A Comfort Food Favourite
I love shakshuka! For me, it is the ultimate earthy, satisfying comfort food, the kind that feels wonderfully familiar and deeply nourishing. It is a dish I grew up with and have loved for as long as I can remember. Even now, it remains my go-to when I want a delicious, wholesome and comforting meal, and this eggplant and lentil shakshuka is an especially indulgent version of a much-loved favourite.
Shakshuka is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dish, traditionally made with eggs gently poached in a rich sauce of tomatoes and onions. Over the years, countless creative variations have emerged, each bringing something a little different to this wonderfully simple dish.
What Makes This Eggplant and Lentil Shakshuka So Good
This version combines tender eggplant and earthy lentils with a rich, flavourful tomato sauce, finished with gently cooked eggs on top. The lentils make it wonderfully hearty and satisfying, while the eggplant adds a soft, silky texture and lovely depth of flavour. Best of all, it is simple to make, nourishing and absolutely delicious.
As shakshuka is one of my all-time favourite dishes, you’ll find plenty of delicious variations here on the blog, alongside the much-loved original.
At heart, they all follow the same beautifully simple idea: sautéed vegetables topped with eggs and cooked together until everything is warm, fragrant and utterly delicious. Each version brings its own flavours and personality while staying true to what makes shakshuka so special in the first place.
Simple, comforting and full of flavour—shakshuka really is a rather genius dish!
A Shakshuka for Every Mood
What I love most is that every variation has its own personality. The ingredients change, the flavours change and, somehow, even the mood of the dish changes with them. Which one I make often depends entirely on what I am craving that day, the season, or the occasion.
My greens and feta shakshuka, for example, is fresh, light and vibrant—the perfect dish for a warm summer’s day. This eggplant and lentil shakshuka, on the other hand, is rich, hearty and comforting, making it perfect for cosier moments. It is exactly the kind of food I want to tuck into on a cold, rainy day.
Made for Cosy Days and Sharing
Imagine this: stormy weather outside, a cosy brunch inside, and a big skillet of steaming, fragrant shakshuka in the middle of the table. Alongside it, a loaf of warm, rustic bread—challah is especially delicious here—ready for dipping, scooping and soaking up every last bit of that rich tomato sauce.
Yum!
Ingredients:
Medium eggplant, cut into cubes
Large red onion, thinly sliced
400g can green lentils, drained and rinsed
400g can finally chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
4 large eggs
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Place a large, dry frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add the cubed eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Continue to dry-fry the eggplant until softened and lightly browned on all sides.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the sliced red onion and 2 tablespoons of cold water, then gently stir everything together. Season with a little more salt and pepper if needed. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
Add the drained lentils, crushed tomatoes, tomato purée and spices. Stir well until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Allow it to bubble for about 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low.
Using the back of a spoon, create four deep wells in the tomato and lentil mixture, spacing them evenly around the pan. Carefully crack one egg into each well.
Cover the pan with the lid and cook over a gentle simmer for 3-5 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. For set whites and beautifully runny yolks, start checking them at around 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and serve straight from the pan while hot, ideally with plenty of warm bread (Challa is best!) for dipping and scooping up the rich tomato and lentil sauce.
Tips for Perfect Shakshuka
.. For a fresh, vibrant finish, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon just before adding the eggs. The acidity beautifully lifts the rich, earthy flavours of the eggplant and lentils.
.. If you enjoy a little extra heat, add 1 tsp of chilli sauce to the pan along with the onion.
.. The base of this shakshuka also makes a delicious side dish. Simply leave out the eggs and serve the rich eggplant and lentil mixture alongside grilled chicken or beef.
.. For an extra layer of flavour, finish the shakshuka with a handful of freshly chopped parsley or coriander just before serving.
.. The eggplant and lentil base can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. When you’re ready to finish the dish, simply thaw it, gently reheat in a pan, then create the wells and add the eggs to cook fresh.
Enjoy!
Eggplant and Lentil Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant cut into cubes
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 400 g can green lentils drained and rinsed
- 400 g can finally chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 4 large eggs
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a large, dry frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add the cubed eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Continue to dry-fry the eggplant until softened and lightly browned on all sides.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the sliced red onion and 2 tablespoons of cold water, then gently stir everything together. Season with a little more salt and pepper if needed. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
- Add the drained lentils, crushed tomatoes, tomato purée and spices. Stir well until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Allow it to bubble for about 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low.
- Using the back of a spoon, create four deep wells in the tomato and lentil mixture, spacing them evenly around the pan. Carefully crack one egg into each well.
- Cover the pan with the lid and cook over a gentle simmer for 3-5 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. For set whites and beautifully runny yolks, start checking them at around 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve straight from the pan while hot, ideally with plenty of warm bread (Challa is best!) for dipping and scooping up the rich tomato and lentil sauce.