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Green Shakshuka

By Annie Petito

Published on December 4, 2023

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Green Shakshuka

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick (2 cups), leaves cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces (8 cups)1 onion, chopped fine 8 garlic cloves, sliced thin1 teaspoon table salt, divided2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems, divided1 pound (16 cups) baby spinach 1 ounce country-style bread, cut into ½-inch pieces (½ cup), plus bread for serving1¼ cups water 1½ teaspoons ground sumac, divided8 large eggs 1 ounce goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled (¼ cup)

Before You Begin

If sumac, which adds brightness, is unavailable, omit it in the steps and serve with lemon wedges (lemon juice may dull the color of the greens). Use a glass lid if you have one. If not, peek at the eggs frequently as they cook. Serve with hot sauce and garnish with Microwave-Fried Garlic.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chard stems, onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add coriander and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and 2 cups parsley. Adjust heat to medium-low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until greens are just wilted but still bright green, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add half of spinach, cover, and cook until just wilted. Add remaining spinach and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until all spinach is wilted but still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, transfer 1½ cups greens mixture to blender. Add bread, water, 1 teaspoon sumac, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Process until smooth puree forms, about 1 minute, scraping sides of blender jar as needed. Add puree to skillet and smooth into even layer.
  4. Using back of spoon, make 8 shallow indentations (about 1 inch wide) in surface of greens (seven around perimeter and one in center). Crack 1 egg into each indentation (which will hold yolk in place but not fully contain egg). Spoon greens over edges of egg whites so whites are partially covered and yolks are exposed.
  5. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until yolks film over, 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain gentle simmer. Continue to cook, covered, until whites are softly but uniformly set (if skillet is shaken lightly, each egg should jiggle as single unit), 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off heat, sprinkle with goat cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and remaining ½ teaspoon sumac. Season with salt to taste and serve, passing bread separately.

Green Shakshuka

Save

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick (2 cups), leaves cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces (8 cups)
1 onion, chopped fine
8 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems, divided
1 pound (16 cups) baby spinach
1 ounce country-style bread, cut into ½-inch pieces (½ cup), plus bread for serving
1¼ cups water
1½ teaspoons ground sumac, divided
8 large eggs
1 ounce goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled (¼ cup)

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick (2 cups), leaves cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces (8 cups)
1 onion, chopped fine
8 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems, divided
1 pound (16 cups) baby spinach
1 ounce country-style bread, cut into ½-inch pieces (½ cup), plus bread for serving
1¼ cups water
1½ teaspoons ground sumac, divided
8 large eggs
1 ounce goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled (¼ cup)

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick (2 cups), leaves cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces (8 cups)
1 onion, chopped fine
8 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems, divided
1 pound (16 cups) baby spinach
1 ounce country-style bread, cut into ½-inch pieces (½ cup), plus bread for serving
1¼ cups water
1½ teaspoons ground sumac, divided
8 large eggs
1 ounce goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled (¼ cup)

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For a vibrant, earthy green shakshuka, we replaced the robust tomato and pepper sauce from red shakshuka with a mix of leafy greens and herbs: savory, mineral-y Swiss chard; tender baby spinach; and a bunch of fresh parsley. We started by softening the thinly sliced stems of the chard with onion and garlic in olive oil and then added cumin and coriander before wilting the chard leaves, parsley, and spinach. Next, we pureed a portion of the cooked greens with water and bread. The bread helped bind some of the water so that the puree was thick and homogenous. The puree provided a smooth consistency for evenly transferring heat to the eggs, which helped them cook at the same rate, while the portion of unblended greens provided a sturdy bed for the eggs. Cooking the eggs covered allowed them to be heated from above and below.

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Before You Begin

If sumac, which adds brightness, is unavailable, omit it in the steps and serve with lemon wedges (lemon juice may dull the color of the greens). Use a glass lid if you have one. If not, peek at the eggs frequently as they cook. Serve with hot sauce and garnish with Microwave-Fried Garlic.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chard stems, onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add coriander and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and 2 cups parsley. Adjust heat to medium-low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until greens are just wilted but still bright green, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add half of spinach, cover, and cook until just wilted. Add remaining spinach and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until all spinach is wilted but still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, transfer 1½ cups greens mixture to blender. Add bread, water, 1 teaspoon sumac, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Process until smooth puree forms, about 1 minute, scraping sides of blender jar as needed. Add puree to skillet and smooth into even layer.
  4. Using back of spoon, make 8 shallow indentations (about 1 inch wide) in surface of greens (seven around perimeter and one in center). Crack 1 egg into each indentation (which will hold yolk in place but not fully contain egg). Spoon greens over edges of egg whites so whites are partially covered and yolks are exposed.
  5. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until yolks film over, 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain gentle simmer. Continue to cook, covered, until whites are softly but uniformly set (if skillet is shaken lightly, each egg should jiggle as single unit), 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off heat, sprinkle with goat cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and remaining ½ teaspoon sumac. Season with salt to taste and serve, passing bread separately.

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