A quick and healthy Mediterranean breakfast! This easy shakshuka with leeks and tomato sauce is full of flavor, ready in 25 minutes, and perfect for busy mornings or weekend brunch.
Awesome! Reminds me on my favorite somer time dish - bećarac, sataraš.
- Goca
Recipe Summary
- ✅ Recipe Name: Shakshuka with Pasta Sauce and Leeks
- 🕒 Prep Time: 35 minutes
- 🧑🧒🧒 Serves: 2 people
- 🍽️ Calories: 404 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: onion, leeks, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, tomato pasta sauce, olive oil, eggs, cumin, ground paprika, oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
- 👏 Why You'll Love It: One pan, minimal cleanup and family-friendly.
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There's nothing better than a warm skillet of shakshuka with leeks to start the day. This easy Mediterranean dish brings together tender leeks, rich tomato sauce, and perfectly cooked eggs for a healthy and comforting breakfast. If you love egg dishes, you'll also enjoy my Turkish Eggs (Cilbir), a delicious high-protein breakfast you can make in minutes!
This easy shakshuka is one of my family's favorites: quick enough for busy mornings but special enough for a slow weekend brunch. If you like simple, comforting meals like this, try my Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce next, they're just as flavorful and easy to make!
As a nutrition coach and mom who loves clean, wholesome food, I gave this shakshuka a healthy, anti-inflammatory twist while keeping all the traditional flavor.
Jump to:
- Recipe Summary
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Where Does Shakshuka Come From?
- Cooking with Leeks Instead of Onions
- Top Tip
- Nutrition Benefits of Leeks
- 🥘 Ingredients You'll Need
- 👩🍳 How to Make Shakshuka with Leeks and Pasta Sauce
- 💡 Tips for the Best Shakshuka
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Suggestion
- Quick Tip
- More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🌾 Naturally gluten-free and anti-inflammatory.
- ⏱️ Quick and easy: One pan, minimal cleanup.
- 🍽️ Perfect for busy weeknights: Great for breakfast, brunch, or light dinner.
- 🍴 Customize: Family-friendly and customizable, feel-free to add your own veggie twist.
Where Does Shakshuka Come From?
I first learned how to make shakshuka from my Israeli friend Tamir. I never wrote the recipe down, just kept making it from memory and adding my own touches over the years.
One of them is using leeks instead of onions for a milder, sweeter flavor.
Shakshuka likely originated in North Africa and later became a beloved Middle Eastern meal. It's traditionally made with olive oil, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and eggs, seasoned with cumin and paprika.
Cooking with Leeks Instead of Onions
Leeks are a staple in European kitchens and taste delicious in soups, scrambled eggs, and pies (or pita, as we call it in Serbian). When I first moved to the U.S., I was surprised by how hard they were to find, but now I pick them up at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's whenever I can.
If you enjoy Serbian recipes, don't miss my Serbian Gibanica, a must-try classic!
Part of the Allium family (like onions, garlic, and chives), leeks have a milder flavor and won't make you tear up when chopping. They're also easier on digestion, so if onions bother you, try swapping part or all of them for leeks.
Top Tip
When cooking, use the white and light green parts; the dark greens are tougher and more bitter.
Nutrition Benefits of Leeks
Just like an onion, leeks offer many health benefits. In just one cup of leeks (about 90 g), there are many essential vitamins and minerals:
| 1 cup (90 g) leeks, raw | Recommended Daily Intake | |
| Protein | 1.35 g | 46 g (W) | 56 g (M) |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.27 g | 44 g (W) | 77 g (M) |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.62 g | 25 g (W) | 31 g (M) |
| Carbohydrates | 12.8 g | 130 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 53.1 mg | 1000 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 1.89 mg | 18 mg (W) | 8 mg (M) |
| Magnesium, Mg | 25.2 mg | 320 mg (W) | 420 mg (M) |
| Vitamin C | 10.8 mg | 75 mg (W) | 90 mg (M) |
| Folate | 57.6 mcg | 400 mcg (W) | 400 mcg (M) |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.21 mg | 1.3 mg (W) | 1.3 mg (M) |
| Vitamin K | 42.3 mcg | 90 mcg (W) | 120 mcg (M) |
Leeks are full of nutrients your body loves, especially vitamin K, which supports strong bones, and vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps boost your immune system and protect your cells. Just one cup of leeks provides over 35% of your daily vitamin K needs, making them a great addition to a balanced, anti-inflammatory diet.
🥘 Ingredients You'll Need
- Onion: Adds a rich, aromatic base and natural sweetness once sautéed.
- Leek: Brings a milder, slightly earthy flavor that complements the onions beautifully.
- Bell pepper: I love using red bell peppers for their natural sweetness and color, but green or orange work too. They add a nice crunch and a boost of vitamin C. If you're a bell pepper fan like me, you'll love my Meat & Rice Stuffed Peppers recipe!
- Cherry tomatoes: Juicy and slightly tangy, they balance the richness of the sauce.
- Garlic: A little garlic gives depth and a comforting aroma, and it's a must in any good shakshuka.
- Tomato pasta sauce: I use a clean-ingredient tomato basil pasta sauce for convenience and extra flavor. You can also make your own from fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
- Olive oil: The base of all great Mediterranean cooking!
- Eggs: The star of the dish! They cook gently in the sauce and make this shakshuka hearty and high in protein.
- Spices: A mix of cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper gives the dish warmth and a little Mediterranean kick.
- Optional toppings: Crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill, parsley, or sliced olives for garnish and extra flavor.
👩🍳 How to Make Shakshuka with Leeks and Pasta Sauce
- Step 1: Prep your veggies.
Dice the onion, leeks, and bell pepper into small cubes. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Step 2: Sauté the base.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the leeks and cook for another couple of minutes until they soften and turn slightly golden.
- Step 3: Sprinkle in cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
- Step 4: Pour in the tomato sauce and stir.
- Step 5: Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Add about ¼ cup water and stir. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together. If the sauce starts to dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Step 6: Add the eggs.
Make small wells in the sauce and gently crack the eggs into them. Cover the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still slightly soft. Cook longer if you prefer firmer yolks.
- Step 7: Once cooked, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill or parsley, and sliced olives.
- Step 8: Serve warm with pita, whole-grain toast, or your favorite crusty bread.
💡 Tips for the Best Shakshuka
- Use a wide skillet with a lid so the eggs and sauce cook evenly.
- If you prefer a spicier version, add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- You can swap feta for goat cheese or keep it dairy-free.
- For a heartier meal, add a handful of chickpeas or spinach before cracking the eggs. My Crispy Turmeric Roasted Chickpeas make a perfect addition to this easy shakshuka!
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy this shakshuka straight from the skillet while it's still warm; that's when the eggs are perfectly creamy and the sauce is rich and flavorful.
- It pairs wonderfully with crusty whole-grain bread, pita, or a side of fresh salad. And if you're a sourdough lover, don't miss my Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners recipe!
- For extra protein, you can add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt or crumble more feta on top before serving.
Storage Suggestion
- If you have leftovers, let the shakshuka cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Quick Tip
For meal prep, you can make the sauce base (without the eggs) ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat the sauce and crack in fresh eggs to finish cooking; it'll taste just like freshly made!
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Shakshuka with Pasta Sauce and Leeks
Equipment
- 1 Large pan with lid
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep your veggies: Dice the onion, leeks, and bell pepper into small cubes. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Sauté the base: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the leeks and cook for another couple of minutes until they soften and turn slightly golden.
- Sprinkle in cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and stir.
- Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Add about ¼ cup water and stir. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together. If the sauce starts to dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Add the eggs: Make small wells in the sauce and gently crack the eggs into them. Cover the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still slightly soft. Cook longer if you prefer firmer yolks.
- Once cooked, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill or parsley, and sliced olives.
- Serve warm with pita, whole-grain toast, or your favorite crusty bread.
Notes
- Refer to the post above for video instructions and other useful information.
- Nutrition information is an estimate and will depend on your specific ingredients.
- Use a wide skillet with a lid so the eggs and sauce cook evenly.
- If you prefer a spicier version, add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- You can swap feta for goat cheese or keep it dairy-free.
- For a heartier meal, add a handful of chickpeas or spinach before cracking the eggs.
- Tomato pasta sauce: I use a clean-ingredient tomato basil pasta sauce for convenience and extra flavor. You can also make your own from fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
- Optional toppings: Crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill, parsley, or sliced olives for garnish and extra flavor.
Goca says
Awesome! Reminds me on my favorite somer time dish - bećarac, sataraš.
Nena says
You are correct! The ingredients are the same as in becarac, just the eggs are cooked differently.
Dusan says
Yummy!
Nena says
Glad you liked it!
Don says
It's an insult to Middle Eastern food, only Americans can think you can cook Shakshuka with ready made pasta sauce
Nena says
Thanks for your comment, Don! Shakshuka tastes better with whole ingredients; I have to agree with you on this one. Growing up in Serbia, my mom and grandma always made tomato sauce from scratch, and we never used ready-made pasta sauce for cooking - we either used homemade sauce in the winter or whole tomatoes in the summer for cooking. But you'd probably agree that the fast-paced life and inability to find good-tasting tomatoes in the stores today made us choose the best alternative, so this is how my Shakshuka recipe ended up with ready-made pasta sauce. It was never meant to insult Middle Eastern food; I greatly enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine! Plus, I grow tomatoes in my garden and enjoy their taste compared to store-bought ones 😉😊.