Halloumi and Aubergine Shakshouka

Shakshuka is eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, and this one has no eggs in it at all. In their place go cubes of halloumi, with aubergine (eggplant), pepper and red onion roasted in ras el hanout, all set into the same harissa and tomato base. It is a departure and there is no point pretending otherwise, but halloumi does the job the eggs were doing: it stays in distinct pieces in the sauce instead of disappearing into it.

Two things make it work. The halloumi goes into cold water for twenty minutes first, which draws out some of the salt and softens it, and the vegetables are roasted hard in a hot oven before they ever meet the sauce rather than stewing in it. Serve it in the pan it was baked in, with warm flatbread for getting the last of the sauce off the bottom.

If it is grilled halloumi you came for rather than baked, my Halloumi Souvlaki is the other one worth a look.

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What is Shakshouka?

Shakshouka is a classic North African and Middle Eastern dish that has become a global favourite. Traditionally, it’s made with eggs poached in a rich, spicy tomato sauce and often served with crusty bread or pita. The dish is believed to have originated in Tunisia and has spread throughout North Africa and the Middle East, evolving with countless variations and unique local twists.

In Tunisia, Shakshouka is often made with merguez sausage, while in Egypt, it’s served with fava beans. In Israel, it’s a popular breakfast dish, frequently topped with feta cheese. What makes Shakshouka so special is its versatility; it can be mild or spicy, vegetarian or meaty, with endless possibilities to suit different tastes.

If you’re looking to try something new, I highly recommend my Vegetarian Halloumi Shakshouka with Aubergine. This recipe is easy to prepare, full of flavour, and loaded with nutrients. The combination of protein-rich halloumi cheese and a robust tomato sauce enriched with spices makes it a healthy and satisfying meal. Don’t hesitate to add your own twist by experimenting with different spices, vegetables, or even meats to create a unique Shakshouka tailored to your taste buds!

What is Harissa Paste and How Does It Enhance This Recipe?

Harissa paste is a spicy and aromatic chili paste originating from North Africa, particularly Tunisia. Made from a blend of hot chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, and various spices such as cumin, coriander, and caraway, harissa brings a rich depth of flavour to any dish. The paste is known for its vibrant red colour and its ability to add both heat and complexity, making it a popular ingredient in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking.

In this Halloumi & Aubergine Shakshouka recipe, harissa paste plays a crucial role in lifting the tomato sauce. It adds a smoky, spicy kick that perfectly complements the creamy, salty halloumi cheese and the roasted aubergine. The heat from the harissa paste contrasts with the natural sweetness of the tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers, creating a well-rounded and satisfying flavour profile. You can adjust the amount of harissa to control the spiciness of the dish, making it suitable for different taste preferences.

Using harissa paste also infuses the dish with a unique, warming complexity that enhances its Mediterranean character, making every bite a lovely explosion of flavours. Whether you like it mild or fiery, harissa paste is the perfect ingredient to bring out the best in this shakshouka recipe.

What is Ras el Hanout Spice Blend and How to Use It in Halloumi Shakshouka?

Ras el Hanout is a traditional North African spice blend that originates from Morocco. The name translates to “head of the shop,” implying that it’s a premium blend made with the best spices a seller has to offer. While the exact ingredients can vary, Ras el Hanout typically includes a mix of warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and turmeric, along with more unique flavours like rose petals, fennel seeds, and cloves. This blend is renowned for its aromatic complexity, offering a perfect balance of sweet, savoury, and slightly spicy notes.

In this Halloumi & Aubergine Shakshouka recipe, Ras el Hanout works beautifully to add depth and warmth to the dish. The spice blend brings out the natural sweetness of the roasted aubergine and bell peppers while complementing the tangy tomato sauce. It enhances the earthy notes of the vegetables and pairs perfectly with the salty, grilled halloumi cheese.

The use of Ras el Hanout also introduces a fragrant aroma that lifts the entire dish, making it feel more complex and exotic. It brings a taste of the Mediterranean and North African regions right to your kitchen, adding a rich, multi-layered flavour profile that makes every bite of this shakshouka a lovely experience.

Equipment You’ll Need

How to Make Halloumi Shakshouka, Step by Step

1. Soak the halloumi, then coat it. Cubed and into cold water for twenty minutes. Halloumi is stored in brine and it is salty enough to dominate a dish this size, so the soak pulls some of that out and softens the texture at the same time. Nobody else making halloumi shakshuka bothers, and it is the difference between cheese you can eat a plateful of and cheese you notice in every mouthful. Drain it properly, then toss it with oil, paprika and turmeric so it colours under the grill instead of going pale and rubbery.
2. Build the sauce, and judge it by thickness rather than the clock. Whole seeds into the oil first until they smell of themselves, then garlic and onion until soft, then the paprika and harissa for a minute before anything wet arrives. Ground spice burns in seconds once the pan is dry, which is why it goes in last and why the tomatoes follow immediately. Ten minutes of simmering is a guide: you want a sauce that holds a line when you draw a spoon through it, because a thin one will slide off the bread and pool under the vegetables. Give it longer if it needs it and loosen it with water if it goes too far the other way.
3. Roast the vegetables hard, and do not crowd the tray. Aubergine, pepper and red onion tossed with balsamic, oil, honey and ras el hanout, then into a properly hot oven at 220C for about twenty minutes. Roasting rather than stewing them in the sauce is the other decision that makes this work: aubergine simmered in tomato goes slack and takes on the flavour of whatever it is sitting in, while aubergine roasted first keeps its own. Spread it in one layer, because a heaped tray steams.
4. Bring it together and grill the top. Sauce into a cast iron pan or a baking dish, roasted vegetables through it, halloumi over the top. Five to ten minutes under a hot grill is enough for the cheese to blister and take colour. Watch it: halloumi browns and then, very shortly afterwards, dries out and squeaks, and there is no way back from that.
5. Parsley over the top and take the pan to the table. Serve it in the dish it was grilled in, with warm flatbread. There is no yolk to break here, so the sauce is what the bread is for, and it should be thick enough that a torn piece of flatbread comes back loaded.

Recipe Card for Halloumi and Aubergine Shakshouka

Recipe Card

Halloumi and Aubergine Shakshouka

Shakshouka with halloumi and aubergine: a tomato sauce spiced with cumin, coriander, caraway and harissa, with the cheese grilled on top.

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Prep

20 min

Cook

40 min

Total

1 hr

Serves

4

Per serving

420 kcal

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Equipment I Use

Cast Iron PanMedium sized potRoasting TrayMixing Bowl

Ingredients

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For the Shakshouka Sauce:

400 g chopped tomatoes 1 medium-sized white onion, diced 4 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1/2 tsp caraway seeds 1 tbsp paprika 1 tbsp harissa paste, or 1 tsp cayenne chilli powder 1 tsp honey 30 g olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

For the Remaining Ingredients:

400 g halloumi cheese, diced 1 bell pepper, yellow or red, diced 1 aubergine, diced 1 medium-sized red onion, diced 30 g olive oil 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp turmeric 1 tbsp Ras el Hanout spice blend 30 g balsamic vinegar 15 g honey 1 tsp salt Fresh parsley for garnish Flatbread for serving

Instructions

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1

Prepare the Halloumi Cheese

Cut the halloumi cheese into cubes. Soak the cheese in water for 20 minutes to reduce saltiness and soften its texture. Drain, then mix the halloumi with 15g of olive oil, paprika, and turmeric.

2

Make the Shakshouka Sauce

Heat 15g of olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds and cook until fragrant. Add the sliced garlic and diced onion, cooking until softened. Then, add paprika and harissa paste, cooking for another minute before adding the chopped tomatoes, honey, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add water to adjust the consistency.

3

Roast the Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan). In a bowl, marinate the diced aubergine, bell pepper, and red onion with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and Ras el Hanout spice blend. Spread the vegetables on a baking tray in a single layer and roast for around 20 minutes.

4

Combine and Grill

Transfer the prepared sauce to a cast iron pan or baking dish, add the roasted vegetables, and top with the halloumi cheese. Place under the grill set to 220°C for 5-10 minutes, or until the halloumi begins to brown.

5

Serve

Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy with warm flatbread!

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Chef’s notes＋

The halloumi soak is not optional. Twenty minutes in cold water pulls out enough of the brine that you can eat a plateful. Skip it and the cheese runs the dish.

Roast the vegetables in one layer. Heaped on a small tray they steam instead of caramelising, and roasting them separately is the whole reason the aubergine holds its own against the sauce.

Judge the sauce by thickness, not the clock. Ten minutes is a guide. It should hold a line when you draw a spoon through it, or it will slide off the bread.

Watch the grill. Halloumi goes from blistered and golden to dry and squeaky in a couple of minutes, and it does not come back.

There are no eggs in this. The halloumi is standing in for them. If you want both, make wells and poach the eggs in the sauce before the cheese goes on top.

Nutrition per serving＋

420 kcalProtein 20 gCarbs 22 gFat 28 gSat fat 13 gFibre 6 gSugar 10 gSodium 1250 mgServing 345 g

Halloumi and Aubergine Shakshouka · https://chefsbinge.com/halloumi-and-aubergine-shakshouka/

Recipe Variations for Halloumi & Aubergine Shakshouka

• Add Meat: Not a vegetarian? Enhance this dish with cooked lamb or chicken. Prepare the meat separately, then add it to the sauce before baking. It pairs wonderfully with homemade lamb koftas for a more robust flavour.
• Use Different Vegetables: Switch things up with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Courgette, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes make great additions and bring new textures and flavours to the dish.
• Change Up the Spices: Experiment with spices to create different flavour profiles. Add a dash of cinnamon for warmth or smoked paprika for a deep, smoky flavour.
• Make It Spicier: If you enjoy heat, increase the harissa paste or cayenne chili powder in the sauce. Adjust the spice level to suit your taste!
• Change the Cheese: Not a fan of halloumi? Substitute with feta or paneer for a different taste. For a vegan option, swap the cheese with chickpeas for added protein.
• Serve with Eggs: Prefer the traditional shakshouka with eggs? Simply poach a few eggs in the sauce before baking for a classic twist.

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FAQ for Halloumi and Aubergine Shakshouka

A Few Words from the Chef

I picked this up from an Algerian friend at work who makes shakshouka properly. The halloumi is my own swap, in place of the eggs, and it works better than I expected: you still get a full plate of food out of it without them. Roast the vegetables properly, soak the cheese, and take the pan straight to the table.