Chickpea and Spinach Shakshuka with Feta
Eggs poached in a garlicky tomato and chickpea sauce, wilted spinach and a scatter of feta stirred through, finished with a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil.
Why it works
Extra-virgin olive oil brings monounsaturated fat and phenolics like oleocanthal and hydroxytyrosol, lowering LDL oxidation and blunting vascular inflammation. Cooked tomato concentrates bioavailable lycopene, a carotenoid tied to lower cardiovascular mortality. Chickpeas add soluble fiber and resistant starch, improving glycemic response and feeding the gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids. Spinach brings dietary nitrate and folate to keep your blood vessels working the way they should.
PREDIMED is the Mediterranean-diet trial that put this combination on the map: extra-virgin olive oil, legumes, and vegetables. It reduced major cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in a randomized trial, not just an observation.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion (about 100 g), diced
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (240 g) cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 150 g fresh spinach
- 4 large eggs
- 40 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 slices whole-grain sourdough (about 40 g each), to serve
Method
- Warm the olive oil in a lidded skillet over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, and pepper flakes and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chickpeas, season lightly, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Fold in the spinach a handful at a time and let it wilt into the sauce, about 2 minutes.
- Make four wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
- Scatter feta and parsley over the top and serve straight from the pan with toasted whole-grain sourdough.
