Vegetarian Shakshuka

Name: Vegetarian Shakshuka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Saudi Arabian
Ingredients: 1/2 Red Onions; 1/2 Red Pepper; 400g Tomato; 1/2 teaspoon Cumin; 1/2 tsp Garlic Granules; 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper; 1 tsp Paprika; 2 Egg; Garnish Parsley; Garnish Chilli Flakes; 2 sliced Toast

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Vegetarian recipe with Saudi Arabian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 76 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 42 min total

1/2 Red Onions
1/2 Red Pepper
400g Tomato
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 tsp Garlic Granules
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
2 Egg
Garnish Parsley
Garnish Chilli Flakes
2 sliced Toast

Step-by-step instructions

1.
Fry onion and pepper together on medium heat until onion is soft.
2.
Add garlic granules, cook for a minute.
3.
Add chopped tomatoes and remaining spices, stir well.
4.
Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5.
Make indents for in the sauce and crack an egg into each one.
6.
Once egg whites are cooked through, garnish and serve with toast.

Why this works on a weeknight

Vegetarian Shakshuka lands at about 42 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Vegetarian Shakshuka actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Vegetarian Saudi Arabian