Butterbean Shakshuka
Packed with fibre and protein and free from ultra-processed ingredients, this hearty butterbean shakshuka recipe promises a delicious, healthy start to your day.
From the book
How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed: Your 4-week plan for life-changing healthier eating habits
Debunking the myths surrounding ultra-processed foods and answering common questions.
A guide for making a huge difference to your diet through small, achievable changes.
Simple recipes for every meal of the day to help you start your unprocessed journey.
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Introduction
This comforting butterbean shakshuka is full of protein and fibre, which will help keep you satisfied until your next meal. It’s a delicious one-pan option for a weekend brunch, nutritious lunch or supper when you have the time to cook. You can change up this recipe by choosing different beans and pulses (chickpeas work well) or by adjusting the spices to suit your taste. You can also add a handful of spinach when adding the pulses to increase the veggies. I like to serve this dish with a warm flatbread or some crusty bread for dipping (and to mop up the deliciously smoky sauce).
Benefits: Butterbeans are a good source of fibre and protein – and they also count as one of your five a day. Eggs provide additional protein and choline, a mineral that is important for brain health, and are a great example of a vegetarian ‘complete protein’, because they contain all the essential amino acids your body needs for optimum health.
Ingredients
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 | onion, chopped |
| 1 | red, yellow or orange pepper, chopped |
| 4 | garlic cloves, crushed |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 2 tsp | smoked paprika, or to taste |
| 400g tin of | chopped tomatoes |
| 400g tin of | butterbeans, drained and rinsed |
| salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste | |
| 2 to 4 | eggs, depending on appetite |
| To serve: | |
|---|---|
| freshly chopped coriander, to taste | |
| yoghurt or crumbled feta cheese (optional) | |
| dried chilli flakes, to taste | |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| flatbread, or warm crusty bread |
Method
Heat the olive oil in a deep-set frying pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and pepper to the pan and cook for about 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the garlic, ground cumin and paprika and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, until fragrant.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and drained butterbeans, stir well and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for about 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste, adding more paprika if desired.
Using the back of a large spoon, make 2–4 wells in the sauce (depending on how many eggs you intend to cook), then crack an egg into each one.
Continue to cook for about 5–7 minutes, or until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny (cover with a lid, if you have one, to speed up the process – just watch closely to ensure the eggs don’t overcook). Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, remove the pan from the heat.
Garnish the shakshuka with coriander, yoghurt or feta cheese, chilli flakes (optional) and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Serve straight away with warm crusty bread or flatbread (you can present the shakshuka family-style, or dish it up onto individual lipped plates).
Storage: Once you have cooked the eggs in the sauce, this dish is best served immediately. If you want to prepare your shakshuka in advance, you can make the sauce base by following steps 1–5 of the method shown, then transferring it to a tupperware to cool before covering and chilling in the fridge for up to three days. When you are ready to serve the dish, simply return the sauce base to a pan, bring it to a simmer, then proceed with steps 6–8 of the recipe. Alternatively, you can just reheat the base, then top with poached eggs that have been cooked separately.
Reviews
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