Active time: 35 minutes Total time: 1 hour
Shakshuka, a Middle Eastern baked egg dish, is an excellent staple to have in your healthy recipe toolbox. It’s incredibly versatile and works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In this version, we’ve bulked up the classic tomato sauce with French green lentils, tender kale and a blend of complex spices. When making shakshuka, you want to use room-temperature eggs for the best results. Cold eggs can lower the temperature of your sauce and make your eggs cook unevenly.
The lentils and kale in this dish contribute 22% of your daily iron, which is a nutrient that vegetarians sometimes struggle to consume. Incorporating recipes like this one into your diet can help you reach your iron goals.
Spicy Lentil Shakshuka With Garlicky Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, 3 thinly sliced and 1 finely grated
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 cup (145g) French green lentils
- 1 28-ounce (793g) can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, lightly crushed
- 4 cups (75g) stemmed and chopped Lacinato kale or Swiss chard
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (150) plain yogurt or unsweetened coconut yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup (8g) cilantro leaves, packed
- 1/4 cup (8g) torn mint leaves, packed
Optional serving suggestions:
- Warm naan or pita bread
- Lemon wedges
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190ºC). In a large oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, the sliced garlic cloves and a pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until almost translucent, 3–5 minutes. If the onion begins to brown, reduce the heat. Add the crushed red pepper, paprika and coriander and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Add the lentils, tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to moderately-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, gradually adding more water if the mixture gets too thick, until the lentils are just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Stir in the kale and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Using the back of a spoon, make four wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each. Season the eggs with a pinch of salt. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 7–10 minutes, or until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still runny.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt with the lemon juice and the finely grated garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the shakshuka with the lemon-yogurt and more olive oil, if desired, and garnish with the cilantro, mint and more black pepper. Serve right away with warm naan and lemon wedges.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 egg, plus 2 cups lentils
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 372; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 185mg; Sodium: 430mg; Carbohydrate: 47g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 12g; Protein 22g
