Shakshouka Toast with Feta Fried Eggs

Jumpstart your day with a serving or two of savory shakshouka toast with feta fried eggs. Drizzle pesto on top and sprinkle red chili flakes for one amazing breakfast!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Spices: To flavor the shakshouka sauce, we're using a combination of spices including paprika, cumin, coriander, and chili powder. If you would like to incorporate heat, add red chili flakes or cayenne.
• Canned crushed tomatoes: For the best consistency, use canned crushed tomatoes for the shakshouka sauce. You can also use fresh tomatoes if in season.
• Chili oil: You can use chili oil or olive oil to fry the eggs. The chili oil adds a touch of spice to the eggs but you can skip it if you prefer.
• Feta: You can use block feta that you crumble by hand or pre-crumbled feta. If you don't like feta, you can substitute it with other salty cheeses such as parmesan or cheddar.
• Bread: Use a sturdy crusty bread for the toast that can hold the sauce such as sourdough, French loaf, or baguette.
• Pesto: You can use storebought pesto or homemade for this recipe. I used a traditional basil pesto but you can use any other variation.

Substitutions and variations

• Non-spicy: Skip the chili oil and cook the eggs in regular olive oil.
• Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread as the base.
• More toppings: Feel free to bulk up the toast and add sauteed kale or spinach, roasted peppers, or blistered cherry tomatoes.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make shakshouka sauce

There are three components to this shakshouka toast, the shakshouka sauce, the eggs, and the pesto. But since we're using storebought pesto, we only need to prepare two of the components. Sounds easy enough, right?

Start by preparing the flavorful shakshouka sauce. I call this sauce shakshouka sauce because it's similar to the tomato base of the original dish. If you never had shakshouka before, it's a breakfast dish consisting of poached eggs in a a tomato sauce simmered with onions, garlic, and spices. It sounds so simple but it's very comforting.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté finely chopped onion and red bell pepper until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.

Then, add paprika, coriander, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and canned crushed tomatoes, ensuring a thorough mix. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 25 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, and set the sauce aside.

Feel free to prepare the sauce the day before.

Step 2: Fry feta eggs

Now that the sauce is finished, we can move on to the crispy feta fried eggs. These eggs are the same eggs that went viral on TikTok. As soon as I saw it on social media, I knew I had to give it a try. And you know what? It's a good reason they went viral - yes, they are fantastic.

To cook the eggs, heat ¼ cup of chili oil or olive oil in a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 ½ ounces of crumbled feta in an even layer and heat for about 30 seconds, or until the feta starts to melt.

Crack 4 eggs directly onto the melting feta, and season with a pinch of oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking until the eggs reach your desired level of doneness and the feta develops a golden brown hue.

Now if you want each egg to have its own ring of crispy feta, it might be easier to cook them one at a time. If you cook 4 eggs at once, it's a little trickier to evenly distribute the feta amongst each egg.

If you do choose to cook the eggs one at a time, you can keep them warm on a warm plate, loosely covered. You can also slightly undercook the eggs and heat them all together in the oven right before assembling the toast to ensure that they are warm.

Step 3: Assemble toasts

Now that our two elements are done, we can assemble the toasts. Toast your choice of crusty bread either in the toaster or on the stovetop. I like to brush my slices with olive oil and toast them on the pan to get a beautiful golden brown crust.

Spoon the prepared shakshouka sauce onto the toasted bread slices and top each slice with a feta fried egg. Drizzle a generous amount of pesto on top and if you're feeling fancy, garnish with fresh basil.

Serve the shakshouka toast with feta fried eggs immediately, and relish in the delightful combination of flavors.

From the salty crispy edges of the eggs to the spiced tomato sauce to the savory pesto, this toast is a perfect combination of flavors and textures. If this toast doesn't jumpstart your day, I'm not sure what will!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The shakshouka sauce can be prepared the day before and stored in the fridge until ready to use. Reheat the sauce before serving.
• Store: The toast is best served immediately but you can hold leftovers up to 1 day in the fridge in an airtight container.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Shakshouka Toast with Feta Fried Eggs

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: sandwich

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Shakshouka sauce

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

Remaining ingredients

• ½ cup chili oil or olive oil divided
• 5 ounces crumbled feta divided
• 8 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper
• 8 slices toasted bread
• ½ cup pesto

Instructions

• Make shakshouka sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sautepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
• Add paprika, coriander, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and canned crushed tomatoes, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat ¼ cup chili oil or olive oil in a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 ½ ounces crumbled feta in an even layer and heat for 30 seconds or until feta starts to melt. Crack 4 eggs directly on top of the feta and season with a pinch of oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until the desired degree of doneness and the feta has browned. Remove from heat and repeat with the remaining 4 eggs.
• Spoon shakshouka sauce on toasted bread. Top each slice with a feta fried egg and drizzle pesto on top. Serve immediately.

Notes

The shakshouka sauce can be prepared the day before.

You can cook the eggs individually or in batches. If cooking the eggs one by one, you will need 1 tablespoon of oil and about 2 tablespoons or ½ ounce of crumbled feta.