Green Shakshuka With Avocado and Lime

By Sarah Copeland

Updated August 18, 2022

  • A cast-iron skillet holds green shakshuka with avocado and lime. Corn tortillas wrapped in a kitchen towel and a bottle of hot sauce are nearby.
    David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(6,021)
Comments
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This easy twist on classic North African shakshuka (traditionally eggs baked in tomato-pepper sauce, with cumin, paprika and cayenne) starts with an onion-garlic-chard sautéed until gently wilted: a nest of sorts for steam-poaching eggs. Once the eggs go in, be sure to keep the flame low and keep the pan covered while cooking, so the eggs stay soft and almost oozy at their yolk, and the Cotija melts a bit. The chard and the half-and-half create a sort of light broth at the bottom of the shakshuka, which holds so much flavor and is one of the dish’s charms. Lastly, be daring with smoked hot sauce at the end: It’ll push the creamy avocado, cheese and eggs to their peak.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 1 large bunch/1 ½ pounds Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped (about 9 cups)

  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed

  • ⅓ cup half-and-half or heavy cream

  • 8 large eggs

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed

  • 3 ounces Cotija cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (about ¾ cup)

  • 1 avocado, sliced, for serving

  • 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced, for serving

  • Chopped cilantro, for serving

  • Smoked hot sauce, for serving

  • Corn tortillas, toasted, for serving

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

18 grams carbs; 402 milligrams cholesterol; 472 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 37 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 803 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until softening, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 5 minutes more.

  2. Step 2

    Raise the heat to medium-high, add the chard stems, and cook to release some liquid, 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves, in batches, adding more as they wilt, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted, 3 to 5 minutes more. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, pour in the half-and-half and stir loosely together.

  3. Step 3

    Make eight small hollows in the cooked chard with the back of a spoon. Gently crack an egg into each hollow. Cover with a lid or foil and cook on medium-low until the eggs are just set, but still soft, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle with salt, pepper, Cotija, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Serve with smoked hot sauce, toasted tortillas and lime wedges.

Tip

  • Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stove-top oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
6,021 user ratings
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Comments

Marcia

Nothing to do with the food (which looks awesome) - but for cast iron pan covers, I frequently use silicone "suction lids" (found everywhere on the web). They work like a charm, hold the heat, can be used as well in the fridge for bowl covers on all those differently-sized bowls - and they hang right over my stove. Best little investment (very small!) ever.

Michael

Substituted greek yogurt thinned with lime juice for the cream and only used 4 eggs. It was perfect!

Betsy

Perhaps some chopped tomatillos would add a nice, green touch of acid that would go well with the jalapeños and smoked hot sauce?

Brianna

Accidentally used all my cream the night before in a broccoli cheddar soup, so I added half a cup of the leftover soup instead with lots of lime and cilantro and pickled jalapeños.

David Shepherd

A little confused: how or if to melt the cheese? Intro says to cover the eggs and cheese; prep calls for the cheese to be added afterward. Either works?

ellie

I’ve made this recipe several times now. A few suggestions. First, this recipe comes together very fast and I think is best served hot, so be ready to sit down and eat in 30 minutes. I like it with 1/2 onion vs a whole onion and less garlic. Someone else mentioned in the comments about adding two or three chopped tomatillos in with the chard. I agree and think that would add some additional moisture and another unique flavor that this recipe could use. I haven’t tried it yet. Seven minutes is a little long to cook the eggs, five minutes and they will still be a little runny. I also remove the seeds from 1/2 chopped jalapeño and like to add it when I am sautéing the chard leaves.

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