This green shakshuka is not only bright and beautiful, but it is also healthy and incredibly easy to make. Perfectly baked eggs rest in a cheesy spinach and shallot sauce. Delicious any time of the day.
As parents, we have all come up with clever ways to get our kids to eat more vegetables. Snow Trees (a.k.a. broccoli sprinkled with parmesan) or melting cheese over any roasted vegetable. Well as an adult I have come up with some clever ways to trick myself into eating spinach. Green Shakshuka is one of my favorite ways to camouflage spinach.
The spinach is wilted with creamy buttery shallots and two kinds of cheese. The eggs get baked in wells within the sauce. I mean is it even spinach at this point? Because all I taste is deliciousness. It is a perfect dish for any time of the day.
The most important thing to note, however, is the side of freshly baked 7-grain bread smothered in butter. Because you are going to want something to wipe up all that yummy runny yolk and sauce.
Substitute:
- Instead of spinach try it with kale.
- Instead of shallots try it with leeks.
Green Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 2 shallots
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 cups packed spinach
- 1/4 cup flat-leafed parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 2 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 1 ounce freshly grated parmesan plus extra to garnish
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Peel and trim the shallots. Cut lengthways and then slice into half-moons.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots and cook over medium heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Wash the spinach and remove the thick stems. Set aside 1/2 cup for latter.
- Blanch remaining spinach along with the parsley for 10 seconds in boiling, salted water. Strain and immediately submerge in ice water. Firmly press to remove all liquid.
- Place the shallots, spinach mixture, and cream in a food processor. Pulse until creamy. (Add water, if needed, to get the right consistency.)
- Warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the green onions and fennel seeds; sauté for 3 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining spinach and 1-2 tablespoons of water to the same pan. Sprinkle with salt and spread the spinach mixture and then the fennel and spring onions evenly over the spinach. Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan over the top.
- Using a spoon, make 4 small wells and break 1 egg into each. Salt well, especially the egg yolk, cover and cook for 4–5 minutes. The egg whites should be firm but the yolks still runny.
- Drizzle with olive oil and extra parmesan. Serve immediately,