Middle Eastern · main

Chickpea and Spinach Shakshuka

Name: Chickpea and Spinach Shakshuka
Prep time: 32 min
Total time: 33 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: olive oil — 41 g; yellow onion — 110 g; red bell pepper — 100 g; garlic — 12 g; tomato paste — 15 g; cumin — 10 g; smoked paprika — 5 g; coriander — 1 g; cayenne pepper — 1 g; tomatoes — 794 g; chickpeas — 425 g; baby spinach — 142 g; salt — 6 g; black pepper — 3 g; eggs — 600 g; feta cheese crumbles — 38 g; cilantro — 15 g

Chickpea and Spinach Shakshuka reads salinity 4.8, allium 4.3 and umami 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Middle Eastern main, about 33 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.5 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.1 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.5 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Salinity 4.8 · Allium 4.3 · Umami 4.2 · Richness 3.9 · Sweetness 3.5 · Sourness 3.0 · Funk & Ferment 3.0 · Earthy 2.6 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Heat 2.4 · Fruity 2.4 · Smoke 2.3 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Nutty 1.9 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 0.9 · Citrus 0.9

What's in it (17)

olive oil — 41 g
yellow onion — 110 g
red bell pepper — 100 g
garlic — 12 g
tomato paste — 15 g
cumin — 10 g
smoked paprika — 5 g
coriander — 1 g
cayenne pepper — 1 g
tomatoes — 794 g
chickpeas — 425 g
baby spinach — 142 g
salt — 6 g
black pepper — 3 g
eggs — 600 g
feta cheese crumbles — 38 g
cilantro — 15 g

Time & effort: about 33 min (32 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 129.2 kcal, 8 g protein, 4.4 g fat, 14.2 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden at the edges, 7-8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until deeply fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juices, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chickpeas, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and no longer tastes raw, 10-12 minutes.
Stir in the spinach a handful at a time, letting each addition wilt into the sauce before adding more, 2-3 minutes total. Taste the sauce and adjust salt.
Using the back of a spoon, make 6 evenly spaced wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well.
Cover the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the egg whites are fully set but the yolks are still runny in the center, 6-8 minutes; check at 6 minutes and continue in 1-minute increments to your preferred doneness.
Remove from the heat, scatter the feta and cilantro over the top, and bring the skillet to the table to serve directly from the pan with warm bread or pita.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Lentil and Tomato Shakshuka — Middle Eastern
Chicken Shakshuka with Merguez-Spiced Chicken — Middle Eastern
Beef and Bean Chimichangas — Tex-Mex
Spiced Chickpea Shakshuka Skillet — Middle Eastern
Sheet Pan Shakshuka with Sausage — Middle Eastern

Keep reading: what salinity, allium, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.