Sausage, Spinach & Green Bean Shakshuka
This is a super easy dish to make , but at first glance, there are a couple of things about it that may put you off making it!
Let’s get the name out the way first
Shakshuka!
Shakshuka is a North African dish with eggs which are poached on top of a spicy tomato sauce along with the addition of any vegetables you might have to hand – so play around with the vegetables you use.
This leads me to the only other reason I have that might make you think twice about dipping some chunks of bread in this spicy tomato sauce, the spinach!
I like a bit of spinach every now and then, but I can understand those who aren’t a fan of the green leafy stuff!
Apart from watching Popeye show off his muscled tattooed arms by squeezing tins of the stuff into his mouth, I don’t remember spinach being in any of the shops my Mum bought our food.
So I really had no idea what it was, how it tasted or how to cook with it until I was much older!
Using it in the sauce along with a tin of green beans is perfect!
The leafy spinach is absorbed into the sauce releasing all the goodness without making it too, well, ‘spinachy’.
Of course, if you can’t get your hands on any, not a problem, replace it with some other dark green leafy vegetable instead, and as for the sausage, which you use is up to you too!
I like my Shakshuka sauce a little spicy, so used a pack of sausages with chorizo, but your favourite sausage will be perfect, and if you want it to be extra spicy, add some paprika or a chilli if you have it.
Remember, before adding too much spice, give it a taste first
Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!
Eat it hot with chunks of bread
What You Need
6 Sausage - Chopped into small pieces - See Tip Box
1 Large Onion – Chopped into small pieces
1 Pepper – Chopped into small pieces– See Tip Box
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Cloves Garlic – Chopped or crushed
4 Large Eggs
1 Tin Green Beans – Drained
2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
100g Fresh Spinach (Small Bag) – See Tip Box
1 Tsp Sugar
4 Large Eggs
Salt & Pepper – To Taste
Try to chop everything around the same size.
How It’s Done
Chop the sausage, onion, and pepper into small to medium sized pieces
Place the oil, chopped sausage, onion and pepper into a frying pan (that has a lid).
Turn the heat to a low/medium and let them slowly cook until the sausage is cooked all the way through and the onion and pepper are soft.
Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn, giving it a mix every now and then.·
Once the sausage is fully cooked, add both tins of tomatoes, the sugar, salt and pepper and the chopped garlic·
Give it all a stir, place the lid on and let it cook on a low to medium heat for around 5 mins so that all the flavours are given a chance to blend together.
Remove the lid, add the tin of green beans and the fresh spinach - See Tip Box
Give it a big stir
Place the lid back onto the pot and let it cook, on a low heat, for another 5 minutes, giving the spinach a chance to reduce into the sauce.
Remove the lid, give it a stir, and with the back of a large spoon, press 4 dents into the ·
Break one egg into each of the dents made by the spoon. - See Tip Box·
Replace the lid, and on a low heat, let the eggs cook until they are cooked how you like them – See Tip Box·
Once the eggs are cooked, serve while its warm and if you have any, get some hunks of bread to sop up all the sauce.
Let the spinach wilt in the hot sauce.
Tip Box
Sausages – I used a spicy sausage that had some chorizo in, but if that’s not your thing, grab your favourite pack of sausage and cut them up into small pieces.
Pepper – The Colour of the pepper isn’t that important, so don’t feel the need to go in search of a red one, any colour will work.
Spinach – When the spinach is first put into the pan, it looks a lot. Once the spinach heats up, it begins to soften and break down into the tomato sauce.
Eggs – 1) Don’t rush the cooking of the eggs, be patient and let them cook on a low heat.
2) It’s best to undercook the eggs because the shakshuka will stay hot for a while, the eggs will carry on cooking.
3) To avoid getting shells into the shakshuka, break each of the eggs into a cup before pouring the eggs in the sauce.
Sugar – Tomatoes can be acidic, adding a teaspoon of sugar helps take that away.
Soft just cooked eggs add richness to the sauce.
