Vegetarian Cheese Shakshuka Recipe

Don't miss out on my vegetarian cheese shakshuka tastes just like pizza. Made with stringy Jarlsberg cheese, this is the vegetatrian shakshuka you'll make again and again!

Shakshuka with cheese is not a well known way to eat shakshuka. But once you taste it, you will wonder why: how come people didn't clue in that a shakshuka that tastes just like pizza can only be AMAZING??

On that note, I've also been obsessed with Keto Pizza Stuffed Peppers. I think the idea of combining cheese, tomatoes and removing any crust from pizza is my new favorite.

This post is a partnership with Jarlsberg Cheese. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible; I am proud to only work with companies that I truly believe in.

Memories of Dr. Shakshuka

When I was 16, my friends and I started a new tradition, and Dr. Shakshuka was at its epicentre.

Every month or so, usually on Tuesdays, we would skip school, hop on a cheap bus and go to Tel Aviv. There we would visit the artisanal market in the morning, and then head on down to Jaffa, where we'd stroll for hours through art galleries and the stalls of Israel's largest flea market.

We would usually end our tour with a meal at Dr. Shakshuka.  While there, we always shared a large salad and, depending on the number of girls, one or two shakshukas. Large and overflowing with toppings, these were the best shakshuka we ever had.

It was there I fell in love with eggplant shakshuka and discovered green shakshuka. And most importantly, tasted the wonder that is cheese shakshuka: a dish that tastes just like pizza.

Ingredient Spotlight: Jarlsberg Cheese

If you've been here a while, you KNOW I love cooking with Jarlsberg. It's a cheese I always have in the fridge for cooking, because its mild flavor means it pairs beautifully with many foods while still holding its own. It's a versatile cheese that's good in vegetarian dishes and even with meat.

In my house, we eat a lot of Jarlsberg cheese. My son is a huge fan of its nutty flavor, and ate 100 grams all by himself! No joke, the rate at which that child goes through cheese is alarming.

And most importantly, we love Jarlsberg for how well it melts! There's nothing like biting into a Jarlsberg grilled cheese or even a lasagna, and getting those stretchable strings of cheese pulling from your mouth!! It's also great for arepas con queso and cheesy balkan bourekas with eggplant. 

Other than Jarlsberg, I also enjoy crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese.

Equipment

• One large skillets, preferably non-stick
• One spatula
• Liquid measuring cup
• Cutting Board
• Chef's Knife

Directions for making Vegetarian Shakshuka with Cheese:

Prep the vegetables

Dice the onion coarsely. Dice the hot pepper finely. Mince the garlic. Dice the tomatoes into cubes.

Fry onions and peppers

Set your pan to medium heat. Add oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until it becomes translucent, 5 mins. Add the hot pepper and garlic and saute until it softens, about 1 minute.

Make spiced tomato sauce.

Add tomatoes to pan. Continue sauteing, while stirring for a few minutes until the tomatoes soften and begin to break down into a chunky tomato sauce, about 5 minutes.

Add salt and black pepper. Add the tomato paste and 50 ml of water, and stir.

Cook over medium-low heat for another 10 minutes.

Add the eggs to your cheesy shakshuka

Create little nests in your sauce, and carefully add the eggs, one egg per nest.

Close with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. Open the lid and sprinkle the grated Jarlsberg cheese between the yolks. Using a wooden spoon, carefully mix the cheese into the sauce.

Close again with a lid, lower the heat and cook for 5-10 minutes (or until the level of softness you like your yolks).

Serve with fresh cilantro and good bread

Sprinkle with freshly diced cilantro.

Serve cheese shakshuka with fresh challah or large focaccia. Add my Russian syrniki or my raspberry ricotta cheesecakeas part of a Passover or Shavuot meal. 

Scaling the recipe

Feel free to increase the recipe as much as you need, depending on the size of your pan and how many people you're feeding. A person will usually eat 1-2 eggs each. If you increase the eggs, increase the amount of tomato sauce as well - I like to use one tomato per egg.

Can you store shakshuka with cheese for later?

I don't recommend keeping eggs from shakshuka with cheese for later, but the cheesy tomato sauce will keep very well and can be served with pasta, rice or cauliflower rice.

Recipe