Green Shakshuka
82 Comments
Updated May 23, 2024
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Green shakshuka puts a healthy green spin on the classic shakshuka recipe. It’s an easy, one-pan dish filled with shaved brussels sprouts, spinach, zucchini, and poached eggs. Whether you eat it for breakfast or dinner, it’s a hearty, nutrient-packed meal that will last you through any season.
If you’ve read or seen snippets of my travels to Israel, you’ll know how much I’m inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine. Their dishes are loaded with veggies, herbs, and layers of fresh flavors – sounds like a Downshiftology recipe right? And one of my all-time favorite recipes is shakshuka.
The great thing about a shakshuka is it’s versatility. Similar to how you can toss most ingredients from your fridge into a smoothie, the same can be said for a shakshuka.
Whatever veggies you’ve got lying around from swiss chard, to Brussels sprouts, zucchini, green bell peppers, leeks or even artichoke hearts, just throw them in! So today, I’m turning my original shakshuka recipe into a loaded greens meal.
Green Shakshuka Ingredients
Traditionally, a shakshuka is a mixture of simmering tomato sauce and spices, topped with gently poached eggs. Within the tomato sauce there’s diced onions, garlic and bell peppers. Lastly, it’s garnished with freshly chopped herbs such as cilantro and parsley.
But for this green shakshuka, I’ll be replacing the tomato sauce and bell peppers with an abundance of sauteed green vegetables. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Vegetables: brussels sprouts, zucchini, baby spinach, onion, and avocado
- Eggs: several large eggs which add protein to the meal
- Spices: cumin is my favorite for an earthy, spicy taste
- Herbs: cilantro for garnishing and that little extra pop of green
How to Make Green Shakshuka
This is a one-pan recipe, so whip out your cast iron and let’s get cooking.
- Cook the onion in a saute pan on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the shaved brussels sprouts and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. When the sprouts have softened, stir in the zucchini and spices for another minute.
- Add the spinach and cook until it starts to wilt.
- Crack the eggs evenly on top. Just use a spatula to create little wells for them to sit in.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook the eggs to your liking. If you’d like them to cook faster, just add a lid!
- Garnish with avocado and cilantro, and serve!
Make it Ahead and Freeze
If you’d like to make this green shakshuka ahead of time, simply make the veggie layer without the eggs. Then place it in a freezer safe container to store away. You can freeze this for up to 3 months.
Once you’re ready to eat, give your veggies a quick saute in the cast iron. Then crack the eggs on top to continue the last 3 steps of the recipe. This is perfect if you’d like to make individual portions in the future.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
Greens for breakfast (or any meal of the day) is essential. So here are a few more ideas on how to sneak some veggies into your morning routine.
- Kale and Butternut Squash Frittata
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
- Zucchini and Prosciutto Egg Muffins
- Spiralized Sweet Potato Egg Nests
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- Clean Green Smoothie Bowl
Did you know I also have an orange shakshuka recipe? Oh yes, you must try that version as well!
And if you found this recipe from a Whole30 link, make sure to read my post 15 Whole30 Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, for more delicious ideas!
If you’re a fan of veggies for breakfast, you’re going to love this green shakshuka recipe! If you make it, let me know how it turns out in the comment box below.
Best Green Shakshuka Recipe
Description
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the shaved brussels sprouts and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. When the brussels sprouts have softened, add the zucchini and spices and stir for another minute.
- Add the baby spinach and stir until it just starts to wilt, then turn the heat to low.
- Flatten the mixture with a spatula and create 5 small wells, then crack the eggs into each well.
- Cook until the eggs are done to your liking. You can also add a lid to steam and cook the eggs faster.
- Sprinkle the fresh cilantro on top and garnish with sliced avocado.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted Dec 2015, but updated to Dec 2019 and today, to include new photos and information.
Good ways to get your veggies first thing in the morning for breakfast. I followed the recipe and everything was perfect. Next time I might add some bell peppers and kale instead of Brussels sprouts and spinach.
I loved this and will definitely make it again.
Bell peppers would be a delicious touch! Glad you enjoyed this green shakshuka, Arlene.
This is my first time trying green shakshuka, so I’m not sure if this is standard, but it was very underwhelming based on my expectations from red shakshuka. After trying a taste, I added a splash of lime juice, which helped. I think red pepper flakes would have been a good addition, too.
Delicious recipe!
I made 3 small adjustments: 1) I placed the shredded zucchini in a kitchen towel (you can use paper towels) and pressed out the excess liquid (I always do this with shredded zucchini) 2) I added a rounded 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 3) I sprinkled on crumbled feta at the plating.
So good!
Hi Don – Thanks for sharing all your adjustments! Glad you enjoyed this shakshuka recipe.
I have a couple questions. How much is 1 zucchini? The average zucchini from my garden is over a pound. That’s more than will fit in any pan I own at one time. Would it be maybe about a cup or two of grated zucchini? Also, when you say 9 ounces of shaved Brussels Sprouts, do you mean weight or volume?
Hi Carol – I would say a small zucchini then if yours can’t fit in the pan. Also, it would be by weight for the Brussels sprouts.
I really love how you have a photo of all the ingredients together! It’s great when scanning recipes to see what is possible (do I have this stuff to hand?) and get a quick idea of proportions and sizes (grated or slices, cubed or diced).
I use your site all the time for inspiration – thank you
Hi Carol – I’m glad the ingredient photos are helpful!
Lovely! A non tomato shakshuka!
And Brussels are one of my fav veggies.
Hi Helene – I’m so glad you love this green shakshuka!
I’ve made other green shakshuka recipes in the past, but I loved the Brussel sprouts in this! They added a texture that was missing from the others and made it heartier. Thanks for sharing it!
I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I tried this recipe first in January for the Whole 30. I found it quite mushy. This time, I didn’t grate the zucchini and added bok choy leaves instead of the spinach. I cooked all of the greens together after sauteing the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. It worked beautifully and everything was still a bit crunchy. V good!
Glad you were able to tweak this recipe to your liking, Lori!
This recipe was a splendid surprise. It was DELICIOUS! I did change a few details to try to stay within my diet and macro goals for the day. I completely cut the olive oil and instead water sautéed everything, beginning w the onion and garlic. As the recipe went on, I just added small amounts of water as it evaporated and I had no issue whatsoever having foregone the oil. Wasn’t sure it would work as it was my first time ever water sautéing anything (thanks, Youtube, for helping!) The cumin was definitely one of the stars of the show, perfect choice of seasoning. Also left out the avocado, but added a fillet of salmon (props Instant Pot) on top at the end. Absolutely mouthwatering and the entire meal w the salmon came out to just over 500 cal (only 275 w/o the salmon). Incredible choice if you’re looking to stay within a low cal diet.
I’m so glad you’re loving this green shakshuka! There is lots of room for variations in this dish and your salmon addition sounds amazing!
Simply amazing! Prepared as presented, sprinkled on some feta and sriracha, and loved every bite!!
Love the idea of adding a sprinkle of feta! :)
Isn’t there zucchini in the recipe? When do you add them? Didn’t see that step (or ingredient) in the directions…
Hi Raquel – it’s listed in the ingredients (1 zucchini, grated), and you add it into the pan at step 2. Hope that helps!
Was well worth the try for this fam with four kiddos, really trying to get more veggies in. We like things with a lil more kick so we added Mr Bing chili crisp and others added bit of peri peri. Definitely don’t miss out on the avocado, and I say, add a generous squeeze of lime juice- was super yummy.
Thank you!
Sounds delicious with the extra chili crisp!
I have made it and it is super delicious and healthy!! It has become one of my favorite breakfast prep meal!
I haven’t made this yet but, it sounds like it would b delicious. Does Lisa have an recipes with egg whites?
I don’t just yet, but I’ll try to keep in mind of egg white alternatives!
Thanks for the idea! I’ve always wanted to try this this but tomato is terrible for my stomach, now I will try this twist!
Let me know how you like this one Maria!
I made this for dinner because it’s more prep than I want to do in the mornings. It was delicious! It probably look me 20 min prep which didn’t bother me at all. I added some micro greens to the meal since I was feeling so healthy. I will be making this againI
i didnt have kale so i used spinach, i love this recipe. great start to a day
I love the idea of shakshuka, but cant have tomtos, so green shakshuka is totaly my thing to try. I made mine with leeks, turnip greens and brussels sprouts and I totaly love it. The greens and eggs compliment eachother beautifuly, it is a great way to eat more greens in generell and use them up. It is lovely, fresh but hearty, I will totaly try other combinations too and well, follow the recipe more closely, when I do not have other stuff I need to use up at home.
Well worth the effort! This was a big hit
I started to make this recipe with some leftover brussels sprouts. When I discovered my zucchini had spoiled I added small red, orange and yellow pepper strips along with some quartered grape tomatoes along with the other ingredients instead. It turned out pretty good. Thanks for the inspiration to use up some odds and ends in my frig.
This was the bomb! A delicious, quick, easy way to load up on greens first thing in the morning!
Absolutely! A great way to get in greens and protein for breakfast.
It is such a joy to watch you prepare a meal. The freshness of each dish is amazing. Thank you for all the great recipes and ideas.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this green shakshuka recipe Jacqueline!
Excellent !!!!!!!!
Could I use frozen spinach and brussel sprouts? Maybe thaw the brussel sprouts and chop them up? Fresh are really hard to get a hold of currently!
If you can only get a hold of frozen ones, that’s perfectly fine! Just thaw them.
Your recipes r really encouraging to prepare something new from the routine spices thatcwe use.
This recipe looks soo yum, i will definitely try it.
Also the cast iron pan that u used for cooking. I just a week back came across Downshiftology and i am loving it. ❤
So glad you’re enjoying all the recipes from my website so far! Can’t wait to see what you make next :)
Hi! Any suggestions for protein substitutes for the eggs? Food intolerance unfortunately
Hi Hazel – you could try tofu or chickpeas. :)
“The great thing about a shakshuka is it’s versatility”
“its” There is no apostrophe for this use.
I made it; it was delicious.
This recipe has become a staple in our household. I love shakshuka but with my sensitivities to acidity I can’t always eat it and this is a delicious alternative that make me feel like I’m doing my body some good!
Hi Sarah- So glad you’ve been able to enjoy this recipe so much! It’s also a great way to sneak in more greens :)
what an amazing meal. can’t wait to try it
I am so glad to hear about more ways to make Shakshuka. It really is flexible, isn’t it? I have done a variation where I took some Ratatouille from a day or two earlier, added a bit more spice, and then an egg. I liked that too,
Hi Ann – It really is a flexible dish when it comes to ingredients!
This was delish! We didn’t have spinach or the avocado, so we substituted sautéed leek and a few pine nuts. Would make again for sure!
Hi Julia – And that’s what’s so great about this recipe – is that you can use just about any leftover veggies you have laying around :)
After making and loving your Shakshuka (tomato-based) recipe, I made your Green Shashuka on a whim today. Wow! This is amazing. Me & the DH absolutely loved it. In fact he think he prefers it to tomato-based Shashukas (which he also loves). He suffers from acid reflux so this will be easier on him. I had to modify based on what needed salvaging in the fridge, and used baby spinach, baby snow pea shoots, Brussels sprouts and abut of green bell pepper. The different greens and your method of combining was delightful for textures and flavours. Cumin is genius. This will become a regular meal in our rotation. It’s extra special as something so healthy and delicious, adaptable, and something we cannot even get at a restaurant! Yum. Thank you for sharing this recipe! :) <3
Hi Jeanette – I’m so glad you two loved this recipe! This is definitely a great alternative for people who can’t have tomatoes :)
Yum!!! I was excited to have all the ingredients on hand (though this is certainly flexible to use whatever you want) and just made this for breakfast. It’s delicious! It’s always satisfying getting lots of veggies in at breakfast. Thanks for this easy and healthy breakfast!
Hi Jessica – So glad you loved this recipe for breakfast :)
This was so good even though I didn’t have all the green veggies. I needed to use up a zucchini and so i used that with the spices, added some leftover mashed butternut squash and then the egg. So tasty! Thanks for sharing such easy and good for you recipes!
Hi Sharon – Mashed butternut squash sounds amazing with this! I might have to whip that up myself :) But, I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This looks amazing! Why do you have “Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.” in the instructions if the entire dish is made on the stove top?
Hi Radhika – I think you’re looking at a previous version of the recipe. Please refresh your page. :)
I can’t wait for the morning to come now – this shakshuka looks too good not to make it ASAP! :-)
Hi Elaine – You’re going to love this recipe :)
Learned so much about shakshuka! So helpful
Hi Haley – Glad I could introduce you to a new type of dish!
I love a classic shakshuka, so this green shakshuka looks amazing! Definitely making it for breakfast this week!
Hi Jessica – It’s the perfect way to sneak in some greens to your morning routine!
I used to order this at one of my favorite restaurants, and never knew how to make it at home! Now I can enjoy this delicious Shakshuka at home!
Hi Alison – It’s so easy to make it home :) Enjoy the recipe!
Thank you for this green version, Lisa. For me, tomato sauce, or anything tomato, is a gut irritant and has almost immediate and unpleasant consequences.
As I also have IBS, I need to stay away from onion and garlic, but will substitute a little asofoteida (sp?) in this instead.
Please keep the veggie-heavy recipes coming! Like many others out there with IBS, I can’t eat big salads and raw veggies, but seem to do fine with small portions of cooked meals.
Hi Kathleen – I’m glad this green version worked out for you! I will definitely try and keep veggie-heavy recipes going :) Thanks again for following along to my channel!
Absolutely delicious! Will be making again. It’s great for meal-prep/ make-ahead breakfasts.
Hi Samoni – So glad you enjoyed my Green Shakshuka recipe!
Making this over again and again!! I cut veg in bulk and freeze them for fast breakfast
Hi there – So glad you enjoyed this recipe so much :)
Really interested into trying this recipe! I was wondering if you could share up the nutritional info for it?
Thank you :)
It’s delicious! I’m slowly adding nutritional info to all my recipes but haven’t gotten to this one yet. Soon though! :)
Sounds awesome but how exactly is it shakshuka? Just putting vegetables in a skillet and nestling eggs into it to look as close as possible to the typical cooking blog picture of shakshuka doesn’t really make it shakshuka.
Shakshuka translated simply means “a mixture.” Depending on the part of the world you’re visiting, that can actually come to mean a lot of things. In Tunisia, a shakshuka commonly has artichoke hearts and potatoes. I’ve linked my recipe for a traditional tomato-based shakshuka above (after having lived in the Middle East and North Africa), but the lovely thing about cooking is modifying, adapting and adding your own unique flair. :)
This was great! We had a good amount of leftover southern style collard greens (collards, onions, garlic, bacon) so in the morning, I added the grated zucchini, cumin, cilantro and eggs. It was great! And really, such an improvement over the standard southern collards, that I might repeat the recipe next time without the eggs for dinner if the CSA sticks us will those particular greens again. Thanks!
So glad you liked it Melissa! I’m sure it definitely jazzed those collards up! :) x
This is the most gorgeous display of greens and eggs – and obviously the fact that it’s delicious, is the best part :) So sweet that you especially accommodated this dish for your brother as well.
It’s more fun when everyone can join in! :) x