The vibrant, herb-forward cousin of the classic — eggs poached in a sauce of spinach, Swiss chard, green peppers, jalapeño and a generous handful of cilantro and parsley. A modern Tel Aviv brunch staple.
Green shakshuka has emerged from the creative brunch culture of Tel Aviv over the last decade as a fresh counterpoint to the classic red tomato version. The green sauce is built from spinach, chard, green peppers, jalapeño, onion and garlic, cooked down into a thick, vibrant base, then enriched with labneh or cream cheese before the eggs are nested in and poached. The sauce is a deep, earthy, herb-saturated green and the flavour is simultaneously bright and rich. Served with pita or challah for mopping up the sauce, it has become one of the defining dishes of Israeli modern breakfast culture.
Serves 4
Heat olive oil in a wide frying pan. Cook onion and green pepper 8 min until soft. Add garlic, jalapeño, cumin and turmeric, stir 1 min.
Add spinach and chard in batches. Stir and cook until completely wilted, 5 min. The volume will reduce dramatically.
Transfer half the mixture to a blender or use a stick blender to blend half the sauce smooth — return to pan. This creates a sauce that is both smooth and textured.
Partially blending gives the sauce body and creaminess while keeping visible green pieces.
Stir in cilantro, parsley, labneh and salt. The sauce should be thick enough to support the eggs.
Make 6 wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each. Cover and cook on low heat 5–7 min until whites are set but yolks are still runny.
Scatter crumbled feta and remaining fresh cilantro over the top. Serve directly from the pan with warm pita or challah.
Covering the pan is essential for poaching the eggs — the steam cooks the tops without flipping.
The labneh or cream cheese adds richness and helps bind the sauce — don't skip it.
Add za'atar scattered over the top for an Israeli herb note
Avocado slices alongside for a Tel Aviv café presentation
Use kale instead of chard for a slightly more bitter, robust flavour
The green sauce keeps 3 days refrigerated. Poach eggs fresh each time.
Green shakshuka is a 21st-century Israeli innovation, emerging from the restaurant and café scene of Tel Aviv's Florentin and Dizengoff neighborhoods in the 2010s. It reflects the broader modernisation of Israeli food culture — taking the beloved red shakshuka template and applying it to a herb and green vegetable base inspired by Middle Eastern and North African green herb traditions.
Labneh is strained yogurt cheese, common throughout the Levant and widely available in Middle Eastern grocery stores. It has a thick, cream cheese-like consistency with a bright, tangy flavour. Full-fat Greek yogurt is the closest substitute — it will be slightly less rich but provides a similar tang.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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