Low Carb Shakshuka with Tomatillos

This low carb shakshuka uses tomatillos instead of tomatoes! A Mexican spin on a traditional brunch recipe. 

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Shakshuka is a classic breakfast recipe from Israel and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Traditionally it features a combination of tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and gently poached eggs. I actually tried cooking a Lamb Shakshuka when I was testing out the Keto Meal kits from Green Chef! It was so delicious that when I saw a Green Tomatillo Shakshuka from the blog Love and Olive Oil, I just had to adapt it and make a low carb version!

By using tomatillos, poblano, and cilanto, the dish has a rather Mexican flair. I've even finished the dish with some grated Cotija (pronounced Ko-TEE-hah), which is like a Mexican Parmesan. It's a fantastic recipe that has so much flavor!

Carbs in Tomatillos

But first, let's talk about tomatillos! They're a key ingredient in my low carb chicken salsa verde recipe, but other than that they haven't featured much on this site. Which is strange, as I adore them!

Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes, but are only distantly related to tomatoes. They grow in a papery husk (called a calyx) and are closely related to the Cape Gooseberry, groundcherry, goldenberry, physalis, and more. They have a pleasant citrus flavor, and you can eat them raw! They're great for making salsas, and a great source of vitamin C.

100g of tomatillos contains 3.9g net carbs, which definitely make it a low carb vegetable (well, technically it's a fruit, but that's a whole different story!)

How to Make a Low Carb Shakshuka with Tomatillos

I decided to roast the tomatillos together with a poblano pepper to bring out some wonderful flavors. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, and quarter them. Core and seed the poblano, then divide into two or three pieces. Place everything on a baking sheet and roast for 13-15 minutes or until the veggies are soft and starting to turn brown at the edges.

Let them cool slightly, then transfer to a blender (it's Ninja time!), together with cilantro leaves, parsley leaves, garlic and ground cumin.

Blend until smooth (although you will still see some of the tomatillo seeds), then pour into a cast iron skillet. Note: You can prepare up to this stage in advance if necessary.

Place the skillet over a medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Test for seasoning and salt and pepper as necessary. Carefully add four eggs spaced out around the pan, ensuring that the yolks do not break.

Cover and continue to cook until the egg whites are cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. 

Serve in the skillet, garnished with black pepper, grated cojita, and cilantro leaves.

This dish comes in at 10g net carbs, but they're good carbs, if you know what I mean! If this is still too much for you, then you could try splitting the recipe three or four ways instead of two, and serving it with some low carb tortilla chips or toasted low carb bread.

📖 Recipe

StepAwayFromTheCarbs.com

Low Carb Shakshuka with Tomatillos

5 from 1 vote

This low carb shakshuka uses tomatillos instead of tomatoes! A Mexican spin on a traditional brunch recipe. 

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 32 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Makes: 2 Servings

Net Carbs: 10

Calories: 245

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 lb fresh tomatillos
• 1 poblano pepper
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• ¼ parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste or minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon grated cotija
• extra cilantro to garnish

Equipment

• Anolon Vesta Cast Iron 10-Inch Skillet, Cobalt Blue
• Ninja Professional 72oz Countertop Blender, Black

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, and quarter them. Core and seed the poblano, then divide into two or three pieces. Place everything on a baking sheet and roast for 13-15 minutes or until the veggies are soft and starting to turn brown at the edges.
2. Let them cool slightly, then transfer to a blender, together with cilantro leaves, parsley leaves, garlic and ground cumin.
3. Blend until smooth (although you will still see some of the tomatillo seeds), then pour into a cast iron skillet. Note: You can prepare up to this stage in advance if necessary.
4. Place the skillet over a medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Test for seasoning and salt and pepper as necessary. Carefully add four eggs spaced out around the pan, ensuring that the yolks do not break.
5. Cover and continue to cook until the egg whites are cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. 
6. Serve in the skillet, garnished with black pepper, grated cojita, and cilantro leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 16gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 373mgSodium: 399mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gNet Carbs: 10g

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Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.