We had such a great response to our Immunity Boosting Chicken Soup Recipe last week, that we decided to whip up another delicious and extremely healthy recipe for you!
Traditionally, Shakshuka is a combination of eggs, tomatoes, and spices popular across the Middle East and North Africa. Shakshuka comes in many shapes and sizes. The dish is likely of Tunisian or Yemini origin, and the name is thought to originate from either Arabic or Amazigh (Berber) for "mixture."
Jered has been making Shakshuka for our family for years, originally learning about the dish from fellow Chef, Elias Said (Olives) from Israel. In the name of our obvious focus on keeping everyone strong and healthy over here, we decided to kick up the healthy factor a few notches and go green!
This Shakshuka base is spinach, asparagus and zucchini. All chock full of anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting nutrients.
The recipe is below, and here's another timelapse of Chef Jered's preparations. Enjoy!
Get Your Greens Shakshuka with spinach, asparagus & zucchini
INGREDIENTS
For the pickled onions: 1 red onion, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons sumac ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the green sauce: 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion diced 4 garlic gloves, chopped 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into chunks with tips put aside 2 tbsp zaatar spice 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 bunch fresh oregano, stems picked off 1 bunch green onions, chopped (1/2 for sauce, 1/2 for garnish) 2 cups heavy cream 2 cups chicken broth 2 bags baby spinach 3 tbsp honey 2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Pepper + to taste *optional - pickled turnips, roughly chopped
Finishing it all off: 2 tbsp olive oil 2 small zucchini cut into small cubes 5 eggs 1/2 cup feta cheese 1/2 cup of greek yogurt (in dollops) garnish with green onions & chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To begin, prepare your pickled onions by mixing the finely slivered red onion, sumac, white wine vinegar, and salt. Leave aside for a minimum of one hour. Longer is ok! The longer the better actually.
2. In a large oven safe saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add the onion, garlic, and asparagus stems. Sauté for 5- 8 minutes until the onions start to brown.
3. Add the zaatar spice, coriander, fresh oregano, honey, half the green onions and 2 tsp of salt. Continue to saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and reduce for 2 minutes. Add cream.
4. Slowly add the spinach in small batches and allow to wilt down. It might look like it won't all fit in the pan, but it will! Take your time. Once spinach is incorporated, remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-8 minutes.
5. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust for seasoning, you may want to add additional salt, pepper or honey for sweetness.
6. Preheat your oven to 400*F. 7. Reheat your pan and add 2 tbsp more olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, pickled turnips and asparagus tips previously set aside. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer, cooking until zucchini and asparagus tips are tender. Let the sauce thickens for 5 minutes.
8. Take care cracking 5 eggs on top of the mixture. Sprinkle each yolk with a pinch of salt. When the egg whites start to solidify (4-5 minutes), remove from heat and transfer to your preheated oven (at 400*F) for 10 minutes (or until eggs are cooked through).
9. Take out of the oven and liberally garnish with the pickled sumac onions, feta cheese, generous dollops of greek yogurt, green onions and parsley. Serve with fresh warm bread or pita bread!
Stay healthy out there folks!
