This vegan shakshuka is made with spinach and silken tofu in a smoky tomato and red pepper sauce. It's perfect for breakfast or dinner, easy to make, and absolutely delicious scooped up on crusty pita wedges.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium red bell peppers, roughly chopped (1-inch pieces)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 1 (14 ounce/400 gram) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce/400 gram) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 ounces baby spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 (12.3 ounce) package silken tofu (Note 1)
- ¼ teaspoon kala namak, or to taste (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Sliced avocado
- Vegan feta cheese (store bought or homemade tofu feta)
- Pita bread
-
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil and place it over medium heat.
-
When the oil is hot, add the onion and bell peppers. Sweat them for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
-
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper to the skillet. Sauté everything for about 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
-
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and fire roasted tomatoes. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
-
Lower the heat and allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the sauce has thickened a bit. You can add a splash of water if it gets too thick while simmering.
-
Stir in the spinach and allow the mixture to simmer for about 2 minutes more, until the spinach has fully wilted.
-
Carefully taste-test the sauce (it will be hot) and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
-
While the sauce is still simmering, use a spoon to scoop dollops of the silken tofu, transferring them right to the skillet. Get about 6 or 7 large scoops and try to distribute them relatively evenly over the sauce.
-
Continue simmering the shakshuka for about 2 minutes, just to heat up the tofu.
-
Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the tofu with kala namak (or table salt) and black pepper to taste.
-
Top with parsley and cilantro, along with any desired additional toppings such as avocado or vegan feta cheese.
-
Divide onto plates and serve with pita bread.
- Some brands of silken tofu are available in different levels of firmness. Any firmness can be used, though soft is ideal for this recipe.