A delicious adaptation of the classic Middle Eastern breakfast dish. This chocolate shakshuka replaces the poached eggs with goat’s cheese and there’s a little dark chocolate for extra depth and flavour. It works surprisingly well.
When Ethel the Goat first came into my life and tempted me with the #capricornchallenge, I was really excited at the prospect of creating some savoury chocolate and goats cheese dishes. When the hamper arrived full of good things, including olive oil, onions, peppers, tomatoes, thyme and goat’s cheese of course, the very first thing I thought about was a chocolate version of shakshuka.
Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a North African dish which is purportedly the precursor to the Spanish Omelette. It’s a dish of onions, peppers and tomatoes topped off with poached eggs and is really delicious. It’s usually eaten for breakfast. This together with Megadarra, a Middle Eastern rice and lentil dish is a staple in our house, especially if we have friends or family eating with us. I first had it when I was living in Egypt and immediately fell in love.
Chocolate Shakshuka
Much as I love a good classic shakshuka, however, I really wanted to try it with chocolate. Well why not? As goats cheese was the challenge ingredient, I substituted this for the eggs and thus Chocshuka was born.
We ate the chocolate shakshuka, scooping it up with ciabatta bread and it was even better than I was hoping. The chocolate added a certain richness and depth, without turning this flavoursome, colourful and inviting dish into the vegetable equivalent of Nile mud.
Other Recipes for a Chocolate Breakfast You Might Like
- Apple & raisin pancakes with chocolate sauce
- Breakfast muffins
- Chocolate porridge
- Kefir, raw cacao & goji berry smoothie
- Nutella French toast
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chocolate goat’s cheese shakshuka, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or via social media. Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
If you like this meal idea, then why not have a look at some of the other recipes in my Flavours of the Middle East series.
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Choclette x
Chocolate Goat’s Cheese Shakshuka. PIN IT.
Chocolate Shakshuka – The Recipe
Chocolate Shakshuka aka Chocshuka
Ingredients
- 1 red onion - sliced thinly
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 large red pepper - deseeded and cut into strips lengthways
- 1 large yellow pepper - deseeded and cut into strips lengthways
- 1 red hot chilli pepper - deseeded and finely chopped (I used lacotto)
- 300 g small ripe tomatoes - halved
- 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
- pinch sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 25 g 70 % dark chocolate - chopped
- 100 g soft goat's cheese - sliced (I used Capricorn)
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients.
- Heat olive oil in a large deep frying pan and threw in the cumin seeds.
- Add the onion and fry gently until soft.
- Add the peppers to the pan and stir.
- Adde the chilli and tomatoes, filled by the garlic and thyme.
- Season with a little salt and pepper and add a splash of water.
- Stir and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the chocolate and stir until fully incorporated.
- Place the goat's cheese on top and allow to melt a little before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks to Capricorn for the ingredients they sent in order to make a recipe. They did not expect me to write a positive review and all opinions are, as always, my own. Thanks also for your support of the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
That is fabulous! I just recently discovered Shakshouka and now this. Then also with goat’s cheese … what else can I say?! Great!
Choclette, this is so amazing on so many levels. I love shakshouka, but surely only you could think of introducing a chocolate element! I saw this post a few days ago and have been obsessively thinking about it ever since. Now I just need to be brave enough to try making it…
Lucy, I’ve really enjoyed finding out that other’s eat Shakshouka too. No one I’ve ever served it too has come across it before and it deserves to be better known. The chocolate really does work, it just gives it some extra richness and body which just seems to work – or so we thought anyway 😉
This really sounds wonderful. I am bookmarking this for a weekend brunch.
Yes Nazima, this would make a fantastic brunch. It’s really quite simple and if it’s served with really good bread, nothing else is needed.
Sounds really interesting. I have to admit I hadn’t really thought of adding chocolate to a med-style dish but this sounds like it would work really well!
It worked as well as I’d hoped it would C, which is to say, very well 😉
Oh yum – I can’t even read the words ‘goats cheese’ without salivating – I love the stuff!
You and me both CC. I remember the first time I ever had Goat’s cheese, a time in the dim and distant past, when I thought it was very odd stuff, but now it is a different story all together.
What an interesting use of chocolate! I’ve tried a little in savoury dishes, but always 100% unsweetened – good to know the 70% works well too!
Celia, I’d prefer to use 100% unsweetened, but it’s hard to get hold of and very expensive. I do often use 85%, but 70% is fine as it doesn’t have that much sugar in it.
I’ve tried the original recipe with eggs (I LOVE it), now I feel inspired to substitute the eggs with goat cheese and add chocolate…I believe that the result would be rich and creamy. Well done, this is very creative
Thank you Rita, Chakshuka is so delicious. This version makes for a very interesting alternative though, so do let me know how you get on if you do make it.
This sounds really interesting! I’m going to have to give it a go. Also, I think if mu mum sees this she may be knocking at your door, megadarra is one of her favourite things.
Ooh, how exciting, another megadarra fan – it might just be me knocking at your mum’s door! Let me know how you get on if you do make it.
this is very original! I love goats cheese too and your omelette looks very inviting!
Thank you Alida, I expect you have something quite similar in Italy.
Wow – I must have been living under a rock as I’ve never come across the original version. I applude your bold use of chocolate too ;0)
Oh do try it Chele, an original version, it’s truly delicious.
ooh unusual…I love goats cheese omelette but this sounds amazing.
Happy weekend.
debx
Debby, I don’t think I’ve ever tried goats cheese omelette – an omission that must soon be rectified.
C, this is AMAZING… you deserve a win with this one, how innovative and delicious… and so elegant. I can imagine the chocolate would make this so lovely and rich… I MUST give this a go.
Thanks Dom, here’s hoping!!!
I’ve got red peppers in my fridge so I can give it a go!!!
Have a great day!
Hope you like it manu. Let me know what you think.