Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 30 ml olive oil, room temperature
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 15 g jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 10 g garlic, minced
Spices
- 3 g ground cumin
- 2 g ground coriander
Base Sauce
- 500 g unripe green tomatoes, cored and diced
- 60 ml water
- 2 g kosher salt
Eggs and Garnish
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 10 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 191 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 12 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 286 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 186 mg
- Potassium
- 431 mg
- Calcium
- 71 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 29 mg
- Phosphorus
- 157 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 131 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 38 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 26 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 45 mcg
- Water
- 210 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and minced jalapeno, cooking until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir the minced garlic, ground cumin, and ground coriander into the onion mixture. Cook until highly fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Add the diced green tomatoes, water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered at roughly 95 degrees Celsius or 205 degrees Fahrenheit until the tomatoes break down into a thick, chunky sauce.
Use the back of your wooden spoon to create four shallow wells in the simmering tomato sauce. Crack one egg directly into each well.
Cover the skillet immediately to trap the steam. Cook undisturbed until the egg whites are fully opaque and set, but the yolks still jiggle slightly when the pan is nudged.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Scatter the chopped cilantro over the top and serve straight from the pan.
Chef's Notes
- Green tomatoes are simply unripe red tomatoes. They contain more pectin and less water, which gives this sauce a wonderfully thick, jam-like texture without hours of reduction.
- The fat in the egg yolks is critical here; it provides a rich, creamy coating that neutralizes the sharp tang of the green tomato base.
- For the cleanest poaching aesthetic, crack each egg into a small ramekin first, then gently slide it from the ramekin into the well you made in the sauce.
- If adhering strictly to a low-sodium diet, rely on the cumin and coriander to provide depth. The natural tartness of the tomatoes effectively masks the lack of salt.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store sauce only; poach fresh eggs when reheating
Freezer: 3 months — Sauce freezes beautifully without eggs
Reheating: Warm sauce gently in a skillet over medium heat, then proceed with the egg-poaching steps as written.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is overwhelmingly sour or tart
Cause: The green tomatoes used were highly acidic without enough natural sweetness to balance
Fix: Before adding the eggs, stir in a tiny pinch of baking soda to neutralize the acid, or add a small amount of sweetener if dietary constraints allow
Prevention: Taste a slice of the raw tomato; if extremely puckering, be prepared to adjust the sauce
Egg yolks cooked entirely solid
Cause: Lid was left on too long or heat was too high during the steaming phase
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the dish will still taste delicious
Prevention: Begin checking the eggs 2 minutes before the suggested time, as residual heat continues to cook them even off the stove
Cultural Context
Shakshuka traces its origins back to the Ottoman Empire and North Africa, where eggs were traditionally poached in a spiced, sweet-and-savory red tomato and pepper ragout. This adaptation honors that ancient technique while celebrating late-summer garden surplus, utilizing the crisp acidity of unripe green tomatoes to create a profoundly bright and modern flavor profile.
