The best eggplant shakshuka, or how to make friends with breakfast

In this traditional Middle Eastern eggplant shakshuka, a thick, chunky tomato and eggplant sauce serves as a bed for perfectly-cooked eggs. The perfect centrepiece for your next Middle Eastern brunch!

Serve this shakshuka as part of an Israeli breakfast! For another favourite traditional shakshuka recipe, check out my green shakshuka.

The building blocks of eggplant shakshuka

A pan so hot that it sizzles at the first drop of oil. A finely minced onion turned golden from the heat.

A glossy, purple eggplant, its skin so dark it is almost black.

Juicy tomatoes so bursting with life, they start to fall apart at the merest application of pressure.

Vibrant, green herbs, and the heat of a few chillies. And finally, luscious, brightly-hued eggs that are poured into little nests of sauce.

Those are the basic ingredients of a perfect eggplant shakshuka, and the easiest way to make people think you're a god in the kitchen. Eggplant shakshuka is more than just a traditional shakshuka recipe with eggplant thrown in - it's a whole dish in its own right.

And while an eggplant breakfast may sound surprising, it's an amazing dish you're going to love - and that will turn you into a fervent eggplant lover!

Cooking an eggplant breakfast for friends

The first time I made eggplant shakshuka for others was at a music festival, the first one I attended in Canada.

I had gone with a group of friends from the student newspaper in which I worked, and has ended up sharing a tent with two university friends.

Without my boyfriend, and surrounded by many people whom I had just met, I felt alone and guarded.

It was early morning on a Saturday, and people were still asleep after a long night of drum circles, guitars, and wandering. Despite the hour, I was already up and about, one of the only campers who abstained from too much imbibing the night before; and so, I had decided it was high time to introduce my friends to my traditional shakshuka recipe.

I set up a little cutting board and a makeshift cooking station, a Coleman Gas Stove haphazardly perched on a the corner of a picnic table, and set to work. As my hunting knife slid through the eggplant and tomatoes, their guts spilled onward onto the board, splashing the table with their red juices.

The sharp sting of the onion hurt my eyes, drawing forth unwanted tears. A small eggplant was cut into cubes, and dropped onto the already-smoking pan. Eggs were broken into a bowl; some scrambled, others kept whole, their golden yolks eyeing me reproachfully.

As the smell of the caramelizing onion permeated the air, people began to stir and wake. One by one, my friends were coming out of their tents, rubbing their bloodshot eyes. Some sought out water; others, the hair of the dog. As the tomato-eggplant sauce thickened in the pan, the campground came to life with hushed morning conversation.

Someone started to boil water for coffee, and soon, steaming mugs were passed around. Another friend cut up bread and set up plates. A party was forming around our site.

Ingredients for eggplant shakshuka

To amaze your friends and win at brunch, this is what you need to make roasted eggplant shakshuka:

• 1 large onion
• 1 medium eggplant
• 4 TBs oil
• 4 large tomatoes or a can of canned tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp of salt or more, to taste
• 1 TB paprika
• ½ TB cumin
• 1 tsp chili flakes or ½ of a fresh jalapeno
• ½ tsp sugar
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• a handful of parsley to taste
• 4 eggs

Directions for how to cook this eggplant shakshuka

Gather and prep all your ingredients for eggplant shakshuka

Chop onions finely. Dice eggplant and tomatoes into ½-inch cubes. Mince garlic finely. If using a fresh jalapeno pepper, chop ½ a pepper finely.

Salt the eggplant

After dicing your veggies, you need to drain the eggplant. I know that sounds weird, but trust me - this is going to make a HUGE difference in your eggplant dishe! Draining the eggplant allows all the bitterness and water to come out of the eggplant. This changes its texture and makes it less spongy, and it also gives flavour to a vegetable that doesn't have much on its own.

Place eggplant in a colander, and salt it to draw liquids out. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes. There isn't an accurate amount of salt to use - just use a few generous sprinkles. If you think you oversalted the eggplant, then rinse it under water when you're done.

Choose the right pan

Before you get started cooking, you need to choose the RIGHT pan for our traditional shakshuka recipe! The pan would preferably be either non-stick pan, or enamel-coated cast iron (trust me, you want something that you're not going to have to scrape eggs and sauce from). Once you have the right pan chosen, preheat this large pan to medium heat.

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Sautee the onion

When pan is hot, add one TB of vegetable oil, and onion. Saute onion on medium heat for 5 minutes, then lower heat to medium-low and cook for another 5.

Sautee the eggplant

When the onions have turned golden, add 2 TBs of oil and eggplant cubes - but do not crowd them! It's better that you use less eggplant than crowding it, because it won't result in an even browning.

Let eggplant brown for a few minutes, then when the eggplant has soaked up all the oil, add another TB of oil, and toss eggplant to coat.

Continue browning eggplant for 10 minutes, turning pieces occasionally to ensure equal coverage, until all have coloured evenly.

Add tomatoes for that yummy shakshuka sauce

Add tomatoes to pan. Let tomatoes draw water on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they all break down into a chunky sauce (this can take anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes).

Add chopped garlic cloves and spices.

Cook the eggs

Crack eggs into a bowl. Traditionally, eggs are simply poured into the traditional shakshuka sauce, one egg per hole. But some people, myself included, prefer the eggs scrambled separately, and then mixed with a bit of sauce in their little nests. If you're unsure what you will prefer, try both methods.

With a wooden spoon, create holes in the sauce for the eggs. Pour eggs into holes, one egg per nest (or a bit of egg scramble per nest, if going the scrambled route).

On medium heat, cover pan (this is important!), and let eggs cook between 8 to 10 minutes, testing for doneness after eight (you want the whites of the eggs to set and change from translucent, while the yolk should still be a little jiggly). Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on the shakshuka.

Serve eggplant shakshuka with parsley, yogurt and bread

Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with a little bit of yogurt and crusty bread, to taste. Don't forget to sop up the sauce when you're done.

A labour of love

Eggplant shakshuka is a labour of love, a slow dish that is not to be rushed; it takes time and patience, letting its smell be a clear invitation to work up an appetite. It's more than a traditional shakshuka recipe - it's a whole story, waiting to be written.

And it is best made on an open flame, with the call of birds and the smell of pine needles all around you.

But when it is ready, it happens all at once; the yolks are still quivering in their encasement, their centres still a little runny. It works on its own time, demanding respect but waiting for no one, this eggplant shakshuka.

The finished dish

And so it was. When the yolks had barely set, I spooned mounds of thick, chunky tomato and eggplant sauce onto plates. Inside them, eggs were nestled precariously, threatening to prematurely spill their centres with one wrong move.

When the eggplant shakshuka hit the table, the only sounds became the scraping of forks against metal camping plates, the slurping of more coffee, and the eternal singing of birds. Thick-crusted bread was used to sop up the leftover juices; the more juices, the better.

Meanwhile, I created little nests in the sauce, dropping eggs one by one into their burrows. I stirred the sauce slowly, sipping my coffee, shielding my eyes from the rising sun. Sweat beads were starting to form at the nape of my neck, but I knew I still had work to do.

The reaction

Buoyed by the food and cups of milky coffee, my friends raised their voices. Someone told a joke and laughter spilled forth from the group, unguarded. Another told high tales of last night's shenanigans.

And as I mopped up the last of the sauce, accepting compliments on the food, I understood that there was another basic ingredient in any good eggplant shakshuka: camaraderie. And thanks to the binding power of food, I had managed to create just that.

Why I really think this is the BEST eggplant shakshuka

This eggplant breakfast is my go-to breakfast on many, many special occasions - and just everyday brunches.

I love this recipe because it is:

• a showcase of the eggplant like never before
• fast
• delicious
• gluten-free
• vegetarian
• filling
• special enough to wow friends
• regular enough to serve to your family

Scaling the recipe

My eggplant shakshuka recipe feeds 2 people, with 2 eggs per person. It can also be easily scaled up and down, feeding two or a crowd - all you need to do is increase the amount of eggs. I can fit up to 8 eggs in this pan, with this amount of sauce.

If you want to cook a shakshuka with more than 8 eggs, no problem - just increase the sauce accordingly!

When to serve this dish

You do not need to wait until a camping trip or a music festival to make this dish. You don't even have to make it for breakfast - in Israeli, shakshuka often serves as lunch or dinner.

Adaptations

This dish is already gluten-free, paleo, keto and whole 30 approved.

To make it vegan, substitute the eggs with extra firm tofu that you cut and crush into little pieces! Then just stir the tofu into the tomato and eggplant sauce. It's YUM!!!!

Dominant flavors and ingredients

The main flavours in this eggplant breakfast recipe are eggplant, eggs and tomatoes.

You can omit the eggplant, and make traditional shakshuka on a budget with one can of tomatoes (buying them in bulk is even cheaper).

You can make green shakshuka and take your brunch in a whole new direction!

I made it twice last month, once for my whole family, and then again on a quiet Sunday morning for G and I. Both times, the sauce thickened just so, though I overcooked the eggs. And yet, the magic of shakshuka was so strong that it did not matter.

What to serve with eggplant shakshuka

Paired with sharp cheeses, tangy yogurt, and crusty bread, eggplant shakshuka was enough to make everyone feel a little bit better, and just a bit closer to each other.

If you're serving this eggplant shakshuka as part of a Middle Eastern breakfast, I recommend pairing it with Israeli chopped salad, mushroom bourekas, and a cardamom beetroot latte.

More eggplant dishes

If you're like me and you just can't get enough eggplant recipes in your life, here are some of my favourite ways to cook - and eat - eggplant. Honorable mentions include but are not limited to, these eggplant parmesan stacks, roasted eggplant and tomato dip, and moussaka eggplant casserole.

For more breakfast dishes:

You can't go wrong with my baked breakfast rutabaga casserole or indulgent Sunday brunch oyster bake with a cup of coffee for breakfast.

Recipe

Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

The best eggplant shakshuka

Ksenia Prints

In this traditional Middle Eastern dish, a thick, chunky tomato and eggplant sauce serves as a bed for perfectly-cooked eggs. In winter, you can omit the eggplant, and make shakshuka on a budget with one can of tomatoes. The quantities mentioned here will make shakshuka out of four eggs, with plenty of sauce to mop up. The sauce can be scaled up by half to make 6-7 eggs - all you need is just a large enough pan. Double the sauce, and you can easily make 10 eggs in a very large pan.

4.92 from 99 votes

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine Israeli, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings 2 people

Calories 525 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 large onion
• 1 medium eggplant
• 4 TBs oil
• 4 large tomatoes or a can of canned tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of salt or more, to taste
• 1 TB paprika
• ½ TB cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes or ½ of a fresh jalapeno - this would depend on your spice tolerance level
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• a handful of parsley to taste
• 4 eggs

Instructions

 

• Chop onions finely. Dice eggplant and tomatoes into ½ inch cubes. Place eggplant in a colander, and salt it to draw liquids out. Mince garlic finely. If using a fresh jalapeno pepper, chop ½ a pepper finely.
• Heat a large pan to medium heat - the pan would preferably be either non-stick, or enamel-coated (trust me, you want something that you're not going to have to scrape eggs and sauce from). When pan is hot, add one TB of vegetable oil, and onion. Saute onion on medium heat for 5 minutes, then lower heat to medium-low and cook for another 5.
• When onions have turned golden, add 2 TBs of oil and eggplant cubes - but do not crowd them! It's better that you use less eggplant than crowding it, because it won't result in an even browning. Let eggplant brown for a few minutes, then when the eggplant has soaked up all the oil, add another TB of oil, and toss eggplant to coat. Continue browning eggplant for 10 minutes, turning pieces occasionally to ensure equal coverage, until all have coloured evenly.
• Add tomatoes to pan. Let tomatoes draw water on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they all break down into a chunky sauce (this can take anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes). Add chopped garlic cloves and spices.
• Crack eggs into a bowl. Traditionally, eggs are simply poured into the shakshuka sauce, one egg per hole; but some people, myself included, prefer the eggs scrambled separately, and then mixed with a bit of sauce in their little nests. If you're unsure what you will prefer, try both methods.
• With a wooden spoon, create holes in the sauce for the eggs. Pour eggs into holes, one egg per nest (or a bit of egg scramble per nest, if going the scrambled route). On medium heat, cover pan (this is important!), and let eggs cook between 8 to 10 minutes, testing for doneness after eight (you want the whites of the eggs to set and change from translucent, while the yolk should still be a little jiggly). Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on the shakshuka.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with a little bit of yogurt and crusty bread, to taste. Don't forget to sop up the sauce when you're done.

Notes

To make this dish into a vegan eggplant shakshuka, sub the eggs for pieces of extra firm tofu. Dice the tofu into 1-inch cubes, and then crush the cubes into crumbles with a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir the tofu crumbles into the sauce in the same way you would stir in the eggs - and voila! You've got a killer plant-based dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 525kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 17gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 327mgSodium: 1327mgPotassium: 1411mgFiber: 12gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 3019IUVitamin C: 64mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 4mg

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