High-protein chickpea shakshuka
Shakshuka is a dish of tomato sauce and eggs deeply rooted in the tables of the Levant and the Gulf.
We boost it with cooked chickpeas and spinach to raise the protein and fiber, so it becomes a breakfast or suhoor that keeps you full for a long time without meat.
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, as the fat base cooks the onion gently.
Sauté the onion and bell pepper for five to seven minutes until softened and sweet.
Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and paprika and stir for half a minute until fragrant, as the heat awakens the spice oils.
Pour in the pureed tomatoes with the salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer over low heat for ten to fifteen minutes until it thickens.
Add the cooked chickpeas and spinach and stir for two minutes until the spinach wilts and the chickpeas absorb the flavor, which is what raises the protein and fiber.
Make wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into them, then cover the skillet.
Cook for five to eight minutes until the whites set and the yolks stay runny as we like.
Garnish with parsley and serve the shakshuka hot from the skillet.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing High-Protein Chickpea Shakshuka, and how to fix them:
The sauce is cold or thin; keep the heat medium and cover the skillet so the trapped steam holds the heat.
It was left too long; watch from the fifth minute and raise the heat only once the whites set.
The tomatoes are sharp; add a small touch of sautéed onion or cook longer so its sweetness develops.
It was added too early; add it in the step before the eggs so it wilts quickly without watering down the sauce.
The sauce without eggs in an airtight container for up to three days, then reheated with fresh eggs cracked in.
The sauce base with chickpeas freezes for up to a month, thawed and reheated, then the eggs added fresh.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach | Arugula or chard | Same weight | An alternative leafy green that wilts the same way and adds fiber |
| Cooked chickpeas | Cooked fava beans | Same weight | An alternative legume that raises protein with a familiar Arabic flavor |
| Smoked paprika | Sweet paprika | Same weight | For a milder flavor without the smokiness |
| Salt | Half the amount | 1.5 g | For the low-sodium version, compensating the flavor with spices and lemon |
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings (base) | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 150 g | 300 g | 600 g |
| Cooked chickpeas | 120 g | 240 g | 480 g |
| Spinach | 30 g | 60 g | 120 g |
| Pureed tomatoes | 200 g | 400 g | 800 g |
| Onion | 60 g | 120 g | 240 g |
| Olive oil | 14 g | 28 g | 56 g |
Let the sauce thicken well before cracking the eggs, as a watery sauce makes the eggs sink and slows their setting.
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