Shakshuka already has vegetables, sauce and eggs. Good side dishes complement the pan: something to soak up the sauce, something fresh and, if you like, a small portion of cheese or yoghurt.
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Serve crusty bread, pitta or your favourite bread on the side. Slice it beforehand so you can serve as soon as the eggs are cooked. There is no need for several types of bread. For anyone avoiding gluten, choose a suitable product and check the ingredients list.
Cucumber, salad leaves or tomatoes with a little olive oil and lemon juice make a fresh accompaniment. Chop them while the sauce cooks and dress just before eating. If the shakshuka is already strongly seasoned, keep the salad mild. Add lemon juice to taste rather than trying to balance the heat with another overpowering flavour.
In the recipe, we suggest an optional 50 g of feta for two portions. Crumble it over at the end and go easy on the salt in the sauce beforehand. Shakshuka works well without cheese, too. For anyone with a milk allergy, leave out the feta and check that the ingredients in the other side dishes are suitable as well.
Offer a small portion of thick yoghurt separately so everyone can choose for themselves. Do not simply pour it into the whole pan of boiling sauce to tone down the chilli: this also changes the sauce's consistency. Yoghurt and labneh are dairy products, so bear this in mind when planning the meal.
The four eggs in the main recipe provide two eggs per person when two people share the pan. If shakshuka is one of several dishes, you may divide it differently. Adapt the side dishes to the meal as a whole; one portion size will not suit every person and occasion.
Have the bread, salad, herbs and plates ready while the sauce reduces. Serve as soon as the eggs are cooked, as the hot pan continues to give off heat. For guests arriving later, cook fresh eggs in a heated portion of sauce rather than keeping the finished dish on the hob for a long time.
Fresh tomatoes, tinned tomatoes or passata for shakshuka: choose your base, reduce the sauce to the right consistency and season to taste.
Choose a pan for shakshuka with the right size, lid and material. Find advice on space for four eggs, gentle heat and tomato sauce in cast iron.
