Shakshouka is one of those classic regional dishes that has as many different versions as it does regions who lay claim to it. A rich, spicy, tomato sauce with poached eggs, and plenty of bread for dipping. Traditionally it’s most commonly used for breakfast (and a great hangover cure!) but it works wonderfully for any time of day and we always used to love it for dinner. It’s one of those meals that made taking that final step towards being vegan and giving up eggs quite hard, so today I wanted to have a go at tackling a vegan shakshouka.
There have been plenty of attempts to veganise this dish but most of them use tofu to replace the eggs. Given how much we loved this dish I want to make it something we can have fairly regularly so tofu was out for us. Instead I’ve gone for something that compliments the spicy tomato base. I’ve designed this version to work well with frozen items or pantry staples (some of which I tend to prepare myself when batch cooking) so whether you want a quick dinner, a midnight snack, or something to help ease that hangover, hopefully this will be just the thing.
We dipped in thick slices of a warm gluten free loaf and it was delicious – just what I’d been missing!
- Makes: Serves 3-4
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 2 Aubergines*
- 230g Butter beans
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/4 Tsp All Spice
- 1/2 tsp Sumac
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
For the spicy sauce:
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 2 Tbsp Harissa
- 1/2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
- 340g Peppers, sliced**
- 4 Garlic Cloves. minced
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Coriander
- 2 Tins Chopped Tomatoes (aprox. 800g)
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Directions
Start with the topping, set your oven to 200°C (180ºC fan/400ºF). Roast the aubergines whole for 45 minutes to an hour making sure to pierce them a few times before placing on the roasting tray. When you take the aubergines out of the oven, the inside wants to completely soft while the skin will be starting to burn a little. Peel the aubergines as soon as you can bear it (the longer you leave them to cool, it harder it will be), and discard the skins. Put the aubergines and beans into a bowl together along with the rest of the topping ingredients and roughly mash everything together. Taste and season well – this works a lot better with a generous crunch of pepper.
For the main body of the shakshouka, heat the oil in a wide saute pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, gently sauteing till the garlic just starts to soften. Now add your harissa, tomato purée, peppers, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Stir and cook on a moderate heat for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers have softened. Add the tomatoes, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Taste for seasoning.
Make a few dips in the sauce and dollop in your aubergine topping, easing the sauce over the edges of the mix. Simmer gently with a lid on for another 10 minutes or so, until the sauce is thick and the aubergine mix is warmed through.
Serve with thick crusty (gluten free) bread for dipping and a touch on parsley if you want to be fancy.
Notes
* I like to have a few roasted aubergines in my freezer (its the perfect thing to do if your aubergines are starting to turn).
** We tend to have a bag or two of sliced peppers in the freezer for quick dinners and this works equally well with frozen as with fresh.
Allergy Notes; This is one of those rare recipes that is already vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free with no substitutes needed!
