Vegan shakshuka is a delicious savory breakfast or brunch option that will have you coming back for seconds (or thirds!).
I always hear everyone talk about the eternal question that haunts all adults - "What's for dinner?". Well, in my household we differ a little bit because our question is always "about "what's for breakfast?". Even my 3 year old toddler has the same question for us everyday!
Now of course, I am going to do my best to make something delicious for them and thats where this vegan shakshuka comes in. Yes, you can skip those expensive eggs because we are using an all vegan version here(more details below). This breakfast is not only delicious but also perfect for meal prep.
Other delicious breakfast options for you to try - Vegan Morning Glory Muffins, Carrot Halwa Oatmeal, Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowl, Sweet Pongal, Vegan Banana Pancakes
More about shakshuka
Shakshuka is considered to be Tunisian and widely eaten in the North African region. With migration, it has become a major part of countries like Israel. Now, of course it has become a become popular across lots of regions and it is on menus of restaurants and cafes regularly.
Shakshuka is made with a base of tomatoes, bell peppers cooked with spices in a pan with little pockets of poached eggs enclosed in this sauce. My version is a vegan one with no eggs but silken tofu! Yep, those little "poached eggs" in the picture above is a silken tofu mixture cooked in the tomato and bell pepper mixture and topped off with some nutritional yeast 😉.
After cooking, the silken tofu achieves this melt in your mouth texture. Along with the decadent tasting tomato-pepper base, this becomes the perfect dish to scoop up in some pita or naan for a fantastic breakfast, brunch or even lunch!
Tips for a great vegan shakshuka
- Make sure the tomatoes are cooked well and the base is not watery. If the water content is high, the tofu mixture tends to get diluted and run when you add to the pan. So, take your time and cook down that base before adding the tofu mixture.
- Use canned tomatoes - canned tomatoes are also packed with the juices which add a lot of flavor to the final dish. Fresh tomatoes will also work if thats what you have or choose to use.
- Don't skip the spices - The spices really add depth to the dish and would definitely recommend utilizing all of them. I have used cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, black salt.
- This recipe makes at least 10-12 servings. See notes in the recipe card to see how you can cook all of it in the same pan.
Ingredients for vegan shakshuka
Tomatoes - I used canned diced tomatoes since I find the juices in the can really enhance the flavors. I also like that the tomatoes are already diced. So, you don't have to spend too much time breaking them apart. I used a wooden spatula to gently break apart the bigger chunks.
Bell Pepper - Traditionally green bell pepper is used. I used red bell peppers because thats what I had on hand. Chop the bell peppers finely, since this helps in cooking them faster. You can use any colored bell peppers of your choice.
Onions - You will need red or yellow onions which are finely chopped.
Garlic - Fresh garlic will work best but you can also use frozen or jarred garlic.
Spices and Seasoning - I used turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder along with salt and a dash of black pepper.
Silken Tofu - I like using silken tofu because the texture when cooked reminds me of silky egg whites. Now they won't be as firm as egg whites texture but it comes close. You can also try using any other type of tofu you have on hand.
Garlic and Onion Powder- this is for adding savory flavor to the blended tofu mixture.
Nutritional Yeast and Kala Namak - I used these more as a topping once the tofu "eggs" are cooked rather than adding to the tofu mix. Especially the kala namak(black salt) which loses its potency with heat. So add it right at the end. Also I love using the nutritional yeast as a topping to make it look like the yolk 🙂
FAQ
Sure! Try adding greens like spinach, chard or kale. You can also in finely chopped mushrooms or grated zucchini,carrots, potatoes etc.
This vegan shakshuka stores really well in the refrigerator and can be made a day ahead of serving. I have made this and stored it in the pan as it is once it has cooled down. Next day, I just heated it up on the stove and it was ready to serve.
You can also make the tomato-pepper sauce and tofu mix ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the tomato-pepper mixture but would not recommend freezing the tofu mix.
I have used spices like cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric that is traditionally used in northern African cuisines. If you want to skip any, I might suggest leaving our coriander and turmeric. You can also swap chili powder with chili flakes to keep it mild.
Just put the sauce on some warm toast and enjoy it as breakfast or snack. Its absolute delicious! You can also mix in some canned beans and enjoy it as a snack. The tofu mix can be used to make tofu scramble. You can also chop up some veggies, mix it in and bake in a muffin pan to make breakfast muffins.
Serving suggestions
You can build an entire meal around this vegan shakshuka!
- Serve hot topped with chopped cilantro, mint and/parsley.
- Add a side of flatbread like naan or pita to scoop up the sauce and to make it a more filling meal. You can also serve with hearty crusty bread.
- Besides bread, serve a fresh salad
- With cooked grains like couscous or rice.
- Hummus or any creamy bean dip, whipped feta, yoghurt will also go great with shakshuka.
Did you give the vegan shakshuka a try? let me know by leaving a comment, feedback or suggestions below. You can also follow along on social media at Facebook, Bluesky or Pinterest.
Recipe
Vegan Shakshuka
Equipment
- 1 10" or 12" frying pan stainless steel or cast iron
Ingredients
- 2 can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 medium Red or Yellow Onion finely chopped
- 1 medium Green or Red Bell Pepper finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon Avocado/ Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Cilantro/ Parsley roughly chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Spices
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kala Namak(Black Salt)
Silken Tofu Mix
- 16 oz Silken Tofu
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast for topping
Instructions
- Heat the pan and add the oil. Once hot, add the chopped onions. Cook for 5 minutes. Now add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with some salt. Pour the diced tomatoes along with the juices. Slowly break down the large chunks of tomatoes using a spatula.
- Now add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and red chili powder. Season with more salt and pepper. Mix well and let this cook for 8- 10 minutes. Ensure most of the water content has been cooked off.
- When the tomato-pepper mixture is cooking, place the tofu, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Add a 3-4 tablespoons of water if required while blending. Keep aside.
- Now start making little pockets one at a time around the pan and and start pouring some of the blended tofu mix in the pocket(s). Let this cook at a medium low heat for 7-8 minutes. Make sure the tomato base does not bubble over. You will notice the juices pop up through the center of the tofu pockets and the tofu slowly dry out a bit.
- Once the tofu looks set, top with kala namak and the nutritional yeast. Turn off the heat and top with chopped cilantro/parsley. Serve hot with bread or flatbread of your choice.
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