Green shakshuka with spinach, leek, feta and herbs

Name: Green shakshuka with spinach, leek, feta and herbs
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Israeli and Mediterranean
Ingredients: 220 g Eggs (4 medium eggs, weight without shells); 375 g Baby spinach (washed, bagged) (3 × 125 g bags of baby spinach certified insect-free (Alei Katif, Hasalat); no washing or checking required); 200 g Leeks (1 large leek, white and tender green parts); 60 g Feta or Bulgarian white cheese, 16–24% fat (250 g block) (30 g per person); 140 g Bread (baguette or country loaf) (4 slices, toasted for mopping up); 25 g Extra virgin olive oil (2½ tbsp: 20 g for cooking, 5 g added uncooked at serving); 10 g Garlic (2 cloves); 15 g Hot green chillies (1 chilli, deseeded for a mild heat); 15 g Fresh coriander (a handful of leaves, from a certified insect-free bag, or a bunch soaked and checked); 10 g Flat-leaf parsley (a few sprigs, from a certified insect-free bag, or a bunch soaked and checked); 2 g Ground cumin (1 level tsp); 1 g Ground coriander (½ tsp); 60 g Lemon (half a lemon: the grated zest and juice, about 25 g); 50 g Water (50 ml: 30 ml on the leek, 20 ml with the eggs); 3 g Fine salt (½ tsp: 1.5 g on the leek, 1 g on the spinach and a pinch over the yolks); 0.5 g Ground black pepper (a few grinds of the pepper mill); 2 g Za'atar (hyssop, sumac and sesame blend) (½ tsp over the feta)

dairy breakfast · Israeli and Mediterranean · 2/5 · easy · 35 min, including 25 hands-on

The green shakshuka of Israeli cafés: four eggs nestled in a generous bed of soft leek and spinach, enlivened with green chilli, garlic, cumin and coriander, then finished with feta, fresh herbs, lemon zest and uncooked olive oil.

Ingredients for two

220 g	Eggs 4 medium eggs, weight without shells
375 g	Baby spinach (washed, bagged) 3 × 125 g bags of baby spinach certified insect-free (Alei Katif, Hasalat); no washing or checking required
200 g	Leeks 1 large leek, white and tender green parts
60 g	Feta or Bulgarian white cheese, 16–24% fat (250 g block) 30 g per person
140 g	Bread (baguette or country loaf) 4 slices, toasted for mopping up
25 g	Extra virgin olive oil 2½ tbsp: 20 g for cooking, 5 g added uncooked at serving
10 g	Garlic 2 cloves
15 g	Hot green chillies 1 chilli, deseeded for a mild heat
15 g	Fresh coriander a handful of leaves, from a certified insect-free bag, or a bunch soaked and checked
10 g	Flat-leaf parsley a few sprigs, from a certified insect-free bag, or a bunch soaked and checked
2 g	Ground cumin 1 level tsp
1 g	Ground coriander ½ tsp
60 g	Lemon half a lemon: the grated zest and juice, about 25 g
50 g	Water 50 ml: 30 ml on the leek, 20 ml with the eggs
3 g	Fine salt ½ tsp: 1.5 g on the leek, 1 g on the spinach and a pinch over the yolks
0.5 g	Ground black pepper a few grinds of the pepper mill
2 g	Za'atar (hyssop, sumac and sesame blend) ½ tsp over the feta (optional)

Method

If the herbs are in a bunch rather than a certified insect-free bag, soak for 2 minutes in water, check the leaves against the light and dry in a tea towel. Quarter the leek lengthways, rinse under running water, separating and checking every layer, then finely slice the white and tender green parts. Peel the garlic, remove the central shoots and finely chop. Split the chilli, remove the seeds and finely slice. Pick and chop the coriander and parsley leaves. Grate the zest of the half lemon, then squeeze it.
Heat 20 g oil in a 26 cm sauté pan with a lid over a medium-low heat. Add the leek, 1.5 g salt and 30 g water; cover for 6 minutes, then uncover for 2 minutes: the leek should be meltingly soft without browning. Add the garlic, chilli, cumin and ground coriander and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant but without colouring the garlic.
Increase to a medium heat and add the spinach in three batches with 1 g salt, turning with tongs: it will wilt in 2–3 minutes. Cook until no free water remains in the bottom of the pan. Take off the heat, stir in half the chopped herbs and half the zest, add pepper and taste: the greens should already taste good on their own.
Return to a low heat. Using the back of a spoon, push the vegetables aside to make four wells exposing the base of the pan. Crack the eggs one at a time into a cup and slide into the wells; lightly salt each yolk with the remaining salt. Crumble the feta between the eggs, sprinkle with za'atar if using and pour the remaining 20 g water around the edge. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the whites are opaque right up to the yolks and the yolks still wobble. Meanwhile, toast the 4 slices of bread. For fully set yolks, cook covered for another 2 minutes.
Take off the heat. Drizzle the lemon juice over the vegetables, avoiding the yolks, sprinkle with the remaining herbs and zest, drizzle with the uncooked olive oil (5 g) and add two grinds of pepper. Serve immediately in the pan, two eggs per person, with toast to mop up.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.

Lighter version

How the taste changes:

The leek is less meltingly rich with oil, and the feta gives fewer salty, creamy touches. Spinach, herbs and chilli become more prominent around the eggs, with less bread to soften each mouthful.

Bread (baguette or country loaf) : 70 g
Extra virgin olive oil : 15 g
Feta or Bulgarian white cheese, 16–24% fat (250 g block) : 40 g

In step 2, cook the leek with only 10 g oil; reserve the 5 g uncooked oil for serving.

Half the bread, a third less feta and 10 g less oil: chilli, herbs, zest and uncooked olive oil still provide the flavour.

On your plate

Recipe

632 kcal · protein 32 g · carbs 48 g · fat 33 g

Quantities per person

110 g Eggs
187.5 g Baby spinach (washed, bagged)
100 g Leeks
30 g Feta or Bulgarian white cheese, 16–24% fat (250 g block)
70 g Bread (baguette or country loaf)
12.5 g Extra virgin olive oil
5 g Garlic
7.5 g Hot green chillies
7.5 g Fresh coriander
5 g Flat-leaf parsley
1 g Ground cumin
0.5 g Ground coriander
30 g Lemon
25 g Water
1.5 g Fine salt
0.25 g Ground black pepper
1 g Za'atar (hyssop, sumac and sesame blend)

Cooking tips

The leek and spinach base can be made the day before through steps 1–3, without the herbs or zest. Reheat to a simmer with 2 tbsp water before making the wells, then add the herbs. For more heat, leave the chilli seeds in or serve with a spoonful of zhoug. A handful of dill with the coriander is also delicious. Toasted challah makes a good alternative to the bread.

Equipment : 26 cm sauté pan with a lid, fine grater for the zest, toaster

Green shakshuka from Israeli breakfast cafés in Tel Aviv and Jaffa, in a spinach and leek version.

Green shakshuka with spinach, leek, feta and herbs

Method

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On your plate

Recipe

Cooking tips

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