Veganuary Day 8 - Vegan Shakshuka
Hi there!
It's already one week into Veganuary, and I hope you’re enjoying it! I know most of you were already vegan, so Veganuary won’t bring much change to your meals, but January is the perfect month to introduce new recipes into your weekly rotation or to try ingredients that you normally don’t include in your shopping list. What about silken tofu?
We really didn’t have many recipes on the blog using silken tofu until we discovered how versatile this protein can be! It’s perfect to make desserts, sauces, or vegan eggs! For our vegan shakshuka, we use silken tofu to add protein to the dish that resembles the egg added to the classic recipe.
I love shakshuka as a brunch dish. Today, Astra made one for our friends who just had a baby and came over for brunch; they absolutely loved it. Also, I think they loved the idea of being cooked for and taken care of for a couple of hours 😅.
Let me know if you have already tried some of our Veganuary recipes or if you plan to do so!
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Ingredients
Canned Chopped Tomatoes. We use chopped tomatoes to cook our tomato sauce. Choose a good quality can of tomatoes, as this is the most important ingredient of the Shakshuka and will define its taste. You can as well use fresh tomatoes, canned plum tomatoes, tomato passata. Optionally, you can as well add some tomato paste to give your Shakshuka a richer umami taste.
Red pepper. Choose long Italian red peppers when possible, as they are less acidic. Red bell peppers will work equally well.
Onion and garlic. These are basic ingredients to flavor your delicious tomato sauce and Shakshuka dish. We use yellow onion, but white or red onion can be used as well. If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder.
Silken Tofu. We use Organic Silken Tofu. You can use firm or soft silken tofu. If you are using regular tofu, make sure you are using fresh, soft, or medium tofu. If you want to substitute the tofu in this recipe, you can use chickpeas or beans for protein.
Fresh Spinach. Add some green leaves to your dish by incorporating fresh spinach into the sauce at the end. Spinach cooks really fast, it won't take longer than 2-3 minutes. You can also use frozen spinach or baby spinach.
Spice mix. Our favorite spice blend for Shakshuka contains smoked sweet paprika which adds a smoky flavor and cumin. Simply using two spices, you will have a deliciously spiced, rich tomato sauce. If you want to add some heat to the sauce, add harissa or red chili flakes.
Fresh Herbs. we add some chopped fresh cilantro or parsley before serving. You can also add other herbs, such as oregano, basil, or dill.
Step-by-Step Method
Heat some olive oil in a pan to medium heat and add chopped onion. Stir fry for a couple of minutes, and then add minced garlic and chopped red bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the smoked sweet paprika and cumin and cook for one more minute or until fragrant.
Add the tinned chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Leave simmering until the red peppers are cooked and the tomato sauce has reduced and is a richer and thicker sauce. At this point, you can add a little bit of brown sugar or another sweetener if the sauce is still acidic.
Add the fresh spinach to the tomato sauce and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Time to make those vegan eggs. Break the silken tofu block into chunks. Depending on your taste, you can leave bigger or smaller chunks. Take 2 tablespoons and mix with some turmeric powder to create the "egg yolk". You can add some Kala Namak (black salt) to add some "eggy" taste to your Silken Tofu.
Place the Silken tofu on the tomato base. We like making 3-4 silken tofu eggs. Then add some of the turmeric tofu on top creating a yolk-like shape. Put the lid on the pan or skillet, and leave cooking for about 3-4 minutes to heat up the silken tofu.
You can then add some freshly chopped cilantro and black pepper and serve your delicious Vegan Shakshuka.
Download the whole recipe for quantities and instructions. Also, you can find more information about this recipe on the blog.
Enjoy this delicious one-pan recipe with some crusty bread and toppings of your choice, such as chili oil, yogurt, or za’atar.
Love,
Laura.