Shakshuka with Baby Potatoes & Cannellini Beans
Baby potatoes and cannellini beans in a shakshuka. The potatoes get boiled just until they resist a fork, then sautéed with bell pepper, onion, and a spice layer of paprika, cumin, and chili.
The beans and diced tomatoes build the sauce. Two eggs poach directly in it — covered for seven minutes until the whites set. Cottage cheese goes on cold at the end. 32 grams of protein from three different sources and 11 grams of fiber, all in 20 minutes.
Baby potatoes and cannellini beans in a shakshuka. The potatoes get boiled just until they resist a fork, then sautéed with bell pepper, onion, and a spice layer of paprika, cumin, and chili.
The beans and diced tomatoes build the sauce. Two eggs poach directly in it — covered for seven minutes until the whites set. Cottage cheese goes on cold at the end. 32 grams of protein from three different sources and 11 grams of fiber, all in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- baby potatoes 0.5 pound
- bell pepper 1
- onion 0.5
- garlic clove 1 clove
- cannellini beans 0.5 cup
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- paprika (ground spice) 1 teaspoon
- ground cumin 0.5 teaspoon
- chili powder 1 pinch
- diced tomatoes 6 ounces
- eggs 2
- cottage cheese, 4% milkfat 4 tablespoons
Method
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Wash the baby potatoes and halve them. Boil them in a pot of water until they are al dente, about 6 minutes.
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In the meantime, slice the bell pepper into strips, the onion into half rings and mince the garlic.
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Rinse the beans with cold water and let them drain in a colander.
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Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the bell pepper strips and the onion. Sauté for 4 minutes. Drain the baby potatoes and add them to the pan along with the garlic and spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the beans and the diced tomatoes, stir everything together and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
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Using a spoon, make two wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each well. Cover the pan with a lid and let the shakshuka simmer on low heat for about 7 minutes until the egg whites have set. Distribute the cottage cheese over the top and season with salt and pepper.
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Serve the shakshuka in the pan with a plate on the side or transfer everything to a deep dish.
Boil the potatoes to just al dente before adding them to the pan. They cook for another 12 minutes in the sauce — 2 with garlic and spices, 3 simmering, 7 covered with eggs — so a fully cooked potato turns to mush. Pull them when they still resist a knife slightly.
Behind this recipe
Can I swap the cannellini beans for a different bean?
Yes — chickpeas, butter beans, or kidney beans all work. Drain and rinse them well so they don't muddy the sauce. If using dried beans, cook them first; this recipe's 3-minute simmer is only enough to warm canned beans through.
Can I use feta instead of cottage cheese?
Absolutely. Crumble about 30 grams of feta over the top right before serving. Feta adds a sharper, saltier flavor compared to cottage cheese's mild tang. Both deliver protein, but feta is higher in sodium — skip the extra salt if you swap.
Is 32 grams of protein enough for one meal?
For most people, yes. A systematic review of 49 studies found that your body uses well beyond 20 grams in a single sitting, and up to 100 grams still contributes to muscle protein synthesis over a full day. This meal's 32 grams, from three different sources (eggs, cannellini beans, cottage cheese), lands comfortably in the effective range.
Read the full evidence review
