Pea and Broad Bean Shakshuka

There's something about spring mornings that makes me want to cook eggs in tomato sauce, and this shakshuka arrived on a Tuesday when my garden was suddenly overflowing with asparagus and the farmers market had the most perfect broad beans I'd seen all year. I bought far too many, obviously, and stood in my kitchen wondering how to use them all before they wilted. That's when this dish came together—not from a recipe book, but from the pure logic of what tasted good layered into one warm, spiced pan.

I made this for friends on a Sunday when everyone was tired of heavy meals, and watching them use torn pieces of sourdough to scoop up those golden yolks and herbs felt like the real victory. One friend asked why she'd never thought to combine these vegetables this way, and honestly, neither had I until that morning when abundance and curiosity collided in my kitchen.

Ingredients

• Olive oil (1 tablespoon): Use good quality here since it's not cooking down into obscurity—it carries flavor from the moment you warm it.
• Medium onion, finely chopped: The base of everything; don't rush this step or skip the chopping texture, it matters for how the sauce develops.
• Garlic cloves, minced (2): Fresh garlic is non-negotiable for the brightness this dish needs.
• Red bell pepper, diced: Adds sweetness and color; if you find a deep crimson one, grab it for better flavor depth.
• Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces (150 g): Cut uniform pieces so everything cooks evenly without some parts turning to mush while others stay hard.
• Fresh or frozen peas (150 g): Frozen works beautifully here since they'll cook gently into the sauce without falling apart.
• Fresh or frozen broad beans, shelled (150 g): These are the star; if using frozen, there's no shame in it, and they'll thaw perfectly in the sauce.
• Canned chopped tomatoes (400 g) or passata: Passata makes the sauce silkier, but chopped tomatoes give more texture—pick based on your mood.
• Tomato paste (2 tablespoons): This concentrate deepens everything; don't skip it thinking the canned tomatoes are enough.
• Ground cumin (1 teaspoon): The warmth that ties all the spring vegetables together.
• Smoked paprika (1 teaspoon): Adds depth that fresh paprika can't; this is where the savory richness comes from.
• Ground coriander (½ teaspoon): A subtle earthiness that makes people ask what the secret ingredient is.
• Chili flakes (½ teaspoon, optional): Leave it out if you're cooking for people who fear heat, but a whisper of it elevates the whole dish.
• Salt and black pepper: Taste as you go; the canned tomatoes often carry salt already, so start conservatively.
• Large eggs (4–6): The fresher the better, as the whites will set more cleanly and the yolks will stay gloriously runny.
• Fresh parsley or mint (2 tablespoons, chopped): Mint feels more springlike here, but parsley works if that's what you have.
• Feta cheese, crumbled (60 g, optional): The saltiness is perfect, but leave it out if serving to anyone avoiding dairy.
• Lemon wedges: The acid is essential; don't skip them just because they're optional-sounding.

Instructions

Warm the aromatics in oil:

Heat your olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until it shimmers slightly. Add the chopped onion and let it soften for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it turns translucent and sweet without browning—listen for that soft sizzle, it tells you the heat is right.

Build the flavor base:

Stir in the minced garlic and diced red pepper, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the pepper begins to soften at the edges. The kitchen should smell almost perfumey now, which means your aromatics are ready for the spices.

Toast the spices:

Add the cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, and chili flakes all at once, stirring constantly for just 1 minute so they bloom in the hot oil without burning—you're looking for a fragrant cloud that rises from the pan.

Create the sauce:

Stir in the tomato paste, letting it coat everything for a few seconds, then pour in your canned tomatoes with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the raw tomato taste mellows into something richer.

Add the spring vegetables:

Scatter in the asparagus, peas, and broad beans, stirring gently to distribute them evenly through the sauce. Cover the pan and let them cook for 7 to 8 minutes—peek at the asparagus after 6 minutes; it should bend easily when you poke it but still hold its shape.

Nestle the eggs into the sauce:

Using the back of your spoon, press gently into the sauce to create small wells, spacing them apart so the egg whites don't run into each other. Crack an egg into each well, then reduce the heat to low-medium and cover the pan to let the residual heat cook the whites while the yolks stay barely jiggly.

Cook until the whites set:

Cook covered for 5 to 7 minutes, checking after 5 by gently lifting the lid and looking at the egg whites—they should be opaque and set around the edges while the yolk center still trembles. The exact timing depends on your pan and stove, so trust your eyes more than the clock.

Finish and serve:

Remove from heat, scatter torn fresh mint or parsley over everything, add crumbled feta if you're using it, and serve immediately with lemon wedges and warm bread for scooping.

Save

My neighbor tasted this on a warm evening when I brought her a bowl, and she sat on the front step eating it quietly, then asked if she could learn to make it. We made it together the following week, and she realized her hesitation about cooking eggs in sauce was unfounded—the gentle heat and the way the whites turn silky instead of rubbery made it feel less risky somehow. That's when food stops being sustenance and becomes a way to say I wanted you to have something good.

Why Spring Vegetables Matter Here

Asparagus, peas, and broad beans are all tender when they're in season, which means they don't need aggressive cooking to taste amazing—they just need the warm spiced sauce to coax out their inherent sweetness. When you use them out of season, frozen versions actually work better than sad, woody fresh ones, so don't feel obligated to use fresh if your market doesn't have good options. The combination of these three vegetables creates different textures that keep the dish interesting bite after bite.

Customizing Without Losing the Heart

This shakshuka is forgiving in ways that make it feel less like following orders and more like having a conversation. Add a handful of tender spinach or diced zucchini if you want more volume and green, stir in some drained canned chickpeas if you're making it vegan, or increase the chili flakes if heat is your love language. The core of the dish—spiced tomato sauce cradling cooked vegetables and runny eggs—stays the same no matter what you adjust around it.

Serving and Bread Matters

Warm bread isn't optional here; it's the utensil that makes eating this dish feel like a shared experience rather than something solitary. Tear pieces of sourdough, pita, or any flatbread you can find and use them to scoop up sauce, broken egg yolk, and vegetables in every bite—this is why there's no need for a side dish. A squeeze of fresh lemon over everything at the very end brightens all the spices and makes the flavors feel more alive.

• Make sure your bread is warm, not cold from the refrigerator, so it becomes slightly soft when it absorbs the sauce.
• If you're serving this to a group, let everyone customize their own toppings rather than adding feta and herbs to the pan.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully, though eggs are best eaten fresh—save the pan of sauce and make fresh eggs another morning if you have extra.

Save

This is the kind of dish that tastes like care without requiring stress, and that's worth more than any complicated recipe could offer. Make it when you want to feed people something that feels special but doesn't demand you be in the kitchen for hours.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I make this ahead of time?

The vegetable sauce can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated. When ready to serve, gently reheat the sauce, make the wells, and crack in fresh eggs to finish cooking.

→ What can I substitute for broad beans?

Edamame beans work beautifully as a substitute, or you can simply increase the quantity of peas. Fresh fava beans can also be used if available in season.

→ How do I know when the eggs are done?

The whites should be completely opaque and set, while the yolks remain slightly jiggly when you gently shake the pan. This typically takes 5-7 minutes depending on your stovetop heat.

→ Is this suitable for meal prep?

The vegetable sauce freezes well for up to 3 months. However, it's best to add the eggs fresh when serving, as reheating cooked eggs can affect their texture.

→ Can I use frozen vegetables?

Absolutely—frozen peas and broad beans work excellently here. There's no need to thaw them first; simply add them directly to the simmering sauce and adjust cooking time slightly.