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Spinach and Chickpea Shakshuka with Feta

Chickpeas give a spiced tomato base body, spinach softens into it, and eggs cook gently under a lid for yolks ready to meet warm pita.

Four soft eggs sit in tomato chickpea sauce with spinach, feta, parsley, and warm pita alongside.

This skillet is built in layers: onions soften, spices open in the oil, then chickpeas simmer until the tomato sauce can hold an egg. Spinach folds into the sauce just before the eggs go in, so it stays green without watering down the base. Feta, parsley, lemon, and pita bring a salty, fresh finish for a shared brunch.

A sauce that holds

The sauce should be thick enough to keep small wells from closing as soon as they are made. Letting tomatoes simmer uncovered with chickpeas concentrates their liquid and makes a steady bed for the eggs.

Bloom without scorching

Cumin, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes hit the oil only after the onion softens. Stir them until fragrant, then add garlic and tomatoes promptly; spices release aroma in hot oil, while scorched garlic turns bitter.

Eggs begin to set in shallow wells of tomato chickpea sauce and wilted spinach in a skillet. — Tomato sauce thickens around chickpeas before spinach and eggs are added.

Set the whites with trapped steam

A covered skillet traps enough steam to set the egg whites from above while the sauce stays moist below. Check the whites near the end of the cook; they should look opaque around the yolk, which can still wobble when the pan comes off the heat.

Balance the finish

Feta softens in the residual heat instead of melting completely into the sauce. Lemon brightens the tomatoes, parsley adds freshness, and warm pita is sturdy enough to scoop chickpeas and soft yolk from the pan.

Soft yolk runs into thick tomato chickpea sauce beside wilted spinach and crumbled feta. — A spoon breaks into a soft yolk over tomato chickpea sauce with spinach and crumbled feta.

Spinach and Chickpea Shakshuka with Feta

4 servings

35 minutes total

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 4 large eggs
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon
• 4 pita breads

Method

Prepare the ingredients
Dice the red onion, mince the garlic, drain and rinse the chickpeas, crumble the feta, and chop the parsley. Cut the lemon in half, slice one half into wedges, and set the spinach, eggs, and pita beside the stove.
Look for: The onion, garlic, feta, parsley, and lemon are prepared before the skillet gets hot.
Soften the onion
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 tsp kosher salt; cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent but not browned.
Look for: The onion turns glossy and yields easily when pressed with the spoon.
Bloom the spices
Stir in the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, just until the garlic smells fragrant and the spices darken slightly.
Look for: The garlic is aromatic without browning, and the spices tint the oil red-orange.
Simmer the tomato and chickpeas
Add the crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, and remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt, scraping the skillet to disperse the spices. Bring to a gentle bubble and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a spoon dragged through the sauce leaves a brief trail.
Look for: The sauce bubbles softly and is thick enough to hold a shallow well without immediately filling in.
Wilt the spinach
Fold the spinach into the sauce by handfuls and cook for 2 minutes, turning the leaves until wilted and evenly distributed. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer so its texture stays thick.
Look for: The spinach is deep green and collapsed, with no watery pool around the skillet edge.
Cook the eggs and warm the pita
Lower the heat, make four shallow wells in the sauce, and crack one egg into each. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 minutes, until the whites are opaque but the yolks still wobble; while the skillet is covered, wrap the pita in a barely damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
Look for: The whites are set around the yolks, which remain soft and gently tremble when the skillet is nudged.
Finish the skillet
Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Scatter the feta and parsley over the sauce, then squeeze the uncut lemon half over the skillet; let the residual heat soften the feta without melting it completely.
Look for: The feta is warm and softened at the edges, and the lemon smells fresh rather than cooked.
Serve with pita
Bring the skillet to the table on a trivet with the warm pita and reserved lemon wedges. Serve directly from the pan so each portion includes sauce, chickpeas, spinach, feta, and an egg for scooping.
Look for: The pita is pliable for scooping, and each serving receives a soft egg and plenty of sauce.