After eating your fill of tomatoes, where to turn for classic brunch dishes, as the weather starts cooling down for fall? Try my Pumpkin Shakshuka – a riff on this classic Middle-Eastern dish, using the best of fall produce, paired with spices, spinach, and poached eggs for the perfect autumnal twist.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Pumpkin spinach shakshuka is a great brunch dish for the fall. You’ll love it as well, for reasons like:
- Packed full of vitamins and minerals from the fresh vegetables.
- Protein from the eggs keeps you feeling full for a long time!
- Delicious Middle-Eastern flavor from the toasted spices.
- Makes great use of seasonal produce.
- Adaptable to different varieties of pumpkin and squash.
- One of the heartiest and most pleasing brunch recipes I know.
- A delicious breakfast, but it’s so filling, it can also be served as a main meal for lunch or dinner.
What is Shakshuka?
Shakshuka (sometimes also spelled shakshouka) is a classic dish from the Middle East and Northern Africa. It features various vegetables cooked in a spiced liquid sauce, usually tomato sauce. Eggs are cracked into the sauce at the end of the cooking period and poached in the liquid.
Inspiration Behind The Pumpkin Shakshuka Recipe
I absolutely adore classic tomato shakshouka (traditional shakshuka), and you’ve probably already seen my recipe for it. But now summer is turning into fall, and the market stands are filling up with squash and pumpkin instead of tomatoes. I needed to find a way to keep right on enjoying shakshuka with the new seasonal ingredients. I’ve made green shakshuka with spinach before which was great, and wondered what would happen if I added pumpkin too. Oh yes! Turns out pumpkin AND spinach shakshuka is a big old hit. Throw in some spices, too, to keep the Middle-Eastern vibe alive, and it’s an absolute winner. In fact, it might have just become my new best shakshuka recipe!
Ingredient list
To make the easy pumpkin spinach shakshuka recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Ingredient Substitutes
If you’re missing any of the above ingredients, you can sub in one of the following:
Variations
How to Make Pumpkin Shakshuka With Easy Cooking Steps
Cooking Tools
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Large heavy-bottomed skillet or frying pan
Cooking Method
- Toasting
- Simmering
Preparation Steps
- Assemble all the tools and ingredients.
- Peel the squash and cut into cubes of about ½ inch.
- Peel and slice the onion.
- Slice the kernel off the ear of the sweetcorn.
- Crumble the feta cheese.
Cooking Steps
- Put a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
- Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds to the dry pan and toast for about 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and lightly colored. Remove from the hot pan and set aside.
- Put the pan back over the heat and add the olive oil and onion with a pinch of salt. Fry for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the cubes of pumpkin or squash and the corn kernels. Continue frying for about 8-10 minutes, until they are starting to turn golden brown in places.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.
- Roughly crush the pumpkin with a potato masher, being sure to leave some chunks whole.
- Add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Try the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- With the back of a spoon, make four small dents in the sauce. Crack an egg into each one, and turn the heat up slightly.
- Cook until the egg whites are just set, and the yolks still runny; about 5-6 minutes.
- Scatter over the feta cheese and the toasted spices. Serve with dollops of Greek yogurt, and optionally some bread on the side.
Alternative Method
- If you want a more hands-off version, it is possible to make this dish in the oven instead of on the range. Roast the pumpkin and onion at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes. Pour in the stock, over the roasted pumpkin and return the roasting pan to the oven for about a further 20 minutes until reduced.
- Crush the pumpkin roughly, then crack in the eggs, as detailed above, and put back in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until the eggs are cooked. Be aware that the eggs may brown on top when cooking in the oven, and it can be harder to ensure that the yolks remain runny.
Best Tips to Ace This Recipe
- Don’t skip toasting the spice seeds. It’s an extra step, but it really improves their flavor, making the dish dance on your taste buds!
- Some squash and pumpkin can get a bit watery when cooked, diluting the flavor. This is why it’s important to pick a firm-fleshed pumpkin, to reduce the likelihood of this happening. If you think your pumpkin is too wet, reduce the amount of stock. If you already added the stock, you can always boil off excess water by cooking at a higher temperature for a bit longer, before adding the spinach.
Time saving tips
- Make the pumpkin and spinach sauce ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to eat. Then all you have to do is reheat the sauce and crack in the eggs at the last minute.
- Some stores sell spices ready-toasted. If you find any, you can skip the first step of toasting the whole spice seeds.
- Crumble the feta cheese in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Peel and dice the pumpkin in advance. It will keep fine in the fridge, covered, for at least 3-4 days.
What To Serve with Shakshuka?
The classic side dish to serve with shakshuka is crusty bread, and it certainly goes very well, mopping up all that delicious sauce! However, if you plan to serve pumpkin shakshuka for a main meal, you might want a side dish that is a little more special! Try one of these to set off the shakshuka to perfection!
- Roasted Green Beans with Tomatoes
- Ciambotta Vegetables
- Tomato-free Guacamole
- Quick Pickled Jalapeños
- Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions
- Roasted Asparagus
How To Store Pumpkin Shakshuka
- Shakshuka sauce keeps very well in the fridge. It should stay good for up to a week in an airtight container. To reheat, simply place the sauce in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Warm through gently, and when it comes to a soft boil, add the eggs.
- I wouldn’t recommend storing pumpkin shakshuka after poaching the eggs. It will be perfectly safe to do it if you have leftovers, but the eggs will firm up in the fridge. The yolks won’t become liquid again when you reheat them. Part of the joy of the dish is cutting into a warm, runny egg yolk, so aim to poach the exact number of eggs you need!
- Freezing is not recommended for this recipe. The pumpkin sauce separates and crystallizes in a strange way when frozen.
Conclusion
When you next see that market stand full of pumpkins and squashes, pick one of them up and have a go at making my Pumpkin Shakshuka! Whether you’re looking for a healthy new brunch idea or just wondering about a creative use for leftover squash, this seasonal recipe uses the vegetable to its best advantage. With spices and sweetcorn, pumpkin spinach shakshuka is sure to become your new favorite dish for fall. Let me know in the comments how you get on.
More Healthy Vegetarian Brunch Recipes
Looking for more healthy vegetarian brunch dishes? Try out one of my other recipes, either for a different type of savory shakshuka, or something sweet:
FAQs
Shakshuka will last in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container. It’s better not to poach the eggs until ready to eat.
Many countries in North Africa and the Middle East claim credit for inventing shakshuka. Although it is generally thought to have originated in Tunisia, Israel popularized it internationally.
Shakshuka is often served in Turkey, but Turkish Eggs more usually mean a dish called Çilbir, featuring poached eggs on a garlicky yogurt base, with spiced chili butter.
Shakshuka is traditionally served for breakfast or brunch, but you can eat it at any time of day.
Pumpkin Shakshuka With Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin peeled and diced into cubes
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 large onion peeled and sliced
- 1 ear of sweetcorn kernels sliced off
- 2 ounces of feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cooking Steps
- Put a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
- Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds to the dry pan and toast for about 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and lightly colored. Remove from the hot pan and set aside.
- Put the pan back over the heat and add the olive oil and onion with a pinch of salt. Fry for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the cubes of pumpkin or squash and the corn kernels. Continue frying for about 8-10 minutes, until they are starting to turn golden brown in places.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.
- Roughly crush the pumpkin with a potato masher, being sure to leave some chunks whole.
- Add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Try the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- With the back of a spoon, make four small dents in the sauce. Crack an egg into each one, and turn the heat up slightly.
- Cook until the egg whites are just set, and the yolks still runny; about 5-6 minutes.
- Scatter over the feta cheese and the toasted spices. Serve with dollops of Greek yogurt, and optionally some bread on the side.
