Tunisia's original shakshuka — bolder and spicier than Israeli versions, with harissa, tuna, capers and merguez sausage adding depth. The version that gave the world this dish.
Shakshuka is often described as an Israeli breakfast dish, but it originated in North Africa — most likely Tunisia — and the Tunisian version is strikingly different from the Israeli. Where Israeli shakshuka is relatively mild and tomato-forward, Tunisian shakshuka (shakshouka) is assertively spiced with harissa, uses less tomato and more pepper, and characteristically includes canned tuna, capers, olives and merguez sausage. It is eaten for lunch or dinner (not primarily breakfast) and served with fresh baguette-style bread (a legacy of French colonial cooking) rather than pita. This is the original, before the dish was adopted and simplified for the Israeli market.
Serves 4
If using merguez, fry slices in olive oil until browned, 3 min. Remove. Add onion, pepper, garlic and caraway seeds to the same oil. Cook 8 min until soft.
Add harissa paste and cumin. Stir 1 min. Add chopped tomatoes. Simmer 12 min until sauce is thick and slightly darkened.
Gently fold in tuna, capers, olives and returned merguez. Distribute evenly across the sauce.
Make 6 wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each. Cover and cook 5–7 min until whites are set but yolks remain runny.
Scatter fresh parsley over. Serve directly from the pan with crusty French bread or baguette.
Harissa quantity is flexible — start with 1 tbsp and add to taste. Tunisian shakshuka is meant to be genuinely spicy.
Do not overcook the eggs — the yolk should remain runny to mix into the sauce.
Purely vegetarian: omit tuna and merguez, add sliced aubergine to the sauce
Add potato: dice 2 medium potatoes and cook in the sauce before adding the eggs
Merguez lamb sausages can be replaced with lamb mince fried with spices
The sauce keeps 4 days refrigerated. Add fresh eggs and tuna when reheating.
Shakshuka is documented in Tunisia and Libya before appearing in Israeli cooking — Tunisian and Libyan Jewish immigrants brought it to Israel in the 1950s and 60s. The Tunisian version with tuna and harissa is the oldest known form. The dish's name is believed to derive from the Arabic/Berber word meaning 'mixture'.
Tunisian shakshuka uses harissa (North African chilli paste) for heat and depth, includes tuna, capers and olives (reflecting the Mediterranean coastal pantry), often adds merguez sausage, and is eaten at lunch or dinner rather than breakfast. Israeli shakshuka omits these additions, uses a milder tomato base, and has become associated with morning or brunch eating. The Tunisian version is older, spicier and more complex.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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