld.
This 30-minute simmer is important. It concentrates the tomatoes, allows the harissa to infuse throughout, and creates a thick, rich sauce that will hold the eggs properly. Taste and adjust salt, tomato sauce needs generous seasoning.
Doubling the Sauce
New York Shuk suggests doubling the sauce because it also pairs perfectly with meatballs. This is smart advice. The sauce is so good, you'll want extra. Make a double batch, use half for shakshuka, and freeze half for quick weeknight meals with meatballs, pasta, or as a base for other dishes.
Cooking the Eggs
Once the sauce is ready, stir in the cooked, strained chickpeas. Using a tablespoon, create indents in the sauce where you'll place the eggs, these little wells help the eggs stay in place rather than running together.
Crack eggs directly into these indents and season each egg with salt and pepper. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the eggs reach your desired doneness.
For runny yolks (traditional and delicious for dipping bread), cook just until the whites are set but yolks are still liquid, about 5-7 minutes. For firmer yolks, cook longer. Some people cover the pan to help the tops of the eggs cook through steam.
Serving
Serve shakshuka directly from the pan, it's meant to be rustic and communal. Everyone eats from the same pan, scooping eggs, sauce, and chickpeas onto their plates or directly onto warm pita bread.
The pita is essential, you need it for scooping up sauce, mopping up runny yolks, and creating little pita pockets filled with shakshuka. Warm the pita before serving (wrap in foil and heat in the oven, or warm briefly in a dry skillet).
Breakfast, Brunch, or Dinner
While shakshuka is traditional breakfast/brunch food in Israel, it works perfectly for dinner, especially when you add chickpeas for extra protein and substance. It's the kind of comforting, one-pan meal that satisfies after a long day.
For brunch, serve it with coffee, fresh fruit, and maybe some yogurt and cucumber salad on the side. For dinner, add a simple green salad and you have a complete meal.
One-Pan Perfection
The one-pan aspect is key to shakshuka's appeal. Everything cooks in a single large skillet, the sauce develops, the chickpeas warm through, the eggs poach. Serve directly from that pan and you've only dirtied one dish (plus your bean cooking vessel).
For weeknight cooking or lazy weekend mornings, this efficiency is valuable. Good food without a pile of dishes.
Customization
While this recipe is delicious as written, shakshuka is adaptable:
- Add vegetables: bell peppers, onions, spinach, kale
- Vary the heat: more or less harissa
- Include cheese: feta crumbled on top is traditional
- Add herbs: fresh cilantro or parsley
- Change spices: add cumin, paprika, or coriander
The basic formula, spiced tomato sauce + eggs + bread, accommodates lots of variations while staying true to the concept.
Make-Ahead Friendly
The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for several days. When ready to serve, reheat the sauce, stir in chickpeas, and poach the eggs fresh. This makes shakshuka practical for entertaining, you can do most of the work ahead and just finish with eggs when guests arrive.
Simple, Tasty Ingredients
As the recipe notes, this version "showcases the beauty of simple, tasty ingredients." Quality chickpeas, authentic harissa, good crushed tomatoes, fresh eggs, warm pita, nothing complicated, just good ingredients treated properly and combined thoughtfully.
It's proof that you don't need dozens of ingredients or complex techniques to create something genuinely delicious and satisfying.
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