Our vegan shakshuka substitutes eggs for tofu, which soaks up tons of flavor and spices from a rich tomato sauce. We top it with vegan feta and avocado, and the end result is an easy and delicious plant-based dinner, breakfast or lunch!
🍅 Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy and filling: This vegan shakshuka is filling without being heavy, and despite having a number of elements, is pretty easy to cook. Most of the action happens in one skillet that also doubles as a serving dish for your friends and family to gather around.
- Full of herbs and spices: This vegan shakshuka is absolutely packed with flavor, thanks to a middle-eastern inspired trio of paprika, coriander and cumin, plus fresh cilantro and parsley. It's exploding with flavor, without being too spicy.
- Versatile meal: vegan shakshuka can be enjoyed any time of day. It's delicious for breakfast, and makes a fun brunch dish to share with friends. It's also a super easy and satisfying family dinner to make on a weeknight. Served piping hot straight from the pan with crusty toasted bread, this vegan shakshuka truly warms the soul.
🥑 Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this vegan tofu shakshuka:
📋 Ingredient Notes
- Shakshuka is traditionally made with eggs, but we opted for tofu to keep this recipe vegan. Specifically, extra-firm tofu works best in this recipe as it has the necessary texture to hold together well in a sauce.
- Canned diced fire roasted tomatoes: You should be able to find these in your local grocery store. If you can't find the fire roasted variety, regular diced tomatoes will work. Whole canned tomatoes will work too, just make sure to use your spoon to break them up a bit while they cook.
- Spices: We used a combination of paprika, coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes. Coriander is sweet, while cumin has a nice bitterness. These two pair very well with paprika, which adds smokiness, sweetness, and a bit of color to the dish. Red pepper flakes add just enough spice to keep things interesting!
- Avocado: this is a completely optional topping for vegan shakshuka. We love the creaminess it adds to the final dish, and it also makes it more filling. But totally up to you!
- Vegan feta: salty, creamy feta is the perfect pairing to top off rich shakshuka. To keep this recipe fully vegan, we use a vegan alternative from VioLife or Follow Your Heart.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
(1): Drain tofu, wrap in a clean towel (or paper towel) and set something heavy on top, like a cast iron pan. Press the tofu like this for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. Once it's done pressing, slice the block in half widthwise (to create two thinner rectangles). Slice each block in half, then slice into triangles for 8 slices total.
(2): Brush the tofu with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Add a little more oil (1 tbsp) to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add tofu to the pan and sear until lightly browned on each side (4-5 minutes per side).
(3): After removing tofu from the skillet, add the remaining olive oil to the skillet. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes.
(4): Add the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the skillet and stir well to coat the vegetables. Add the canned fire roasted tomatoes, cilantro, and parsley, reserving 2 tablespoons of parsley for garnish. Stir well and simmer for 10 more minutes minimum, but up to 30 minutes.
(5): If you prefer a more pureed sauce (I do!), use an immersion blender to purée the tomato sauce a bit, while still keeping a little bit of texture. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the sauce from the skillet to a heat safe blender and pulse a few times until you arrive at your desired texture.
(6): Add the tofu to the skillet, nestle it in the tomato sauce, and sprinkle with vegan feta. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 375˚F. Remove the pan from the heat and top with the remaining reserved fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, and avocado slices. Serve with toasted bread on the side.
💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
- Tofu: when we first tested this recipe, we didn't sear the tofu and instead added it in plain. While it tasted great and soaked up some flavor from the sauce, we thought it lacked a bit in the texture department. Searing the tofu adds an extra step, but it's worth it! If you're short on time, you can still feel free to skip.
- Customization options:
- Extra carbs: If you're looking for a heartier dinner option, serve this vegan shakshuka over a bowl of cooked grains. Farro would be delicious. Or, for a gluten free option, try quinoa or brown rice.
- Extra protein: To pump up the protein in this vegan shakshuka, add a half to a full can of chickpeas. Our Za'atar Spiced Crispy Chickpeas would make an especially delicious topping.
- Carnivores: They love shakshuka too. To keep any meat-eaters happy, you could toss some cooked sausage on the side for their bowls. And of course, for non-vegans, you can always make an option with poached eggs instead of tofu.
- Toppings: We like a mix of fresh parsley, melty vegan feta cheese and creamy avocado. You can mix and match toppings to your preferences too. Here are some other ideas:
- A mix of fresh herbs other than parsley, including cilantro, mint, or basil.
- Extra vegan cheese. We use dairy-free feta but you could experiment with mozzarella or other grated cheeses like parmesan.
- For some crunch: pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Extra red pepper flakes or hot sauce for the spice lovers
- Plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt or sour cream. This would be nice and cooling and provide a nice creaminess to the sauce, if you stir it in.
- Serving vegan shakshuka with bread is a great idea. Every saucy shakshuka needs a thick and crusty side of toast to soak up all of that flavor.
- Be sure to drain and press the tofu before cooking to make sure any excess moisture has been removed.
- Storage: let the vegan shakshuka cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on stovetop.
It's unclear exactly where shakshuka came from, but variations on this saucy dish of eggs, tomatoes, peppers and spices have been enjoyed throughout North Africa and the Middle East for centuries.
Some believe it was first served in Spain, others claim Morocco, and still others cite Israel.
Whichever lucky person dug into this dish first, we're just glad it's become so popular. At its core, shakshuka is a very simple dish. Traditional shakshuka consists of a base of softened peppers and onions. A saucy tomato base fills the rest of the pan, which is topped with softly cooked eggs. We subbed out the eggs for tofu to make this vegan shakshuka.
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Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Shakshuka
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our vegan shakshuka subs out eggs for tofu, which soaks up tons of flavor and spices from a rich tomato sauce. We top it with vegan feta and avocado, and the end result is an easy and delicious plant-based dinner.
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra firm tofu
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (~1 cup)
- 2 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely minced
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 28 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes (~2 cans)
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 oz vegan feta (about ⅔ cup)
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
- Thick bread or baguette, toasted (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Drain tofu, wrap in a clean towel (or paper towel) and set something heavy on top, like a cast iron pan. Press the tofu like this for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. Once it's done pressing, slice the block in half widthwise (to create two thinner rectangles). Slice each block in half, then slice into triangles for 8 slices total.
- Once the tofu is pressed, brush with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Add a little oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add tofu to the pan and cook until lightly browned on each side (4-5 minutes per side). Transfer tofu to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the skillet and stir well to coat the vegetables. Add the canned fire roasted tomatoes, cilantro, and parsley, reserving 2 tablespoons of parsley for garnish. Stir well and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- If you prefer a more pureed sauce, use an immersion blender to purée the tomato sauce a bit, while still keeping a little bit of texture.
- Add the tofu to the skillet, nestle it in the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the vegan feta. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Top with remaining fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, and avocado slices. Serve with toasted bread on the side.
Notes
If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the sauce from the skillet to a heat safe blender and pulse a few times until you arrive at your desired texture.
Be sure to drain and press the tofu before cooking to make sure any excess moisture has been removed. Additionally, be sure to use extra firm tofu – any other variety will fall apart in the sauce.
Storage: let the vegan shakshuka cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on stovetop.
Canned diced fire roasted tomatoes: If you can't find the fire roasted variety, regular diced tomatoes will work. Whole canned tomatoes will work too, just make sure to use your spoon to break them up a bit while they cook.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Press Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Vegan Dinner
- Method: Stovetop and Oven
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 448
- Sugar: 11.7 g
- Sodium: 774.1 mg
- Fat: 26.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 9.7 g
- Protein: 17 g
Sally Zwick says
Best brownies ever! It's very confusing though that the recipe on the first image is different from the recipe on the website.
Abi says
I made this tonight and really enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe!
Brent Harrison says
Thanks for the review!
Crystal says
Cannot rave about this recipe enough! So much flavor and absolutely delicious!
Lexi says
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed!
Christine says
So you use 2 28 0Z cans of tomatoes?
Lexi says
No, 28 oz total which is approximately 2 regular sized cans
Anonymous says
Delicious and flavorful. I keep coming back to make it!
Amanda Mason says
So glad I found this recipe! I'm going to substitute the tofu for chicken. This looks like the most savory recipe ever! I can't wait to make it and eat it with a piece of crusty bread!
Donna says
Ooh I love this twist on the original, I am always looking for new ways to use tofu. And those avocado slices on top - yummo!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Oh yum! Your Vegan shakshuka is making my stomach growl! It looks so yummy! I can't wait to put it on my weekly meal rotation!
leslie says
I've never had shakshuka, but I have to admit, this dish looks delightful! A perfect blend of flavors and now I'm intrigued!
Eva says
What an interesting idea to use tofu in a dish where eggs are the key ingredient. Or well, are they? When the tomato sauce is really well seasoned, I'd say that as much as I love soft cooked eggs I turn my sensory attention mostly to the tomatoes. Still, a brilliant way to make an egg-centered recipe, vegan.
Linda says
oh yum! Adding tofu is a great idea and this is perfect for Meatless Monday. And look at that sauce...so refreshingly good!
Anne Lawton says
I have not had shakshuka , but that is going to change, it looks and sounds delicious.
Debbie says
Shakshuka is the hot thing right now!! How creative going vegan and using tofu instead of an egg. I bet it soaked up all those yummy spices. Beautiful Dish!!
Analida Braeger says
The flavors in this dish are incredible! I first tried shakshuka at place called Jerusalem in Myrtle Beach. Thanks for sharing because I have wanted to make this!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Wow! This Vegan shakshuka is making me hungry. I am so glad to know that shakshuka can be enjoyed anytime of the day. Thank you for sharing this info. I am sure to make this soon.
Heather says
I live in Boston as well but haven't been to Tatte, but I can't wait to try it now! 🙂 And shakshuka is one of my favorite go to meals when there is nothing in the house for dinner haha. I can't wait to try this vegan version!