This is the latest installment in the “Work From Home Lunch” Series and to be honest, this recipe is what most closely resembles what I make on the daily! It’s heavily inspired by a shakshuka, but in a more deconstructed way that’s ideal for meal prep. Not gonna lie, I was totally overthinking this recipe post. In my brain I was like “ok this is too simple” and “people won’t want a deconstructed version,” but then I realized that if it’s useful for me, it might be useful for you! So here is how I make this delish lunch recipe, and I hope you like it

The best part of this recipe is that it is super flexible. You can easily make it vegan, gluten free or allergen friendly. Plus it’s easy to store, and when you have it for lunch it’s like having a fancy brunch every, dam* day. And that’s really all you can ask for when we work from home, right?

What is a traditional shakshuka?

Of course, if you know me, you know I try to be as respectful to food and food culture as possible. Which is exactly why I’m calling this a deconstructed shakshuka, and not a true shakshuka.

Traditional shakshuka (or shakshouka, as it is also spelled) originates from Northwest Africa. The exact history is disputed, but if you trace it waaay back, it is said to have evolved from an Ottoman meat stew. Now it has transitioned to a vegetarian poached egg dish that consists of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion and garlic, and various spices.

And the key word is poached. In a typical shakshuka, you add the eggs directly to the simmering vegetable mixture and poach them as you cook. This is the traditional method, but for this recipe we are switching it up a bit!

What makes this recipe different?

This recipe uses a lot of the same ingredients and spices of a traditional shakshuka, but I’ve made a few changes! My changes are to adjust the flavor, the composition (helloo toast!) and to make it a great meal-prep recipe. I still look to a lot of the same ingredients, but keep a few key changes in the mix 🙂

The big changes are:

• Using hard boiled eggs instead of poached – don’t get me wrong, I love a poached egg. But I’ve found it’s nearly impossible to store poached eggs in shakshuka for a later meal. But hard boiled eggs are an easy fix! You just make 8 six-minute eggs ahead of time, store them in the fridge and crack them when you need them! The other best part of this is that you can cook your egg to whatever temperature you’d like – yolks for all!
• Topping it on toast – Shakshuka is usually served with bread or pita, but in this recipe I’m serving it ON bread. This makes it like a fancy af tomato stew eggs benedict….but shakshuka. There’s a lotta fusion going on in this recipe 😉
• Opting out of the onion and bell pepper – Instead of onions I’m using shallots (I just love them so much!) And I’m leaving the bell pepper out of this recipe. We’re looking for 15 minute meals, and sometimes chopping one extra veg just isn’t worth it, y’know what I mean?

And of course, the spices are a mix of old school and new school. I definitely use some of the traditional spices (cumin, paprika etc.) but I also add in a few twists of my own. There’s no one “right” way to make a dish, so I figure why not have some fun with it!

Ingredients you will need for this recipe

Now that I’ve broken down what this recipe is inspired by, here’s what you will need to make it:

for the tomato stew

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped – which I just KNOW means some of y’all will be using like…17 cloves
• 15 ounces canned halved stewed tomatoes, about 1 can – I like to use both diced and halved to get each type of tomato in the recipe!
• 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes, about 1 can
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 ounce crumbled goat cheese – because after the feta past on TikTok…I just can’t look at another piece of feta on this app ever again.

for the assembly

• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
• 8 large eggs
• 4 slices bread of choice toasted
• 2 tsp za’atar
• 1/2 large lemon – optional

If you want to make it vegan or allergen friendly

Vegan? Dairy Free? No problem! I gotchu. Here are a few easy swaps for this recipe:

• If you are vegan, swap out the eggs for baked tofu. You can find one example of how I bake Za’atar tofu in my Za’atar Tofu Recipe. Or you can just lightly coat press tofu with chili powder, salt & pepper and bake for about 25 minutes at 425F. It will come out firm, spicy and delicious!
• If you are dairy free (or vegan as well!) you can just leave out the goat cheese if you’d like. OR you can swap in my Vegan Ricotta or just some nutritional yeast. You know I love my nooch!

How to make this deconstructed shakshuka (and use it in your meal prep this week!)

You have two main options when making this recipe:

1. Make all four portions at once (helllooo brunch party!)
2. Make one portion and save the others as your lunch prep for the week.

Either way you choose to go, it’s super easy on both ends!

here’s how to make everything for one meal

• Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add in the olive oil and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the shallots and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots are slightly soft, about another 2 minutes.
• Put in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes to you skillet. Stir to combine the spices with the garlic and shallots and cook for another minute. This will help activate the flavor in the spices.
• Pour in both cans of tomatoes, stir until well combined and add salt and pepper to taste.
• When you are at this stage, begin to toast all your slices of bread.
• Turn the heat down to low and sprinkle the goat cheese on top. Do not mix the goat cheese in.
• Let the mixture simmer for about 6-7 minutes.
• When you are at this stage it’s time to prep the eggs!
• To cook the eggs, bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently add in all 8 eggs, and boil for 6-7 minutes.
• Prepare a bowl of ice water to the side, and when the eggs are done boiling, use a slotted spoon to move them directly into the ice water. Let them sit for a few minutes.
• Take the tomato mixture off the heat.
• Peel the eggs (you might need to enlist some help for this!)
• Take each slice of toasted bread and brush with a light coating of olive oil and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of za’atar on top.
• To assemble the meal, add a generous amount of the tomato mixture to the toast. Top with two eggs per serving and a sprinkling of cilantro. Add a squeeze of lemon and salt & pepper if you’d like!

and here’s how to make everything for meal prep

• Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add in the olive oil and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Toss in the shallots and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots are slightly soft, about another 2 minutes.
• Put in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes to you skillet. Stir to combine the spices with the garlic and shallots and cook for another minute. This will help activate the flavor in the spices.
• Pour in both cans of tomatoes, stir until well combined and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Turn the heat down to low and sprinkle the goat cheese on top. Do not mix the goat cheese in.
• Let the mixture simmer for about 6-7 minutes.
• When you are at this stage it’s time to prep the eggs and toast your bread! Since you are only making one serving now, only take out 1-2 slices of bread to toast, and leave the rest untouched to retain freshness.
• To cook the eggs, bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently add in all 8 eggs, and boil for 6-7 minutes.
• Prepare a bowl of ice water to the side, and when the eggs are done boiling, use a slotted spoon to move them directly into the ice water. Let them sit for a few minutes.
• Take out the two eggs you plan to use in your current meal, and store the others in their shells in an egg carton in the fridge. This is so they won’t break, and it helps them maintain their freshness!
• Take the tomato mixture off the heat.
• Peel two eggs.
• Take each slice of toasted bread and brush with a light coating of olive oil and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of za’atar on top.
• To assemble the meal, add a generous amount of the tomato mixture to the toast. Top with two eggs per serving and a sprinkling of cilantro. Add a squeeze of lemon and salt & pepper if you’d like!

How to store and use this recipe throughout the week

To store this recipe, move the tomato mixture to an airtight container (I love Tupperware or Pyrex) and try not to mix in the goat cheese as much as possible. Leave all your bread slices in their original storage (whether it’s a bag or a bread drawer) and slice and toast everything as you need it!

Store the eggs in their shells (they last longer that way) and shell them when you make the recipe next!

how to reheat the tomato stew

Heating up the tomato mixture is totally dependent on what you prefer and what you have. These are just a few ways I prefer to do it:

• The classic microwave – I’ve researched for ANY evidence to find that microwaves are harmful, and I have yet to find a credible source. Plus microwave heating might help preserve more nutrients in food compared to other heating options! And this recipe is designed to be microwave friendly. So if it’s all you got, go for it! Put the portion of stew you want in a bowl, and heat at 30 second intervals, stirring at each interval, until you get your desired temperature.
• On the stove – this is another great option, but requires one more step. To reheat on the stove, put your pan or skillet on medium heat and add 2 tbsp of water to the tomato stew. Heat for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.

How to make this using the egg poaching method (AKA the traditional route!)

Lastly, after reading this whole blog post (which if you did, I’m v impressed, and I hope you got some good info out of it!) you might be wondering – can I just make this like a regular shakshuka and serve a crowd?

And the answer is always: Of course! I love a party! And this is a perfect meal to whip up for a brunch, lunch or dinner gathering. Even if you need a quick weeknight dinner, this shakshuka recipe. is. it.

here’s how to make it the traditional way

When you are making this recipe, follow the directions all the way up until you reach the step to add the goat cheese. Instead of adding the cheese, crack in all 8 eggs on top of the stew. Do not stir the mix, but let them simmer and begin to cook. If you’d like to speed up the cooking process, you can also cover the pan or put it in an oven at 350F. The eggs will take about 8-10 minutes to fully poach, and then you’ll be ready to serve!

You can continue the recipe and serve the stew on top of your toast, or you can opt for the traditional route and keep bread to the size for scooping, dipping and general eating!

Either way you make this recipe, I hope you love it!

And that’s about it! If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments, and it always makes me so grateful if you leave a five star rating! Of course, I love to see your creations over on Pinterest and Instagram, so please tag me over there!

And let me know if you have any other WFH Lunch Series requests – the comments section is always open!