Chickpea Shakshuka (Egg-Free)

About this recipe

Shakshuka without eggs sounds like a loss, until chickpeas are simmered in tomato passata until they soften just enough to provide substance. Cumin threads through every element—the onion, the spices, the sauce itself—creating a coherence that makes you forget the egg entirely. This is the vegan answer to the Middle Eastern breakfast everyone loves, reimagined for plant-based tables. The sauce is where the richness lives. Tomato passata—strained tomato, not crushed—gives a silken texture without seeds or chunks. Smoked paprika adds depth and a whisper of smoke; harissa paste brings a round, complex heat that doesn't spike but rather builds slowly. The chickpeas absorb all this flavour, their creamy interior contrasting with the slightly crunchy sauce oil-fleck. Spinach added at the last moment stays tender without cooking down to nothing. The hardest part of this dish is not overcooking it. The sauce should bubble gently for 8 minutes—enough to marry the spices and reduce slightly—then chickpeas join for another 5. Any longer and the passata breaks, the chickpeas turn mushy. Keep the heat at a steady medium; the sauce should shimmer at the edges, not rage. The goal is a thick, clinging sauce, not a soup. Serve straight from the pan, scattered with chopped parsley and a light squeeze of lemon. Tear a thick slice of sourdough and use it to scoop—the bread catches the olive oil from the surface and the sauce's essence. This keeps, refrigerated, for three days, and reheats gently on the stovetop with a splash of water to restore its original consistency. High-protein at 16g, fibre-rich at 14g, it's the kind of breakfast that sustains you through lunch.