Name: Green shakshuka with feta and herbs
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 30g unsalted butter; 1 large leek, finely sliced; Bunch spring onions, sliced; 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced; Bunch (200g) swiss chard, sliced; 2 large handfuls baby leaf spinach; 15g coriander, roughly chopped, plus leaves to serve; 5g flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sumac; ½ tsp aleppo pepper flakes, plus extra to serve (see Easy Swaps); Juice 1 lemon; 4 medium free-range eggs; 50g feta; Crusty bread to serve

Green shakshuka with feta and herbs

This ‘green’ shakshuka recipe from cookbook author Ruth Nieman is a verdant adaption of the popular Middle Eastern breakfast, made from a medley of greens and fresh herbs, topped with salty feta, a drizzle of olive oil and coriander leaves. Ruth shares it with us in tribute to food writer Marlena Spieler, author of cookbooks including Hot And Spicy (1985), who wrote that eggs and chillies were “the only perfect flavour combination I know”. Marlena was best known in her native USA but her thrilling writing, passion for big flavours and generosity of spirit introduced thousands of readers to the excitement of food from cultures around the world – especially the Middle East. “I’m not a fan of blistering chilli heat, so this recipe is a milder homage to our food legend. Serve it with hunks of crusty bread to mop up all the juices,” says Ruth. This way for classic tomato-based shakshuka.

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Serves4

Hands-on45 min

DifficultyEasy

Method

Put the olive oil and butter in a large deep frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the leek, spring onions and fennel, then cook gently for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the chard, spinach, coriander and parsley, then cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Add the cumin, sumac, aleppo pepper and lemon juice, then season with a few good pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Use the back of a tablespoon to make 4 wells in the greens and carefully crack an egg into each one. Season each egg with a pinch of salt, cover the pan with a lid or foil, then cook for 5-6 minutes until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny.

Remove the pan from the heat, crumble over the feta, then finish with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of aleppo pepper and a scattering of coriander leaves. Serve immediately with hunks of bread for mopping up the juices.

Per serving (Serves 4)

Calories

255kcals

Fat

21g (8g saturated)

Protein

12g

Carbohydrates

8g (3.9g sugars)

Fibre

3.3g

Easy swaps Could you handle a little more heat? Use regular chilli flakes and/or add a finely chopped green chilli to the greens mixture.