I'm so excited to share this green shakshuka recipe with you guys! I love breakfasts foods and am always up for trying something new. While pancakes would have to be my number one favorite favorite breakfast, this dish is now a close number two! This Southern Green Shakshuka combines delicious and nutrient-packed leafy greens with soft poached eggs for a healthy breakfast dish loaded with flavor!
What is Shakshuka?
Before we dive into the recipe, let's talk about the components and origin of this flavorful dish. First the pronunciation - Shakshuka (also sometimes spelled Shakshouka) is pronounced Shahk-SHOO-kah and means "all mixed up" in Hebrew.
Egg shakshuka is a simple one-skillet dish of gently poached eggs in a tasty mixture of simmering tomatoes, green peppers, onions and garlic. A few spices are added, and they may vary slightly from one recipe to another. Spices you typically see are nutmeg, cumin and cayenne pepper.
Traditional shakshuka originally came from North Africa. Tunisia is said to be its place of birth but it is quite popular in the Middle East and you’ll find variations of it in Palestine, Israel, Egypt and many other places.
Green shakshuka is a fun spin on the classic recipe, in which eggs are poached with a mixture of fresh greens, herbs and spices. The type of greens used is totally up to the cook. Some varieties that you see a lot in green shakshuka are kale, spinach, chard or beet greens. You guys know I'm always looking ways to add some southern flair to a dish and we give this green shakshuka a southern spin by using collard greens!
Making Southern Green Shakshuka
For this recipe, I used leftover collards that I braised in vegetable broth and spices. You can also use fresh collard greens and give them a quick braise for this dish. Either way, the result is flavorful and delicious.
In a large oven-proof skillet (I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet), heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the chopped onion and tomatillos. Saute for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add garlic and ground cumin and saute for another minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the collard greens, salt and pepper, nutmeg and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Gently stir until the greens start to wilt.
Add the vegetable broth and continue to cook on medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes (unless using leftover cooked collard greens - see next step). Test the tenderness of your greens and add additional cooking time if desired to reach your preferred level of tenderness. Collards can be a tough green. Also add more salt and pepper to taste.
If using leftover greens that have already been cooked as I did, you only need to heat the greens and no vegetable broth is needed. Add the leftover cooked greens, nutmeg and cayenne, and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are heated through.
Make 6 wells in the greens. Carefully crack an egg into each well. Season the eggs with a bit of salt and cracked black pepper. Either place a lid on the skillet and allow the eggs to cook on the stove top or place the skillet in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F to cook eggs. Either way, cook egg for 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. 5 minutes yields a runny yolk and ten minutes yields a firm yolk.
Remove the shakshuka from the oven and allow to cool. Top with fresh chopped cilantro before serving. Serve shakshuka with warm crusty bread if desired.
Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to three days.
Do I Have to Use Collard Greens?
Absolutely not! As I mentioned earlier, you see a variety of different greens used in green shakshuka. Instead of the collards, you may also use kale, bok choy, chard, beet greens or even spinach! Just keep in mind how the greens wilt during the cooking process as you want to make sure you have enough. I would say you want at least 6 cups of uncooked chopped greens.
You Will Also Love this Vegetarian Southern Collard Greens Recipe!
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Southern Green Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 to matillos diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 medium bunches of collard greens washed and cut into ribbons (about 6 cups)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt & pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup of vegetable broth
- 6 eggs
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a large oven-proof skillet (I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet), heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the chopped onion and tomatillos. Saute for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the ground cumin and garlic and saute until garlic is fragrant. Add the collard greens, salt and pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Gently stir until the greens start to wilt.
- Add the vegetable broth and cook greens for 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until greens are tender and broth has evaporated*. Check the tenderness of your greens and add additional cooking time and broth if desired to reach your preferred level of tenderness. Collards can be a tough green. Also add more salt and pepper to taste at this point.
- Make 6 wells in the greens. Carefully crack an egg into each well and season the eggs with a bit of salt and cracked black pepper. Either place a lid on the skillet and cook eggs on the stove top or carefully transfer the skillet to an oven preheated to 400 degrees F to cook eggs until cooked to your liking. 5 minutes will yield a runny eggs, in 10 minutes the eggs will be fully cooked and firm.
- Once eggs are cooked, allow shakshuka to cool for 5-10 minutes and top with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve shakshuka with warm crusty bread if desired.
Notes
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Hi AshLey! This was delicious!!! The seasoning was perfect, just enough spice! I Used swiss chard and instead of bread, i put it over roasted potatoes. Trying to use items from my garden and this recipe was perfect for it! Thank you!
Hi Lori!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I’ll have to try serving it over roasted potatoes. That sounds amazing! Thank you!