Shakshuka, possibly meaning “all mixed up” in Arabic, is traditionally in the US considered to be tomatoes, bell peppers, eggs and feta ^{[citation needed]}. But given the (very briefly researched) word origin, I’m mixing it up.

One of my problems with the “traditional” shakshuka, which I still love, is that the eggs don’t save well. So I wanted to find a way to make the delicious base but make it more leftover-friendly.

For this, you can leave out the eggs, because the large white lima beans provide the necessary texture and protein to make this more than a tomato soup.

Print Recipe

Vegan Lima Bean Shakshuka

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Bean Time6

Total Time6 45

Course: Brunch, Dinner

Cuisine: California, Middle Eastern

Keyword: Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 479kcal

Equipment

Slow cooker

Ingredients

Beans

½ lb dry lima beans
bean spices (bay leaf, red pepper, peppercorns, a little salt, celery stalks, garlic cloves)

Main Dish

3 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
28 oz fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes finely diced
1 large jalapeno pepper small diced
2 large red bell pepper chopped
½ bunch cilantro thick stems removed then chopped
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Optional

4 large eggs

Instructions

Beans

I think white lima beans do best in a slow cooker, or slowly cooked in some method. My method is to rinse the beans, add to a slow cooker with 2 quarts water, some salt, and various bean spices (in a bag or tea steeper, except for large items like celery and bay leaves).
½ lb dry lima beans, bean spices (bay leaf, red pepper, peppercorns, a little salt, celery stalks, garlic cloves)
Set to high and cook for 3-8 hours, depending on the age of beans, the amount of salt, what your slow cooker considers "high" and various other variables.
When the beans are soft and creamy, remove from heat, remove cooking spices, drain off some of the water (so you have just enough to cover the beans) and add salt so it stops it from cooking further. If you're ready to cook the shakshuka, proceed. Otherwise, store in the fridge until ready to cook.

Shakshuka

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prep your ingredients as specified above.
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in an ovenproof, wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
1 small yellow onion, 2 large red bell pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil
Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, another minute or two. Add the sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste and cook until fragrant. Add half of the cilantro and mix well.
4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp tomato paste, ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, ½ bunch cilantro
Add the tomatoes and jalapeno and sauté for about 5 minutes until everything begins to come together and some of the water is demonstrably cooking off. Add salt and pepper to taste (1 tsp may be too much, leave it a bit undersalted here).
28 oz fire roasted crushed tomatoes, 1 large jalapeno pepper, 1 tsp salt, Fresh ground black pepper
Add the beans and mix well. (Save cooking liquid still.)
Carefully place the skillet in the preheated oven, uncovered, and bake for 15 minutes (if the beans are warm) or 20 minutes if the beans were in the fridge. If it gets dry, add some of the bean liquid.
[Optional] If you are using the eggs, remove the dish from the oven. Using the back of a spoon, make four pockets in the mixture. Crack an egg into each pocket and lightly salt and pepper the tops of the eggs. Place back in the oven, covered, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the eggs are set. (Less time if you like runny eggs.] Remove and keep covered for 5-10 minutes, or serve immediately if you like runny eggs.
4 large eggs
Garnish with remaining cilantro and serve right from the skillet.
½ bunch cilantro

Notes

Nutrition facts include the eggs. It would decrease the calories by about 70/serving, and fat and protein by ~5g/serving, and remove all cholesterol.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Lima Bean Shakshuka

Amount Per Serving

Calories 479 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 186mg62%

Sodium 978mg43%

Potassium 2129mg61%

Carbohydrates 63g21%

Fiber 18g75%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 3491IU70%

Vitamin C 133mg161%

Calcium 167mg17%

Iron 9mg50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.