Vegan Smoky Eggplant Shakshuka with Almond Ricotta Parcels

This Vegan Smoky Eggplant Shakshuka with Almond Ricotta Parcels is bursting with warming tomato flavour and just enough spice. It's also ready in less than 30 minutes!

Vegan Smoky Eggplant Shakshuka with Almond Ricotta Parcels

I first tried Shakshuka many years ago at a cute little bakery cafe, on a cold Winter's day. It was the standard variety with cooked eggs, and I was instantly in love.

As I progressed to a plant based diet and my tastes changed, my love for Shakshuka never waned, but my need for extra spice and flavour grew, and a gaping hole where the eggs used to be, remained. What to fill it with?

I created a version a few years a go with soy yoghurt mixed with kala namak salt to create an 'eggy' tasting replacement, and eggplant to bulk out the vegetables from a base Shakshuka mix. You can find that recipe here.

This time I wrapped some of my recently made Quick Almond Meal Ricotta with zucchini to create some more filling and satisfying parcels, making it more of a complete meal.

Here's a look at the dish prior to baking:

I really need to work on my progress photos, I promise I will add them next time I make this!

Here's a close up of the baked dish with a cross-section of one of the Almond Ricotta Parcels:

I hope you give this delicious dish a try, and let me know what you think.

Don't forget to check out the Almond Ricotta recipe here.

Tag me on Instagram @healthyeating_jo or Facebook Healthy Eating Jo, if you make this. I'd love to share it.

Jo xx

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Vegan Smoky Eggplant Shakshuka with Almond Ricotta Parcels

(Serves 4)

3 cups diced eggplant (1 medium)

1 red onion cut into wedges

1 red capsicum sliced

1 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes

2 tsp crushed garlic

1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika (or plain paprika for less smoky)

1/2 Tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)

1 tsp granulated sweetener

Place diced eggplant in a sieve and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Let sit for 10mins. Pat dry

Heat a non stick frypan over medium heat and add 1tsp oil or a splash of water. Sauté the onion, capsicum and garlic for 1 min stirring.

Add the prepared eggplant and cook for 3 mins.

Add the tinned tomatoes and spices and cook over medium low stirring occasionally while you prepare the parcels.

Zucchini Ricotta Parcels

(Makes 8 parcels)

250g vegan ricotta (I used homemade Almond Ricotta)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp kala namak salt (or pink Himalayan salt)

1 tsp each onion and garlic powder (optional)

Black pepper to taste

2 large zucchinis cut into thin ribbons

Stir ricotta, nutritional yeast and salt in a bowl until mixed

Lay 2 zucchini strips on a board and lay another two in the opposite direction to form a cross

Place 2 Tbsp ricotta mix in the middle of the cross and fold zucchini edges over to enclose

Repeat for remaining filling

Assembly

Add cooked shakshuka mix to a baking dish, and place zucchini parcels seam side down into the mix

Spray with oil, and season

Bake for 20mins at 180C/350F fan forced

Serve 2 parcels per person, topped with Shakshuka sauce and fresh basil leaves.

Sprinkle with vegan parmesan extra nutritional yeast if desired.