Green Shakshuka With Avocado and Lime

By Sarah Copeland

Updated Aug. 18, 2022

Green Shakshuka With Avocado and Lime
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(5,996)
Comments
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This easy twist on classic North African shakshuka (traditionally eggs baked in tomato-pepper sauce, with cumin, paprika and cayenne) starts with an onion-garlic-chard sautéed until gently wilted: a nest of sorts for steam-poaching eggs. Once the eggs go in, be sure to keep the flame low and keep the pan covered while cooking, so the eggs stay soft and almost oozy at their yolk, and the Cotija melts a bit. The chard and the half-and-half create a sort of light broth at the bottom of the shakshuka, which holds so much flavor and is one of the dish’s charms. Lastly, be daring with smoked hot sauce at the end: It’ll push the creamy avocado, cheese and eggs to their peak.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 1yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1large bunch/1½ pounds Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped (about 9 cups)
  • ½teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
  • ⅓cup half-and-half or heavy cream
  • 8large eggs
  • ¼teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 3ounces Cotija cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
  • 1avocado, sliced, for serving
  • 1small jalapeño, thinly sliced, for serving
  • Chopped cilantro, for serving
  • Smoked hot sauce, for serving
  • Corn tortillas, toasted, for serving
  • 1lime, cut into wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

472 calories; 37 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 803 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until softening, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 5 minutes more.

  2. Step 2

    Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chard stems, and cook to release some liquid, 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves, in batches, adding more as they wilt, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted, 3 to 5 minutes more. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, pour in the half-and-half and stir loosely together.

  3. Step 3

    Make eight small hollows in the cooked chard with the back of a spoon. Gently crack an egg into each hollow. Cover with a lid or foil and cook on medium-low until the eggs are just set, but still soft, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with salt, pepper, Cotija, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Serve with smoked hot sauce, toasted tortillas and lime wedges.

Tip
  • Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stove-top oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
5,996 user ratings
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Comments

Marcia

Nothing to do with the food (which looks awesome) - but for cast iron pan covers, I frequently use silicone "suction lids" (found everywhere on the web). They work like a charm, hold the heat, can be used as well in the fridge for bowl covers on all those differently-sized bowls - and they hang right over my stove. Best little investment (very small!) ever.

Michael

Substituted greek yogurt thinned with lime juice for the cream and only used 4 eggs. It was perfect!

Betsy

Perhaps some chopped tomatillos would add a nice, green touch of acid that would go well with the jalapeños and smoked hot sauce?

ellie

I’ve made this recipe several times now. A few suggestions. First, this recipe comes together very fast and I think is best served hot, so be ready to sit down and eat in 30 minutes. I like it with 1/2 onion vs a whole onion and less garlic. Someone else mentioned in the comments about adding two or three chopped tomatillos in with the chard. I agree and think that would add some additional moisture and another unique flavor that this recipe could use. I haven’t tried it yet. Seven minutes is a little long to cook the eggs, five minutes and they will still be a little runny. I also remove the seeds from 1/2 chopped jalapeño and like to add it when I am sautéing the chard leaves.

Bobby Joe

We really liked this one. Lots of different flavors and textures that all work well together. We didn't have an avocado, but it was still good. Used half and half and flour tortillas. I made the full amount of greens, but only cooked 4 eggs. This was the right ratio of eggs to greens for us. My wife and I each had 2 servings. Will definitely make this again.

Jonathon

Was good and easy enough to cook. Did better with a lot more salt and acid, and agree with using a hot sauce to help with part of that. Finished product is most similar to a deconstructed breakfast taco if using the tortillas.

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