Green Shakshuka

Rich and delicious, our creamy Green Shakshuka is perfect any time of day and full of flavor. It goes perfectly with salad and crusty bread for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner and is the trendy dish everyone keeps talking about.

The prep time for our easy shakshuka recipe is minimal, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family on a busy weeknight.

What is Shakshuka?

This beautifully cooked poached egg dish served in sauce is very popular in many areas of the Middle East and the origin of the dish is actually very controversial, but is usually attributed to North Africa in the 16th century. The word shakshuka itself is thought to be of arabic origin meaning "mixture".

The dish is traditionally eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce but our Green Shakshuka recipe takes a new spin on flavor with a creamy green sauce filled with herbs and Swiss chard instead of tomatoes and red peppers. Make sure to check out our other Shakshuka recipes at the end of this post!

Ingredients for Green Shakshuka

• Swiss Chard. If you prefer, you can use baby spinach or kale.
• Zucchini.
• Fresh Herbs: Cilantro. Parsley. Basil leaves. The freshness adds significantly to this dish. Mint is also very possible, for variety.
• Garlic Cloves.
• Large Eggs.
• Heavy Cream. You can also use Labneh.
• Veggie Broth. You can also use Vegetarian Non-chicken Broth.
• Sumac. You could use smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, za'atar, coriander or other herbs and spices for variation. We love making variations on this dish, since we’ve enjoyed it so many times at home. Be sure to check out our other recipes!
• Aleppo Pepper. For heat if desired.
• Jalapeño Pepper. Red bell pepper is traditional, but since this is a green variation we think the Jalapeño is the perfect choice. You will find as many variations of shakshuka in Israel as there are cooks!

How to Make Green Shakshuka

Grab yourself a large sauté pan or a deep large skillet with a lid. Pour in some olive oil and let it heat up. Once it's nice and hot, toss in the chopped onions and jalapeño. Cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes until they turn all nice and translucent.

It's garlic time! Add those minced garlic cloves to the pan and cook them for about 2 minutes. Can you smell that garlicky goodness?

Take the shredded zucchini and give it a good squeeze to get rid of as much water as possible. Add the shredded zucchini to the pan, along with some salt, pepper, Aleppo pepper (for a little kick), and Sumac (for that tangy flavor). Give everything a good stir and let it cook for around 10 minutes until all the zucchini is tender.

Give the cilantro, parsley, and basil a good wash and pat them dry. Place them into a food processor and grind them up until they form a green paste.

Toss the Swiss Chard leaves into the pan and add the chopped herbs.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes until all the flavors get cozy with each other.

Pour in the vegetable broth and cream. Bring it all to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for about 5 minutes. This will help the sauce thicken up a bit and get even yummier.

Using the back of a spoon, make six little wells in the sauce by pushing it to the side. Crack an egg into each of these wells. Now, cover the pan and cook everything on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. This should cook the egg whites to perfection, and you can decide how you like your egg yolks – runny or firm. I love how much runny yolks add to the dish! Taste and adjust with salt as needed. Sprinkle on feta cheese crumbles or freh mozzarella cheese,if desired. Shakshuka with feta is the fantastic!

What to Serve with Shakshuka

This dish is perfect for breakfast and goes well with any brunch menu. Serve it alongside fresh fruit and crusty bread for a complete meal. It is also commonly served with pita bread or naan.

Tips for Making Green Shakshuka with Poached Eggs

• Keep the heat on medium or medium-low so that you don't overcook the eggs before the dish is ready.
• You can cook the eggs to the finish of your choice, just make sure the egg whites are set. Spoon hot liquid up and over the eggs to help them cook gently.
• When you cook the eggs the yolk will look whitish, if you want it to look like in the images above gently remove the thin membrane that formed over the yolk and you will expose the bright yellow color of the egg.
• Sliced avocado is a lovely addition to this dish.
• Adding a squirt or two of lemon to the dish once it is finished will brighten it up a bit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shakshuka Spicy?

Not always. Many variations of the dish exist with varying degrees of sweetness and spice. You can adjust the spice level of our recipe by adding more or less Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes. is not at all spicy but you can certainly add heat if you prefer it.

Can you eat shakshuka for dinner?

Yes! Breakfast for dinner is one of our favorite weeknight dinners.

Why is shakshuka a healthy dish?

Eggs and veggies with a very low carb content make this a vitamin-filled, high-value protein-based meal.

Can you make shakshuka ahead of time?

The shakshuka sauce can be made 2 days ahead.  Heat the sauce and add the eggs right before serving. If the sauce seems too thick you can add broth or water to loosen it.

How to Store and Reheat Shakshuka

The leftovers of this dish will need refrigerated and will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for several days. A minute in the microwave or less should be perfect to reheat a portion.

How long will Shakshuka last in the fridge?

Up to three days in an airtight container.

Can I freeze Shakshuka?

While you can freeze a traditional shakshuka sauce, I would not recommend freezing this sauce made with heavy cream since it changes the texture significantly. You also should not freeze leftover shakshuka with eggs already cooked. Instead, freeze the sauce and add eggs during the reheating process.

More Shakshuka Recipes

• 20-Minute Shakshuka
• Fresh Mozzarella, Mushroom and Eggplant Shakshuka Recipe