Shakshuka

Michael Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and red pepper sauce, made with garlic-infused oil and scallion greens, topped with feta and fresh herbs.

Prep 10 min

Cook 25 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Ingredients

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper (about 300 g), diced small (75 g per serve)
• 1/3 cup scallion greens, thinly sliced (no whites)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) diced tomatoes (about 2 cups, 100 g per serve)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon harissa paste (optional, label checked for onion and garlic)

To Finish

• 4 large eggs (use 6 for heartier servings; FODMAP math assumes sauce divided into 4 portions)
• 160 g (about 1 cup crumbled) feta, broken into rough chunks (40 g per serve)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Sourdough spelt bread, toasted, for serving

Instructions

Build the Base

1. Heat the garlic-infused oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
2. Add the diced red pepper and scallion greens. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pepper softens and the edges start to catch color.
3. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, and chili flakes. Toast for 30 seconds, until the spices smell fragrant but not burnt.

Simmer the Sauce

1. Pour in the canned tomatoes with their juice. Add the salt, black pepper, and harissa if using.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens enough that a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a brief trail.
3. Taste and adjust salt.

Poach the Eggs

1. Use the back of a spoon to make 4 shallow wells in the sauce, spaced evenly around the pan.
2. Crack one egg into each well. Season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. For firmer yolks, add another 1 to 2 minutes.

Finish and Serve

1. Scatter the feta across the sauce, tucking some pieces between the eggs.
2. Shower with parsley and cilantro.
3. Bring the pan to the table. Serve with toasted sourdough spelt bread for dipping.

Tips & Substitutions

• Dice the pepper small. Quarter-inch pieces soften into the sauce in 5 to 6 minutes, so the peppers are tender by the time the eggs are done. Larger chunks stay raw-tasting when the eggs are ready.
• Cover the pan for the eggs, not the sauce. The sauce needs to reduce uncovered so it thickens. Once the eggs go in, the lid traps steam and sets the whites from above without overcooking the yolks from below.
• Stick to 1/2 cup tomato per serve. Canned tomatoes are low-FODMAP at 100 g per serve, and one 400 g can across four portions lands exactly there. Don't use two cans if you're keeping it low-FODMAP. Choose diced tomatoes with only tomatoes and tomato juice on the label — skip any with onion, garlic, or natural flavors.
• Monash lists feta at 40 g per serve. 160 g across four eggs keeps each portion at that serve size. More than that can add up fast. If lactose bothers you, use lactose-free feta.
• Check your harissa label. Many brands add onion and garlic. Mina and NY Shuk list ingredients cleanly in some varieties. Formulas change. Check the label each time, and leave it out if you can't confirm the ingredients.
• Bread matters. Choose certified low-FODMAP bread or true long-fermented sourdough. Start with 1 slice and see how you tolerate it. Sourdough spelt and traditional wheat sourdough work for many people at small serves, but slice size and fermentation vary. Skip pita and focaccia unless they're specifically low-FODMAP.

Why This Works

Garlic-infused oil and scallion greens give you that onion-garlic flavor. Classic shakshuka starts with onion and garlic sweated in oil. Using garlic-infused oil and scallion greens gives a similar savory base without the fructans. Fructans don't dissolve in oil, so infused oil tastes garlicky while keeping it low-FODMAP. Make sure your infused oil is fully strained of all garlic pieces.

Red bell pepper stays low-FODMAP at brunch-size serves. Monash lists red bell pepper as low-FODMAP at 75 g per serve. One large pepper split across four portions lands right there and gives the sauce its sweetness and body.

Feta is aged enough to work. Feta loses most of its lactose during brining and aging. Monash lists it as low-FODMAP at 40 g per serve. That's enough to crumble generously across the pan.

The spices add most of the flavor. Cumin, smoked paprika, and optional chili flakes or harissa give shakshuka its signature warmth. All are low-FODMAP at recipe amounts, so you can make it as spicy as you like.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days. The sauce reheats well; the eggs do not — the yolks firm up and the whites turn rubbery. For best results, store extra sauce on its own and poach fresh eggs at serving time. Freezing the sauce alone works for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat in a skillet, and poach eggs fresh.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.