Shakshuka is one of those dishes that has traveled far beyond its roots, evolving with every kitchen it enters. Traditionally, shakshuka is a North African and Middle Eastern dish made with eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, often finished with olive oil, herbs, and sometimes feta. It’s typically served in a shallow pan, thick and hearty rather than brothy, with bread on the side to mop up the rich sauce. But like many humble, home-style recipes, shakshuka is not a fixed formula. It’s a concept—eggs gently cooked in a deeply seasoned tomato base—and that flexibility is what makes it so beloved.
In my kitchen, shakshuka took on a different personality. Instead of a thick, scoopable sauce, it became fragrant, rich, and unapologetically soupy. That transformation didn’t happen because I was trying to reinvent a classic. It happened because of how we eat at home.
My husband and I love soups—especially for dinner. There’s something deeply comforting about a steaming bowl placed in front of you at the end of the day. Soups feel nourishing, satisfying, and complete. They don’t require much fuss on the side; everything you need is already in the bowl. So when I started craving shakshuka, I naturally built it the way I build most of our dinners: with more liquid, more depth, and more spoonfuls to savor.
Another reason this recipe evolved the way it did is practicality. Cooking for two can sometimes feel more tiring than cooking for a crowd. There’s less excitement, fewer “oohs” and “aahs,” and yet the same amount of effort if you’re not careful. My husband doesn’t follow keto like I do, so I often find myself straddling two styles of eating. Instead of making separate meals or overly complicated dishes, I lean toward flexible recipes like this one. A soupy shakshuka with ground pork is hearty enough for him and satisfying enough for me. He can pair it with crusty bread or rice if he wants, while I enjoy it as a protein-rich, low-carb bowl of goodness.
One of the defining characteristics of this version is the generous use of fish sauce—patis, as we call it in Filipino cuisine. I jokingly refer to it as “smelly shakshuka” because, let’s be honest, fish sauce has a powerful aroma. If you’re not used to it, the scent can be shocking at first. It’s pungent, sharp, and unmistakable. But what smells bold and briny straight from the bottle transforms completely once it hits a hot pan.
Fish sauce is liquid umami. It’s made through fermentation, typically of anchovies and salt, and that long fermentation process concentrates savory depth in a way that salt alone simply cannot. When added to ground pork and tomato puree, it doesn’t make the dish taste fishy. Instead, it enhances the natural savoriness of the meat and rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes. The result is a fuller, more complex flavor profile—rich, salty, and deeply satisfying.
Across Southeast Asia—Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia—fish sauce is foundational. It’s as essential as salt or olive oil in Mediterranean cooking. Even in many Chinese dishes, variations of fish sauce are used to add that elusive umami backbone. Once you become accustomed to cooking with it, you start to notice when it’s missing. There’s a flatness that only fermentation can fix.
In this shakshuka, fish sauce replaces conventional broth entirely. I used to buy cartons of stock regularly, but over time I realized how unnecessary that expense was. Good broth is essentially water infused with flavor—something you can recreate at home with simple ingredients. Sometimes I’ll prepare homemade broth over the weekend and keep it on hand. But on busy days, I rely on filtered water and fish sauce. That combination, along with the rendered fat from ground pork and the intensity of tomato puree, creates a broth that is anything but bland.
Using ground pork is another departure from more traditional shakshuka recipes, which are often vegetarian or occasionally feature lamb. Pork brings natural fattiness and sweetness. As it browns, it releases flavorful drippings that mingle with garlic, onions, and spices. Combined with tomatoes and fish sauce, the pork creates a base that is both hearty and deeply aromatic.
The “fragrant” part of this Fragrant and Soupy Shakshuka comes not only from fish sauce but also from the layering of aromatics. When garlic hits hot oil, when onions soften and turn translucent, when spices bloom in the pan—it sets the stage for everything that follows. That fragrance fills the kitchen and signals comfort before you even sit down to eat.
Making this dish soupy also changes the eating experience. Traditional shakshuka is often shared straight from the pan, with each person dipping bread into the thick sauce and breaking into softly poached eggs. In this version, the eggs are still the crown jewel, but they float gently in a savory broth. Each spoonful captures a bit of egg yolk, pork, and tomato in one bite. It’s less about scooping and more about savoring.
There’s also something wonderfully rustic about a bowl of fatty, tomato-rich soup with eggs nestled inside. It feels generous and homey. It welcomes improvisation—extra chili flakes for heat, fresh herbs for brightness, even a drizzle of olive oil on top. And because it’s already brothy, it reheats beautifully the next day. The flavors deepen overnight, making leftovers something to look forward to rather than an obligation.
Ultimately, this recipe reflects how food adapts to personal tastes, cultural influences, and simple day-to-day realities. It’s North African in origin, Southeast Asian in flavor influence, and entirely shaped by our household habits. It celebrates strong aromas, bold seasoning, and the kind of nourishing comfort that only a bowl of hot soup can deliver.
So yes, it might be a little “smelly” while it cooks. And yes, it might look more like soup than the shakshuka you’ve seen in cookbooks. But once you lift that spoon and taste the rich tomato broth infused with pork, fish sauce, and runny egg yolk, you’ll understand why this version has earned a permanent place in our dinner rotation.
On with this fatty, fragrant soup.
Fragrant and Soupy Shakshuka Recipe
Ingredients
1 quart water
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 cup passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed)
1 cup ground beef (minced beef)
½ cup Ricotta cheese
½ bunch cilantro (coriander)
4 medium egg
Instructions
- Brown beef in a nonstick skillet with ghee- bask in the glory of melting good ‘ol fat.
- Add garlic powder and fish sauce (prepare for the funky smell).
- Add the tomato puree and let it all blend for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add water and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add chopped bottom part of cilantro (the stems go in first).
- Add 4 eggs, and let them harden in the broth for about 5 minutes.
- Add cilantro leaves and serve.
