Spinach Shakshuka With Tomatillos

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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe

I love my Moroccan shakshuka, but this spinach shakshuka takes it up a notch! Shakshuka means to mix things up, and we’ll do plenty of that with this dish.

Quick and convenient: The whole recipe comes together in just under 45 minutes, and is perfect for a lazy brunch or even as breakfast for dinner. If you want other delicious breakfast dishes, try this stovetop frittata, croissant French toast bake, or go for this kitchari, a savory Indian rice-lentil porridge! Loaded with nutrients: This recipe is packed with proteins as well as nutrients from all the green vegetables you just threw into the dish (similar to this egg white oatmeal, which can also be made savory!) Versatile, great for make-ahead: This is a “clear the fridge” recipe. You can throw in whatever you have in the fridge into this recipe, and also make the base ahead of time for when you need it in a pinch!

📋 Ingredients and notes

You’ll need olive oil, shallots, garlic, a hearty portion of baby spinach and Brussels sprouts or other greens mixture for the base, eggs, and some spices (cumin, coriander, red chili flakes) for the recipe. Garnish with avocados and roughly chopped fresh cilantro for the best green shakshuka!

Notes and substitutions:

Greens mixture: I use shaved Brussels sprouts, spinach, and tomatillos for a bit of tang in my recipe. I also top off with avocados for creaminess. But you can also use Swiss chard, kale, or even zucchini for the greens, or add spicy green pepper for a bit of a kick. You can also use frozen spinach in this recipe! Eggs: I love to use pasture raised eggs in my shakshuka, but if you’re vegan, an egg replacement like Just Egg or chickpeas and tofu also work. Spices: I use cumin and coriander for an extra boost of flavor, but you can actually season this to your taste (or just use salt to keep it simple!) Garnishes: I use feta cheese as a garnish along with fresh cilantro and avocados, but you can leave these off if you don’t have them on hand (or replace with goat cheese, cotija or one of these cotija substitutes) You can also finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!

🥘 How to make spinach shakshuka!

The process of making this spinach shakshuka is similar to my traditional shakshuka - you first cook the base, crack the eggs into the base and cook it, and finish off with some excellent garnishes (especially the feta cheese!)

Cook the greens mixture

Sauté shaved Brussels sprouts in a bit of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once the sprouts get to a nice brown color (typically 10 minutes), add shallots and garlic cloves to the skillet (taking care not to burn them). Then, I add the tomatillos and let the juices deglaze the skillet. Finally, I add the spinach to let them wilt (typically 2-3 minutes for baby spinach). Once they’re all cooked, I add salt, coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Give it a good stir and let the aromas settle in. If you choose to add lemon juice, do it before you finish stirring everything in. This is your aromatic green sauce.

Cook the eggs in the base

I first add a little water to create steam in the base (just a couple tablespoons). Then, after making a few wells in the base, I crack my eggs into those holes (one at a time). I cook on low to medium heat, typically uncovered, and wait for the whites to settle. If you want it to cook faster, or the yolks to set more, you can also cover the skillet. Your green shakshuka is done!

🍴 How to serve and store spinach shakshuka

Serve: I typically love to add some crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese along with some roughly chopped fresh cilantro or parsley to amplify the herby flavors. To give it a creamy touch, I sometimes add a couple of slices of avocado to the mix. Who can resist that?! Occasionally, I might finish with a squeeze of lemon juice as well (but not if I’ve already added this to the base). Store: This recipe, as written, makes just three servings. If you have a small enough pan, you can downsize it to make shakshuka for one person or two! I don’t recommend storing or freezing the shakshuka once you’ve cracked the eggs in it. However, you can make the base ahead of time and freeze that for up to a month (in a freezer safe container). Then, when you want to eat it, just warm up the base, crack the eggs, and cook that!