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    Zen and Zaatar » Recipes » Middle Eastern

    Mouth-Watering Vegan Shakshuka

    Published: Jun 17, 2020 · Modified: Mar 30, 2025 by Zena | Zen and Zaatar · This post may contain affiliate links · 23 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    This simple vegan shakshuka, consisting of soft baked chickpea eggs in a tangy red pepper and tomato sauce, is BURSTING with flavor and done in just under 30 minutes- the perfect addition to your Sunday brunch menu!

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.

    Watch me show you how to make this authentic chickpea shakshuka in the video below!

    Watch the full video on YouTube!

    Where is Shakshuka from?

    The inspiration for this style of a now popular breakfast dish comes from my Palestinian roots, although shakshuka's origins can be traced back to North Africa, specifically Tunisia. Nowadays, it is commonly enjoyed across various Mediterranean countries with different twists! There is a similar Syrian dish, which we call "bayd w banadora," and even a similar Italian dish called "eggs in purgatory."

    Traditionally its base is made up of a robust, tangy sauce with tomatoes, sweet red pepper, onion, garlic, and the spice that is a favorite across Middle-Eastern cuisine, cumin. Once the sauce thickens, eggs are cracked into wells in the sauce. In this recipe, a chickpea batter replaces the eggs beautifully- I even prefer the taste and texture. The chickpea eggs are soft inside and form an amazing crust when baked with a drizzle of olive oil.

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.Ingredient Breakdown:

    • Tomatoes & Red Bell Pepper: When sautéed in olive oil, these create the base for a robust and tantalizing tomato-red pepper sauce!
    • Olive Oil: We will sauté all the ingredients for the sauce in a good quality olive oil, and use some more to drizzle on top of the vegan shakshuka before baking in the oven.
    • Tomato Paste: This will thicken up the tomato sauce.
    • Garlic & Onion: These are a must for creating a flavorful and addicting sauce!
    • Chickpea Flour: This serves as the base for creating our vegan eggs. They have an eggy flavor and get a delightfully crispy crust in the oven. You can find it online right here.
    • Nutritional Yeast: This adds depth of flavor to our chickpea egg mixture. You can find it online right here.
    • Black Salt: Optional, but will add a scarily convincing eggy flavor to our chickpea eggs. You can find it online right here.
    • Paprika & Cumin: The main spices to pack this Middle Eastern dish with aromatic flavors.
    • Baking Powder: This helps the chickpea eggs get nice and fluffy!
    • Plant Milk + Vinegar: This keeps the chickpea egg batter light and fluffy.

     

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.How to Make the Best Vegan Shakshuka:

    To make this chickpea shakshuka, we will begin by preparing the batter for our plant-based chickpea "eggs." We will whisk chickpea flour along with the other ingredients together and set the batter aside. Then we will sauté onions, garlic, red bell pepper, cumin, and tomatoes until deliciously fragrant. After some more seasoning, we will create wells in the tomato sauce mixture and drop dollops of the chickpea egg batter into them. We will make sure they cook evenly by stirring slightly and covering, before drizzling the vegan shakshuka with olive oil, and putting it in a preheated oven to set. Once done, we top with parsley or cilantro and serve with fluffy bread!

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.

     

    Why You'll Love this Chickpea Shakshuka:

    • Authentic: I took inspiration from my Palestinian roots to make a dish that's authentic to the region!
    • Bursting with Flavor: The robust sauce is filled with flavors from juicy tomatoes and roasted red pepper, cumin, and paprika. The chickpea eggs are seasoned delightfully with nutritional yeast and other spices including black salt, for a more eggy flavor.
    • A Filling Brunch or Dinner: Although this dish is typically served for breakfast or brunch, it's very filling, especially with the protein from the chickpeas, and makes a beautiful dinner as well.
    • Crowd Pleaser: This is an incredible dish to serve when you are wanting to impress others! It's been a fan favorite.
    • Quick: Ready and on the table in just 30 minutess!

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.

    How to Serve Vegan Shakshuka

    Once you take it out of the oven, sprinkle some parsley or cilantro on top! My non-vegan family absolutely loves this vegan version of shakshuka, especially with the unique texture of the chickpea eggs! It was difficult not to finish off the whole skillet for a weekend brunch, especially when we used fresh baked bread to scoop it up and soak up the tantalizing sauce. I recommend using a baguette or fluffy pita bread. Sliced avocado also makes a delicious topping for this Middle Eastern brunch. This dish not only makes the perfect brunch dish, but is also great for a quick and easy lunch or dinner!

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.

    I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Let me know in the comments below if you try it, and don't forget to post your recreations on Instagram @zenandzaatar, or pin this one for later!

    Recipe

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.

    Best Vegan Shakshuka

    Zena Hassoun
    A 30-minute vegan shakshuka, a Middle-Eastern brunch classic consisting of soft baked chickpea eggs in a tangy red pepper and tomato sauce! Perfect when scooped with fresh baguette.
    4.66 from 20 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 196 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Tomato Base

    • 3 small or 2 large tomatoes diced (or 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes)
    • 1 small red pepper finely diced
    • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
    • ¼-1/2 cup water
    • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ onion finely diced
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil optional
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

    Chickpea Batter

    • ¾ cup chickpea flour
    • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • pinch of black salt optional (gives egg flavor)
    • ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon almond milk
    • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 425F. Whisk dry ingredients for chickpea batter in a large bowl. Whisk in almond milk and vinegar, and mix thoroughly until smooth. Set aside.
    • Sauté onion, garlic, and red pepper in olive oil in a large oven-proof saucepan over medium-high heat (cast-iron skillet works best).* Add cumin. After onions are soft and translucent, about 5 mins, add paprika, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper. If the mixture gets too thick and sticky, add ¼-1/2 cup water slowly, until desired consistency is reached.
    • Make about 6-8 small wells in the sauce, and divide big dollops of chickpea batter among them. Let cook for 3-5 mins. As the bottom of the batter dollops start to get cooked during this time, you may stir them slightly with a wooden spoon so that they can get cooked more evenly. Cover the pan and let cook for 5-8 more mins, so that the batter will get cooked through.
    • When you see the top of the chickpea batter slightly hardened and not completely liquid anymore, remove the pan from heat. Optionally drizzle over the chickpea batter with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place the pan in the preheated oven. Cook for 8-10 mins, until the top is slightly browned.
    • Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately, alongside fresh baguette or pita bread!

    Notes

    *Alternatively, sauté the veggies in 2-4 tablespoon of water, until the onions are translucent and peppers are softened. Add more water 1-2 tablespoon at a time if needed, as the pan gets dry.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 407mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8g
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @zenandzaatar on social!

     

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.

    This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.

    (Published on 4/4/2017, updated on 6/17/2020.)

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    Comments

      4.66 from 20 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Pamela says

      October 08, 2017 at 10:27 am

      I don't have chickpea flour. Would all purpose flour or whole wheat flour work for this?

      Reply
      • Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says

        October 16, 2017 at 10:27 am

        Sorry, the chickpea flour cannot be replaced! It is what creates the vegan "eggs," with its taste, consistency, and protein content. It is very different from wheat flour. Chickpea flour can be found in the baking section, bulk section, or health foods section of most grocery stores and is relatively inexpensive. You can also easily find it online! Cheers! <3

        Reply
    2. Salma says

      October 23, 2017 at 3:48 pm

      I have never cooked with nutritional yeast and will be buying some next time I go shopping. If I omit it from the recipe would it change the taste too much? Thanks

      Reply
      • Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says

        October 23, 2017 at 7:41 pm

        It will still taste delicious without it! Good luck and let me know how it goes 🙂

        Reply
        • Salma says

          November 03, 2017 at 7:37 pm

          Amazing recipe! I did omit the nutritional yeast and tasted great. Every bit was wiped off with some pita bread. Making it again tomorrow!

          Reply
          • Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says

            November 08, 2017 at 1:01 pm

            That is great to hear!! So happy you loved it! 🙂

            Reply
    3. Daina says

      September 18, 2018 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Made this tonight and it was so delicious!!! My boyfriend said it tasted better than the egg version 🙂

      Reply
    4. Daina says

      September 18, 2018 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Made this tonight and it was so delicious!!! My boyfriend said it tasted better than the egg version 🙂

      Reply
    5. Tina says

      March 05, 2019 at 4:03 am

      Thank you for this! I will be serving this for brunch on Sunday along side some roasted veggies 🍅

      Reply
    6. James @ Lifestyle Therapy says

      November 14, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      I have made this so many times. It's my favourite variation of shakshuka. And I used to be a big fan of eggs!

      Reply
    7. Joe says

      December 06, 2019 at 9:26 pm

      Excited to try this as I've loved the polenta shakshuka in Tel Aviv and have been dying to try this as it is the closest recipe I could find and it looks amazing. Thank you for providing it!

      Reply
    8. Elliot Dolan-Evans says

      April 17, 2020 at 1:46 am

      5 stars
      Delicious Palestinian food!

      Reply
    9. Elliot Dolan-Evans says

      April 17, 2020 at 1:46 am

      5 stars
      Delicious Palestinian food!

      Reply
    10. Kate says

      October 03, 2020 at 3:09 am

      We tried this out this morning and it’s brilliant, definitely our fave vegan shakshuka so far, and we are excited to try out the egg mix for other recipes too! Thanks for sharing 😁

      Reply
    11. Nikki says

      May 16, 2021 at 5:22 am

      Looks amazing! What size skillet would you recommend?
      Thank you! 🙏

      Reply
      • Zena | Zen and Zaatar says

        July 01, 2022 at 6:06 pm

        12-13 inch skillet works perfectly! Hope you love it!

        Reply
    12. meshell says

      September 26, 2022 at 1:53 pm

      Hi! I feel like I'm missing something, but do you put the dish into the oven after putting the dollops of chickpea batter in it? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Zena | Zen and Zaatar says

        October 10, 2022 at 9:51 pm

        Hi Meshell, thanks so much for trying my recipe! Yes, in step 4, you will put the dish in the oven for 8-10 mins before serving. I hope you love it! 🙂

        Reply
    13. ElaineH says

      April 13, 2023 at 11:26 am

      Wow! I'm really enjoying your site. Saved to home screen!
      Finally, someone who speaks my food language. Lots of new things to try and I just happen to already have a lot of the ingredients in my pantry. Love💖

      Reply
      • Zena | Zen and Zaatar says

        June 22, 2023 at 1:45 pm

        So happy you are loving the recipes! Let me know what you think! 🙂

        Reply
    14. MaryLou says

      September 04, 2023 at 10:22 am

      Do you use smoked paprika or sweet paprika?

      Reply
      • Zena | Zen and Zaatar says

        September 07, 2023 at 9:15 pm

        I use smoked paprika, but sweet paprika could work too. Hope you love it!!

        Reply
    Headshot image of the author of Zen and Zaatar, Zena Hassoun, MS.

    Welcome!

    Hi, I’m Zena, a passionate home cook with a Master’s in Medical Health Sciences. I’ve been vegan for nearly a decade and love creating approachable, Mediterranean-inspired recipes that nourish your body and soul.

    More about me

    55+ Vegan Recipes for Real Life

    The cover image of my e-cookbook, with text overlay "Vegan is Delicious: 55+ nourishing, innovative, plant-based recipes to satisfy vegans and omnivores alike! by Zena Hassoun, M.S., creator of Zen and Zaatar."

    Tired of the same meals or relying on takeout? Vegan is Delicious is full of flavorful, plant-based recipes (with photos!) plus a 7-day meal plan to make home cooking feel effortless.

    Get it now!

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