Season Kitchen · In Season

Vegan shakshuka with crispy chickpeas

Traditional shakshuka poaches eggs in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce. This version doesn't miss them. The peppers are roasted whole until the skins blister and lift away, then diced into a sauce built on slow-cooked red onion, cumin and olives. The chickpeas - tossed in smoked paprika and given 40 minutes in a hot oven - land on top with a crunch the original never had.

It asks more of the oven than of you. Most of the time is roasting, and the sauce itself is one shallow casserole and twenty unhurried minutes. Vegan as written, gluten-free if you mind what you dip. Grilled sourdough or warm flatbread - something has to claim the last of the sauce.

You'll need

Method

1. Preheat

   Preheat the oven to 200°C / Fan 180°C / Gas Mark 6.

2. Prepare the peppers

   Place the whole peppers on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Rub the oil and salt all over the peppers so they are thoroughly coated.

3. Prepare the chickpeas

   In a mixing bowl, combine the drained chickpeas with a drizzle of olive oil, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin and a pinch of salt. Toss well until evenly coated.

4. Roast

   Spread the chickpeas on a roasting tray in a single layer next to the oiled peppers. Roast both for about 40 minutes, turning the peppers and stirring the chickpeas halfway through. The peppers should be blistered and charred in places, the chickpeas crisp and golden.

5. Steam the peppers

   Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover with a plate. Leave to steam for 10-15 minutes - this loosens the skins for peeling.

6. Prepare the vegetables

   Once cool, peel the peppers, halve them, remove the seeds and dice the flesh. Finely chop the olives and finely dice the red onion. Finely chop the garlic.

7. Cook the base

   In a shallow casserole, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced red onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

8. Add depth

   Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes, letting it darken slightly and mellow. Add the ground cumin and the chilli flakes, if using, and stir until fragrant - about 30 seconds.

9. Build the sauce

   Add the chopped tomatoes, the diced roasted peppers and the chopped olives. Stir everything together, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

10. Simmer

    Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat and simmer gently for around 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the flavours have come together.

11. Finish and serve

    Scatter over the crispy chickpeas and a handful of chopped parsley. Serve with grilled sourdough for dipping.

Created with

The kit behind this dish

Season Cast Iron Shallow Casserole Toasted Oat

£70.00

Season South American Walnut End Grain Chopping Board

£70.00

Season S1 S18 Santoku 18cm

£90.00