Day 16 : Lentil Shakshuka – A Vegetarian Twist on a Middle Eastern Classic
Hello and welcome to Day 16 of Culinary School.
Today was lentil shakshuka, which, if you’ve never had it, is basically eggs poached in a spiced tomato and veggie stew. It sounds fancy, tastes incredible, and makes your kitchen smell like Morocco and the Mediterranean got together and had a baby.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure at first. Lentils don’t exactly scream “Excitement.” But once everything started cooking, I knew this one was going to be good.
The Chop Parade
Started with a chopping marathon, red peppers, poblanos, eggplant, zucchini, onions, garlic, thyme, chives, parsley.Basically, if it grew out of the ground, I chopped it.
All those knife skills are starting to pay off, I wasn’t terrified of the onion this time. Progress.
Building the Base
Got the pan hot, oil in, onions first till they softened.Then in went the peppers, the zucchini, the eggplant.The smell hit right away, that mix of sweetness from the peppers and that earthy kick from the eggplant.
Added the garlic till it went aromatic (which is chef-speak for “holy fuckl, that smells amazing”).
Then came the fire-roasted tomatoes, the kind that actually taste like someone cared, plus the lentils, cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper, and a ladle or two of stock to loosen it up.
Covered it up, let it bubble away till the lentils softened and the sauce thickened.
Already looked good. Already smelled better.
Eggs, Feta, and a Bit of Lemon Magic
For plating, I used a smaller pan, cracked a couple of eggs right into the sauce, threw in a handful of feta, and finished it with lemon juice, zest, and fresh parsley.
The feta melted into the sauce, the eggs poached perfectly, and that lemon zest just punched it up to another level. It looked sexy, it tasted spicy, salty, lemony, absolute belter of a dish.
The Finished Dish
The sauce was rich but not heavy, the lentils gave it that hearty bite, and the egg yolk tied it all together.This was one of those dishes that makes you stop halfway through a bite and just nod.
If you’re looking for a vegetarian meal that actually feels satisfying, this is the one. It's bold, filling, and packed with layers of flavour that keep changing as you eat.
Final Thoughts
This one caught me off guard, comforting, colourful, and ridiculously good.Spicy, creamy, lemony, and hearty all at once. And with that Double Runned Poached Egg rating… safe to say I nailed it.
Cheers
Andy
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Day 16 : Lentil Shakshuka – A Vegetarian Twist on a Middle Eastern Classic
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