Nutricious, protein-packed and loaded with greens and flavourful spices, this green shakshuka makes a great satiating dish for breakfast or for dinner. Using a mix of spinach, peas, spices and poached eggs, I created a lighter shakshuka version as a tasty way to get your greens in. If you were looking for a comforting and nurturing dish to transition to a liver-friendly greens-loaded diet, you’re in the right place.
How To Make Green Shakshuka
A green shakshuka is basically a mix of greens and spices with eggs. The good news this is a very versatile dish and you can swap ingredients according to what is available at the moment.
I first experimented with this dish in February and I had frozen spinach and peas, but I can’t wait to make it when the farmers’ market is full of fresh greens and aromatic herbs. So let’s go through the easy steps of making this delicious green shakshuka:
- Start by creating the base – cook the onion and garlic either using oil or simply by water-frying for a lighter alternative. This is also the step when spices are added.
- Add your chopped greens and peas – the peas will cook in the greens released liquids. If using frozen ingredients, make sure you thaw them before cooking.
- Cook until most of the liquids evaporates.
- Add lemon juice and raisins, and mix to combine.
- Create little wells using a spoon and crack the eggs in.
- Cook until the eggs reach the preferred consistency (adding a lid will speed the cooking, but will also change the spinach colour from vibrant green to a dark, brownish one).
- Finish your dish by topping with crumbled goat cheese that will melt nicely because of the heat. Garnish with chopped walnut and serve warm. Your protein-packed, nutritious green shakshuka is ready and it’s delicious!
Why Spinach is Good for You?
Like its cousins, beets and chard, spinach is rich in important nutrients, such as non-heme iron, vitamin K1, beta carotene, vitamin C, and folate.
You will also find good amounts of manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B2 in this verdant vegetable.
Speaking of color, spinach’s signature dark green hue is thanks to its high chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll and other carotenoids in spinach provide a host of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous properties and protective effects on vision health.
The vitamin C in the spinach helps improve the body’s ability to absorb the non-heme iron, which tends to be harder for the body to use than heme iron found in animal products. Additional vitamin C from the lemon juice further adds to this benefit.
Is it Better to Eat Spinach Raw or Cooked?
There is some debate about whether it is better to consume spinach raw or cooked. The answer is – both!
Some important nutrients are known to be heat sensitive, so cooking spinach can destroy them. This makes the case for eating raw spinach at least some of the time.
Spinach is also high in oxalate, which can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients. Cooking spinach, as in this dish, neutralizes the oxalate, allowing your body to take full advantage of this broad nutritional profile.
The best way to take advantage of all the benefits of spinach is to ensure you have a variety of cooked and raw spinach in your diet.
Alternatives and Substitutions
To make this green shakshuka vegan, you can swap out the eggs for tofu or chickpeas with some black salt (this adds the signature sulfuric flavor often associated with eggs) and swap out the cheese for your vegan cheese of choice.
To make this a creamy green shakshuka, you can add some coconut milk to the dish. You might want to skip the lemon juice if you are using goat milk as it could cause it to curdle. Green peppers and green tomatoes would also make a lovely addition to the flavors already found here.
If you’re looking for more comforting meals, try my Shakshuka with Zhoug recipe, my Sweet Potato Stew, or my Vegetarian Lasagna.
If you make any of these recipes don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @theawesomegreen so I can see them and share with the community!
Green Shakshuka with Spinach and Peas
Ingredients
- 4 eggs organic
- 2 cups frozen spinach defrosted
- 2 cups frozen peas defrosted
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds ground
- 1 tbsp raisins
- ⅓ cup goat cheese crumbled
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper
- To garnish: toasted walnuts crushed
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil into a non-stick or cast iron skillet, add the onion and garlic. If not using oil, simply add 2 tbsp water.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently, until translucent.
- Add the spices and mix to combine.
- Add the spinach and peas, stir and cook over medium heat until the spinach juices are reduced and the peas are cooked.
- Add the lemon juice and raisins, stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper then use the back of your spoon to create little spaces for the eggs.
- Break the eggs into the created wells then cover the skillet and let cook for 5 minutes. You can lid the skillet for quicker results, but the spinach will loose its vibrant green colour.
- Top with goat cheese and crushed walnuts and serve warm.
When do you add the goat cheese?
Right after turning off the heat.