Asparagus & Wild Garlic Shakshuka Recipe

Felicity Vincent
Apr 1, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Apr 7

A seasonal twist on a vibrant green shakshuka recipe

This makes the perfect brunch dish to impress but it's so quick and easy it can be a healthy midweek meal for any time of day!

Ingredients (serves 1):

1 red onion
70g spinach
70g spring cabbage
85g green asparagus
20g parsley
10g coriander
20g dill
10g wild garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp EVOO
1 tsp harissa
2 eggs
Cottage cheese
S&P

Method:

Thinly slice the cabbage and spinach, slice off the bottom of the asparagus stalks (the woody bit is usually about 1/2 inch) then thinly slice the rest of the stalks and keep the tips separate.
Finely chop all the herbs and thinly slice the wild garlic. Keep a few sprigs of parsley, dill and a bit of wild garlic for garnishing.
Heat a bit of oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Finely chop the red onion and sweat off in the pan for 5 minutes until it starts to brown slightly, then add the cumin and cook for another minute.
Add the herbs, cabbage, spinach and asparagus stalks, season with salt and pepper, then stir it all in. Add enough water to just about cover the vegetables before bringing it to a simmer.
Once the water is simmering, create 2 wells and drop in the cracked eggs. Scatter the asparagus tips on top of the greens and cover and cook for 4 minutes for a runny yolk.
While the eggs are cooking, stir together 1 tsp of harissa in 2 tsp of EVOO for drizzling at the end and toast your slice of bread.
When the eggs are cooked, finish off the dish by squeezing 1/2 lemon over it and adding a few dollops of cottage cheese, the remaining herbs and the harissa drizzle.
Bon appétit!

More about this recipe:

I love this shakshuka recipe because it looks and tastes like the start of spring! Full of vibrant green and yellow colours, lots of herbs and freshness, and it makes the most of wild garlic and asparagus season.

Feel free to swap out any of the greens with what you can get your hands on, and replace the wild garlic with 2 garlic cloves if you can't find any. You can also remove some of the herbs, just make up the total weight with the soft herbs you have.

Asparagus are a good source of folate and biotin, they're great to help your body find a moment of calm as they provide:

Folate - is linked to levels of serotonin (one of the good mood hormones) - being low in folate increases your chance of feeling depressed.

Asparagine (Amino Acid) - is linked to maintaining motivation, cognitive function and reducing stress.

Wild garlic can be found in shaded woodlands, make sure to only pick up to 3 leaves per plant and wash before using. It's a great source of iron, folate and vitamins C & A. Eating garlic can promote a feeling of happiness because it provides:

Good source of folate - not having enough folate increases the chance of feeling depressed.

Vitamin C - involved in converting dopamine to noradrenaline - low amounts of noradrenaline are associated with depression.

Iron (phosphorous and calcium)- involved in converting tryptophan to serotonin one of the good mood hormones.

Allium sulphur compounds - highest in garlic, they have been shown to reduce incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

Aside from the delicious flavours, this dish is a great source of fibre, protein, antioxidants and vitamins such as A, C, Folate, Iron and Calcium.