During our time in Vancouver, we tried lots of delicious restaurants, one being Medina – famous for its brunch.
The long line was worth the wait on a cold dreary morning and all I was craving was a hot beverage and a comforting pot of something warm and delicious. One bite into the tagine (a close cousin to the North African dish known as “shakshuka”) and the smoky, intense flavors in the tomato sauce, I was hooked!
I got to work recreating this dish once we returned home.
This 30-minute, 1-pot meal starts with a mixture of onions, garlic, and bell pepper. Next comes tomato puree (or diced tomatoes) and tomato paste for plenty of rich, hearty flavor.
Seasonings can practically be whatever you have in your pantry, but I felt that cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, coriander, and cardamom worked best, giving the dish a smoky, earthy, rich, and comforting flavor.
Next comes cooked chickpeas and olives to provide a little more saltiness and substance. Plant protein to the rescue!
This dish is quite amazing. It’s:
Smoky
Tomato-y
Rich
Hearty
Spicy
Comforting
Vegetable-forward
Protein- & fiber-rich
& Insanely easy to make!
This is the type of plant-based meal that can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. From what I gather, shakshuka is traditionally a baked egg dish, but I swapped in chickpeas for the protein. Serve with toasted bread, flatbread, or over rice, cauliflower rice, or gluten-free pasta of choice! I think this pairs especially well with my Garlicky Chickpea Kale Salad.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you came up with. Cheers, friends!
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 cup (57 g) diced white onion or shallot
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)
- 1 28-ounce (793 g) can tomato puree OR diced tomatoes with salt
- 3 Tbsp (60 g) tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp (12 g) coconut sugar or maple syrup (or stevia to taste)
- Sea salt to taste
- 2 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- optional: Pinch cayenne pepper
- optional: Pinch each cardamom and coriander
- 1 1/2 15-ounce (425 g) cans (~2 cups) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- optional: 4-5 kalamata or green olives, pitted and halved
- Lemon wedges
- Bread (gluten-free or this recipe or flatbread)
- Fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
- Rice or cauliflower rice
- Brown rice pasta (I love Trader Joe's organic brand with quinoa)
- Heat a large rimmed metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant.
- Add tomato puree or diced tomatoes, tomato paste, coconut sugar, sea salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper (optional), cardamom, and coriander (optional). Stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. If you're OK with a chunkier texture, leave as is. Or, scoop 3/4 of the sauce in the blender and blend until smooth for a creamier result!
- Add chickpeas and olives (optional). Stir to combine. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and marry with the beans.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more cumin or paprika for smokiness, cayenne for heat, coconut sugar for sweetness, cardamom and coriander for earthiness (or slight curry flavor), or chili powder for smoke/heat.
- Serve as is or with bread, pasta, or rice. I loved this alongside a kale salad, and it went especially well over gluten-free pasta! Garnish with fresh lemon juice, additional olives, and cilantro or parsley for extra flavor (optional).
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop until completely warmed through.
Yum! I *love* shakshuka and can’t wait to try it with plant protein from chickpeas next time!
This looks so delicious and such a clever idea to use chickpeas in place of eggs!
That looks absolutely amazing! Saving this for when I next do brunch x
Laura
Not really sure you can call it shakshuka without the eggs. But whatever floats your boat I guess. Also it traditionally has pipelchuma or Harissa rather than chili powder.
Still looks good though.
This is a vegan recipe… I’m sure it’s pretty yummy without the eggs. Nothing stops you from adding them though :)
Fantastic! It sounds super simple to make and have all the ingredients in my pantry right now :) From the name, I thought it would be more complicated – but I need to make room in my weekly meal plan for this <3
I have been using this website for a year now, and all of your recipes are amazing! I trust your taste buds so I made this as soon as I saw it, it’s sitting on the stovetop right now simmering. Looks, smells, and tastes absolutely delicious. I don’t even know what the nonvegan version tastes like, and I don’t wanna know, lol. Thanks again! Can’t wait for your fall stuff!
So kind, Jessica! Thanks for the sweet words. Hope you love this recipe!
I’ve been using this website for over a year now too! Dana your taste buds are spot on! I didn’t know what shakshuka was until now! I always try to think of different ways I can use chickpeas, and luckily you love them too so I’ve been using a lot of your chickpea recipes.
This one was really amazing. Thanks a lot! :)
Thank you! My husband (who is such an omnivore that we say “if it stays still long enough he’ll eat it”) and one of our kids love shakshuka but when he makes it the smell of the egg makes me gag (I’m vegan). It had never occurred to me to swap out the egg — what a brilliant+ yummy idea. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! Hope you and your family love this recipe!
I just made this for dinner tonight. Can’t even tell you how delicious this recipe is! This will be a regular on our meal rotation. Thank you so much!
So lovely! Thanks for sharing. Would you mind adding a rating next time? It helps us out a lot! xoxo
I made this tonight for my birthday dinner. I had planned on making the eggplant lasagne roll ups; made the tomato sauce and tofu filling just to burn the eggplant slices ? Anyway used the tomato sauce to make this dish and it was amazing! I whipped up some hummus which counteracted the heat of the shakshuka wonderfully. Thanks for another fantastic dish ❤️❤️❤️
Happy birthday, Mairéad! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! xoxo
Yum, I made shakshuka yesterday, and look forward to trying this recipe. We enjoyed a wonderful brunch at Medina in Vancouver too. We stayed at the boutique hotel next door.
Such a lovely restaurant! Glad you got to enjoy it, too.
I tried to veganize a shakshuka recipe once before and it went horribly.
I’m eager to try your version, since I’m sure you worked out the kinks that I couldn’t.
Thanks for sharing!
I just made this for dinner and it was AMAZING! I added an extra tsp of smoked paprika for a more smoky flavour. Such a hit with my family!
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
So lovely! Thanks for sharing. Would you mind adding a rating next time? It helps us out a lot! xoxo
This looks amazing- can’t wait to try it. I love the addition of olives!
Hi
whats the difference betwen tomato paste and puree ? – here in the Uk they are the same thing
thanks
The difference can be consistency, though, I think with this recipe you might be able to use either if they are the same thing!
Shakshuka is one of my favorites! Great idea for making it vegan!
WHOA! This looks fantastic!
Yum! Looks like the perfect winter dish, thanks for sharing :) x
Absolutely delicious and I love how simple it was to make. I live in China (Yay, Peace Corps!) and the temperature is dropping quickly here. I was able to get all of the ingredients I needed at the supermarket. I let it simmer for about an hour while my brown rice cooked. It’s perfect. The flavors really come through. Thanks for keeping it healthy and easy! -PC China Volunteer
(I’m an avid reader of your blog!)
So cool! We’re actually visiting Shanghai right now and have loved it so far! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! xoxo
I just made this recipe for dinner. It’s tasty and very quick and easy! The addition of cinnamon is a great idea. I served it over quinoa and I thought that went really well together. Thanks for the great dinner idea!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Danielle! xoxo
I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago while searching for hearty fall vegetarian recipes. This is the first recipe I’ve tried off of Minimalist Baker and it was absolutely divine. Will definitely be making more of your dishes in short order!
So great, Erin! Thanks for sharing!
I made this last night and had it over fresh-from-the-garden grated carrots. I also made it with fresh tomatoes from the greenhouse instead of canned tomatoes. It was delicious.
SO lovely! Thanks for sharing, Caitlin!
This looks lovely, can’t wait to try and incorporate more veggie meals in to my routine! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Alice xxx
This is currently simmering on my stove and so far it tastes delicious! I subbed green bell pepper for red (green was 1/3 the price at my grocery store), added carrots, and swapped capers for olives (my husband hates olives but will tolerate capers #compromise). Our plan is to serve it over rice or farro (possibly with sautéed kale from our garden).
I’m not vegan so have always had shakshuka with eggs but since I’m pregnant over easy eggs are a no-go right now. I love the chickpea version!
Super delicious! I love the leftovers even more than freshly made. The cinnamon settled down nicely ~ it was a little strange for my taste buds the first day (cuz…ya know, tomatoes and cinnamon). Oh, and I added more chickpeas to my bowl, so next time I’ll just add 2-2 1/2c. The olives would’ve been a nice touch, but I had none (next time!).
This is the first recipe I’ve made from Minimalist Baker, and I will definitely be making more! I love shakshuka, and this turned out much better than my typical recipe!
I stuck to the recipe, and it turned out great. Then I did a bit of experimenting while serving. I squeezed in half a lemon and added some capers (I didn’t have kalamata olives) and dried parsley (I didn’t have fresh). That was also pretty tasty.
I never heard of Shakshuka, but it you made this recipe sound so delicious and simple. It was both! The blender step is definitely worth the effort of having to wash one more dish. The creamy, flavorful sauce paired with the tender bite of chickpeas was perfection. This may be my new go-to 30 minute entree this fall-winter season.
Thanks for this great recipe!
I also have never heard of shakshuka before but now its one of my favourit dinner dishes. I used chipotle chili powder and last night I ate it with fried zoodles. So delicious! For my lunch today I put it onto rice noodles.
My boyfriend wanted to make this again this week. It was so easy and really delicious. We took the other reader’s suggestion and added a bit more smoked paprika because we love that flavor. Amazing!
Made this for dinner last night – incredible!!!! WOW!
My only sub was an orange bell pepper for the red.
I used the pinches of cardamon and coriander & cayenne.
Served over white rice.
Omni boyfriend raved about it!
So easy, so yummy and house smelled so good all evening!
Thank you!
Looks delicious! This makes me miss vegan shakshuka in Israel – they sometimes serve it a gorgeous wholewheat bread bowl!
I made this last night and it’s a keeper. But as usual, I had to adapt it for my style (read, a bit lazy in the kitchen.)
I used a whole red pepper because, well, why not!?!
Instead of one large can of diced tomatoes I used 2 small cans of Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted tomatoes. I did this so I could skip a bunch of the spices (Lazy). But, this made it very spicy. Next time I will use one small can of plain diced tomatoes and one small can of the fire roasted tomatoes.
I did use paprika (it was a gift so why not), cumin and cinnamon. So I skipped the chili powder, cayenne, cardamom and coriander. Hmm, maybe I didn’t save myself that much work. LOL
I misread the recipe. I thought it said 2 cans of chickpeas when it really says 1 1/2. But once the cans are open, they’re all going in, and it was the right call. Like the red pepper, why not!
This recipe is easy and very yummy. I had it over leftover polenta, hubby had it with rice. Makes great leftovers for lunch too. Thanks Dana!
This was super tasty! Thanks for sharing!
Made this with two slight changes – doubled the chickpeas and added in 1 lb. of okra. Was delicious! Also served the next day and poached an egg right in the sauce. Definitely recommend.
It’s cooking right now! Smells and tastes so good, my mouth is watering. We are going to eat it with crusty bread. I’m actually surprised how much my mouth is watering, I suppose I thought it would be smoky tomato sauce – but somehow it’s more substantial. I also added a small can of roasted tomatoes I had sitting in the cupboard, and omitted the tomato paste, because I didn’t feel like opening the can. All I know it, it was a simple recipe, and I can’t wait to eat…as soon as the bread heats up…
Made this last night and it was so delicious! Served it with rice and a lemony spinach salad. Thank you for the wonderful recipes.
This dish was very simple, and perfect for a chilly day. It took less than an hour from start to finish, and it didn’t make a mess. I served it over Basmati rice, with toast and a spinach apple cider vinegar salad on the side. The result was a Symphony of flavors. I used diced tomatoes and some leftover spaghetti sauce. The tomato was the most pronounced, but it wasn’t overpowerung. The spices were very well balanced with the cayenne filling out the profile, and the Olives adding the occasional bust of flavor. I would highly recommend this dish. Thank you for posting it.
I made this dish, your chickpea shawarma, and your naan bread for the coming week. They are all fantastic. Just switched to vegan for health reasons, but if I’d known how fantastic the food is, I would have done it along time ago. I plan on making your tofu kale scramble tomorrow morning. Thanks for the great food!
Very delicious! First meal from this site I have tried so I am anxious to try out more recipes from here.
I’m so excited to have such a simple version of this! Thanks so much, Dana! I was in need of a quick dinner after spending the afternoon making some of your deeeeeeelish cookies (pre-dinner appetizers ;) By the way, if you want a little more of the authenticity, Trader Joe’s (at least ours) has Tunisian harissa right now. Yum!
Looks so yum!
Nonye
Going to make this for my lunches this week! Definitely adding in lots of olives, too! :)
I made this tonight with your vegan, gluten-free cornbread, and it was fantastic! The spices, chickpeas, and olives made it an interesting twist on chili and cornbread. Perfect fall food!
Made this last night, amazing! Added double the chickpeas and a whole green capsicum. Served with extra olives and a tiny bit of chipotle chillis in adobo sauce. This one is a keeper for sure.
Making the ramen tonight, thanks again for the delicious new ideas!
Made this last night and it’s really good! I’m eating it with brown rice and some stale tortillas that I toasted. ;-)
This was quick and yummy. I don’t like olives so I put them on the
Side. My husband said they put it over the top! I love the lemon and cilantro with it!
This is my first dish that I have made off of Minimalist Baker. I loved it. It was quick and delicious!
Thanks Rezhe!
Made this Monday night and finished it tonight. I love recipes that provide leftovers like this so I don’t have to worry about cooking much through the work week.
It was absolutely delicious. I did as suggested and adjusted the spices to my liking. I also added way more olives than called for. It’s also nice to have recipes like this that provide a good base but are flexible enough to turn out well with what I have on hand.
I’m not vegan so I did add an egg when I reheated the leftovers. The egg was nice but not necessary. It stands on it’s on without the egg.
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. Like a tagine but in half the time. I served it with rice and lemon dressed spinach and avocado salad. Next time I’ll double up the recipe!
Lovely winter dish! The wholewheat bread roll mentioned in one of the other comments sounds a great idea too – kids love that you can eat the bowl too! Will definitely be trying this one!
I love everything literally every recipe you post and nothing I have ever made by you has turned out bad! I added a couple tablespoons of harissa for spice and it really took the dish to the next level for me. Perfect for a cold fall day!
I made this recently and I have to say — Whoa — It was good. Love the pop of saltiness from the olives and the heartiness of the chickpeas. Well done! I’ve ordered your cookbook and am waiting with bated breath to get it as I’ve love literally everything I’ve made from your blog. THANK YOU and keep up the good work!
Made this and it was even better the next day for lunch! Thanks for the recipe!
Made this last night. It was another hit for us. Thanks for these awesome recipes.
I worked at Medina for over 2 years ‘Proud moment’ I picked up so many great ideas working there. Glad you enjoyed it! The owner Robbie Kane is the nicest man in the world just to top it off!
I made this tonight, loved it. So glad I found your blog, I have stumbled upon vegan recipe heaven!
Oh, so good!! Comfort food, but healthy. I used all of the suggested spices – very generously, because I really love those flavors. I served it with brown rice. It was so good I actually sighed with pleasure between bites. And yes, the garlicky kale salad is a perfect accompaniment. Thank you for yet another great and easy dinner — with leftovers to boot!
This was fantastic! Only things I added were some chopped broccoli, an extra onion, and instead of the tomato puree which I didn’t know I was out of until halfway through making it, a little pasta sauce (~1 cup) to help thicken and make up for the added vegetables. Also added a buillion cube to bring out the flavor. Will making this again!
Soooooooooo I just made this and it is delicious, but I think tomato puree is not the same thing on this side of the Atlantic :) the dish was as thick as ketchup for a while, but some water and more spices and seasoning made everything better
Really delicious, just a little bit too sweet for me :)
Will definitely make again but with less sugar
So easy and delicious!
I’m about to head to the store for all the ingredients. I’m not the biggest olive fan, any substitute suggestions? Thanks so much!
P.S. I made your green bean casserole for Thanksgiving and it was a total hit!
Unfortunately it wasn’t my favorite dish that I’ve made by minimalist baker. While I’ve enjoyed the majority of your recipes– this one tasted like I was eating a chickpea and olive marinara sauce.
Holy moly. This dish is A-MAZING. It’s SO filling, but I don’t get that super heavy “ugh” feeling that I get when I eat the version with eggs in it. Thank goodness for the humble chickpea!
I omitted onions because I have an intolerance to them, added more olives (because I am an olive FIEND) and additional cayenne and it was wonderful. Such a great meal to bring in to the office for lunch! I think all of the spices in the recipe are a must, especially the smoked paprika… They add so much to the dish! I do think the end result was maybe a bit too sweet for my taste (I’m not used to adding additional sweetness to tomato dishes), so next go-round I think I may cut the added maple syrup/coconut sugar in half, if I don’t omit it entirely. :)
Can’t wait to try more recipes! Yours make eating more vegetables so easy!
Your website is my go-to for new recipes and I’ve never been disappointed. This one is perfect and has become a staple for me!
I just made this tonight with the flat bread and it was sooo delicious and easy to make !! I will definetely make this again! Just one thing… Is this really supposed to be for 4-6 people? Because we ate all of it and we are just 3! :D
Anyways, thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hi! So happy you enjoyed it! If you feel like it might not have been quite enough, feel free to double the recipe next time! Happy cooking!
This was absolutely delicious the first time I made it, but after visiting a restaurant that used eggs and potatoes, I wanted to see if I could attempt to make something similar. I used your recipe for the vegan omelette and added potatoes in at the same time as the chickpeas, sprinkled some garam masala over it, then baked it for a few minutes.
Not… quite the same consistency as real eggs, haha, but delicious nonetheless. It added a sort of creaminess to it. I’ll be making this again and again (sans “eggs” but plus potatoes.)
Made this tonight and loved it :) Not only did it taste great, but it’s nutritious and diet-friendly (trying to lose some holiday pounds). Glad I doubled the recipe :) Thanks so much :)
This turned out delicious. I love how the flavors blend together.
Oops…looks like my rating didn’t show up. Here it is!
This recipe was so flavorful and easy too! I let it simmer for about an hour due to logistical reasons and it turned out great! I served it with some flatbread. I’m going to make it again and simmer it for the recommended 15-20 minutes but I’m sure it will be just as delicious.
This was a wonderful dish. I swapped honey for the maple syrup since it was what I had on hand. Can’t wait to make this again.
Was looking for something different to make for dinner last night and found this, absolutely delicious and I’ve got plenty left to freeze and have later, yeah!!!
My husband is a total omnivore and we made beef stifado for him but he tried mine and loved it too.
Thank you for such a delicious, easy, store cupboard recipe.
This was delicious! I had it for dinner tonight with some rice and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I recommend adding the coriander and cardamon. I am definitely making this again.
I came across this recipe thanks to BuzzFeed. I’m a proud carnivore but always up for a good meatless dish.
I’ve always wanted to try shakshouka but am allergic to eggs (which is great because I think they smell terrible).
This dish was absolutely fantastic. I’m a fan of smoky and very spicy flavours. This was a bit mild for my taste so next time I’ll kick up the heat factor.
Girl this recipe is amazing. Thank you!!
Only had regular paprika and added some frozen corn, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It was so delicious! Ate it with some brown rice and it was so satisfying! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
I made this recipe last night for myself and my boyfriend. Simple to make AND made the entire apartment smell soooo good. Added a whole red pepper and more spices for some more kick. Absolutely love it. Shared some with my roommates and his… It was a hit! The chickpeas were a welcome substitute for eggs. This is something I’ll definitely be making again!
I made this last night and it was good. It just kind of tasted like tomatoes and chickpeas, nothing special. But today my husband and I had the leftovers for lunch and we both came home saying the same thing. THAT SHAKSHUKA WAS AMAZING!!!! I don’t know what I did wrong the night I made it. I must have just not let it simmer for long enough. But letting it rest in the fridge overnight did something magical.
Dana, I love all your recipes. I use them a few times a week and a few have become regulars in my repertoire.
Wait a second, you have yellow onions listed in the ingredients….however, the picture has red onions. Is there something you’re hiding from us? #conspiracy :)
Delicious chili btw!
Fantastic! You did it again! I just can’t get enough. This was easy to make and so satisfying!
Another fantastic recipe. I love the idea of something other than eggs and pancakes for breakfast (I’m not creative in the mornings). The smoked paprika I have is really potent so I reduced the amount I used. When I make it again I’m going to reduce even further. A Tunisian restaurant by us makes this dish (with eggs) but I never ordered it because of the spiciness, I left the red pepper out and it was still delicious.
I made this recently and it was very, very good! I admit that I used harissa and added eggs because some family members insisted that shakshuka must include eggs. But it’s always a forgiving dish and can be whatever you want it to be. I served with homemade naan and buttered basmati rice. You can (and we did) eat this for any meal or snack. Thanks for adding my favorite legume –chickpeas — to an old recipe!
Made this for lunch today! Soooo good and very easy.
My husband and I really enjoyed this! Thank you for the recipe.
I don’t have chickm peas was could I use instead
Really Delish!! I mixed in baby spinach and parsley.
Thanks!
I made this recipe with all of the suggested spices, added some leftover GF penne I had on hand, topped with cilantro and thinly cut dino kale ribbons, and one bowl later I am in *food heaven*!!!! Will definitely make this again!! Thank you!
So delicious and easy! I made it ahead of time and kept it warm in the crock pot, then served it for supper with homemade naan. This will go down on my list of easy weeknight faves. Thanks! Love your blog!
Wondering what I can substitute coriander or cilantro with in your jerk eggplant or shakshuks??
Thank you..
parsley?
SOOOOO GOOD! Spicy and warm, my taste buds are singing!! Amazing (and quick to assemble ) as always!
A very tasty and easy dish to make! I loved the flavours. It was a good change from my same old dishes. I only had one can of tomatoes so I added a little extra tomato paste and it was enough to make it work. Also added a small zucchini that needed to be used and made brown rice to go with it. Now onto dessert!!
I went through all your entrees, favoriting what sounded good to me (I’ve been vegan for about 3 months, so don’t yet have a repertoire of recipes established). I was hesitant to make it because I thought it may seem too “boring” or “basic,” (especially because I was cooking for my uncle as well) and whoa was I wrong!
I added some spinach and red pepper flakes, and had it with your divine flatbread. It was SO good, I don’t even know what to say. I don’t usually toot my own horn, but when my uncle complimented the dinner, I had to say that I was totally on the same page! Thanks for your awesome recipes; I’ve made quite a few of them now and can’t wait to try more.
This was very tasty! Will definitely make it again.