Sian Almond's Shakshuka 4 Ways

There's a reason shakshuka has become a brunch favourite around the world. Richly spiced tomatoes, slow-cooked peppers and onions, and perfectly cooked eggs create a comforting dish that's packed with flavour. The secret to exceptional shakshuka, however, lies in the base.

This recipe starts with a deeply flavoured shakshuka sauce that can be made in a large batch and stored for later. Once you've mastered the base, you can transform it into four different dishes: a classic baked shakshuka, a vibrant flatbread version, a creamy scramble-shuka, and a hearty bean-shuka perfect for sharing.

The key is patience. Allowing the peppers, onions and tomatoes plenty of time to cook down creates a rich, sweet sauce that's worth every minute.

The Ultimate Shakshuka Base

Makes enough for multiple servings and freezes beautifully.

Ingredients

For the Base

• A few generous glugs of olive oil
• 6 large mixed peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced (red and orange work best)
• 4 large brown onions, thinly sliced

Spice Mix

• 1 heaped tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric

To Finish

• 4 tins Italian peeled plum tomatoes
• Large pinch of salt
• ½ tsp white pepper

Method

1. Heat a large, wide-based pot over medium heat
2. Add the olive oil, followed by the sliced peppers. Increase the heat slightly and cook until the peppers have released their moisture and begin to caramelise
3. Add the sliced onions and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent
4. In a separate frying pan, warm a little olive oil and add the spice mix. Toast for 20-30 seconds until fragrant, stirring continuously to avoid burning
5. Add the toasted spices to the pepper and onion mixture and cook for another few minutes
6. Pour in the plum tomatoes and season with the salt and white pepper.
7. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring regularly
8. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for around 1 hour, stirring frequently
9. After 1 hour, cover with a lid and continue cooking gently for a further hour
10. The shakshuka base is ready when the peppers have almost disappeared into the sauce and the flavour has become rich, sweet and intensely savoury

Storage Tip

Allow the sauce to cool completely before portioning into containers. Freeze for future breakfasts, brunches or quick midweek meals.

1. Classic Baked Shakshuka

The traditional way to serve shakshuka. Rich tomato sauce topped with perfectly baked eggs and finished with feta and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

• 2-3 ladles shakshuka base
• 2 St. Ewe Rich Yolk eggs
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Garnish

• Crumbled feta cheese
• Fresh coriander
• Paprika flakes
• Toasted sourdough
• Butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. Spoon the shakshuka base into an oven-safe baking dish
3. Create two small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each
4. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
5. Bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks remain soft
6. Remove from the oven and scatter over feta, coriander and paprika flakes
7. Serve immediately with toasted, buttered sourdough

2. Shakshuka on Flatbread with Hot Honey

A modern brunch twist combining crispy flatbread, poached eggs and fresh salsa.

Ingredients

• 1 store-bought flatbread
• 2-3 spoonfuls hot shakshuka base
• 2 St. Ewe Rich Yolk poached eggs
• Hot honey

Tomato Salsa

• Chopped tomatoes
• Finely diced red onion
• Fresh coriander
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Garnish

• Dill
• Parsley
• Coriander
• Crumbled feta
• Sliced green chillies
• Paprika flakes

Method

1. Combine all salsa ingredients and set aside
2. Poach the eggs until cooked to your preference
3. Toast the flatbread and brush lightly with olive oil
4. Spread the hot shakshuka base evenly across the flatbread
5. Place the poached eggs on top
6. Drizzle with warm honey
7. Spoon over the fresh tomato salsa
8. Finish with feta, herbs, green chillies and paprika flakes before serving

3. Scramble-Shuka

Creamy scrambled eggs folded through warm shakshuka sauce for the ultimate comfort breakfast.

Ingredients

For the eggs:

• Butter
• 3 St. Ewe Rich Yolk eggs
• Salt and pepper

For the shakshuka:

• Handful of sliced red onion
• Sliced green chillies (optional)
• 2-3 ladles shakshuka base
• Squeeze of lime juice

Garnish

• 1 tbsp labneh or Greek yogurt
• Fresh chopped parsley

Method

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat
2. Add the eggs and gently scramble
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Cook until fluffy and softly set, then remove from the pan
5. In a second pan, heat a little olive oil and cook the red onion and chillies until softened
6. Add the shakshuka base and heat through
7. Fold the scrambled eggs into the sauce
8. Mix gently, season to taste and finish with a squeeze of lime juice
9. Spoon into serving bowls and top with labneh or Greek yogurt and fresh parsley

4. Bean-Shuka

A hearty, protein-packed version featuring butter beans baked in shakshuka sauce and finished with a fried egg.

Ingredients

• Butter beans, drained (as many as desired)
• 2-3 ladles shakshuka base
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Garnish

• Greek yogurt
• Roasted red peppers from a jar
• Sumac red onions
• 1 fried St. Ewe Rich Yolk egg
• Fresh herbs
• Salt and pepper
• Toasted, buttered pita bread

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. Season the butter beans with salt and pepper
3. Spoon the shakshuka base into an oven-safe baking dish
4. Create a well in the centre and add the butter beans
5. Drizzle with olive oil
6. Bake until hot, bubbling and lightly caramelised around the edges
7. Meanwhile, fry the egg to your liking
8. Remove the dish from the oven and finish with Greek yogurt, roasted peppers, sumac onions, fresh herbs and the fried egg
9. Serve alongside toasted, buttered pita bread