Green Shakshuka with Spinach, Herbs & Feta over Olive-Oil Toast
Eggs poached soft in a garlicky green sauté of spinach, chard, and herbs, finished with feta and served over thick olive-oil-toasted whole-grain bread. Green, glossy, and worth every bit of the toast underneath.
Why it works
Egg yolks are one of the best dietary sources of choline you can eat, the raw material for acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter memory runs on. They also carry lutein and zeaxanthin, the same carotenoids your retina and brain tissue keep in stock. Spinach, chard, and herbs stack folate, vitamin K, and more lutein on top of that, all of it concentrated in neural tissue. Extra-virgin olive oil adds polyphenols and monounsaturated fat, and the protein-and-fiber combination keeps your blood sugar steady enough to make it through lunch without a slump.
The MIND diet calls for leafy greens daily, and this bowl clears that bar before noon. Higher choline and lutein intakes track with better memory and cognitive performance in the research behind it.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 5 oz (140 g) fresh spinach
- 3 large chard leaves (about 120 g), stems sliced and leaves chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1/2 cup (15 g) mixed fresh parsley, cilantro, and dill, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/3 cup (50 g) crumbled feta
- 2 thick slices whole-grain sourdough
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
- Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a lidded skillet over medium heat and soften the sliced chard stems, garlic, and scallions for 3-4 minutes without browning.
- Add the cumin and red pepper flakes, then pile in the spinach and chard leaves and cook, stirring, until fully wilted, 3-4 minutes; season with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
- Stir in most of the fresh herbs, then make four wells in the greens and crack an egg into each.
- Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft.
- Meanwhile toast the sourdough and drizzle each slice with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Scatter the feta and remaining herbs over the shakshuka, finish with black pepper, and serve straight from the pan over the olive-oil toast with lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
