Shakshuka Meal Prep: One Base, Three 15-Minute Weeknight Meals

If you are exhausted by Wednesday, the problem usually is not your recipes. It is that you are trying to cook every single night. The fix we use at Empress Kitchen is simple: assemble, don't cook. You cook once on the weekend, and for the rest of the week you just heat, crack an egg, and pile things into a bowl.

This shakshuka meal prep plan is our favourite version of that idea. One make-ahead shakshuka base plus a jar of quick pickled red onions gives you three completely different 15-minute meals — a sourdough dip, a rice bowl, and a carb-free grill-pressed plate.

Why "Assemble, Don't Cook" Beats Normal Meal Prep

Traditional meal prep means eating the same sad container five days in a row. Component prep is different: instead of prepping meals, you prep building blocks. A rich, spiced tomato base and a sharp acidic garnish are the two things that take time. Eggs, rice, bread and vegetables all take under 10 minutes on the night.

• Weekend work: about 45 minutes, mostly hands-off simmering.
• Weeknight work: 10–15 minutes, no chopping, no recipe reading.
• Boredom factor: zero — the same base becomes three different dinners.

What You'll Make This Weekend

Component	Active time	Keeps for	Yield
Empress Shakshuka Base	15 min prep + 30 min simmer	5 days fridge / 3 months freezer	6 servings
Quick Pickled Red Onions	10 min	2–3 weeks fridge	1 large jar (about 500 ml)

Recipe 1: Make-Ahead Empress Shakshuka Base

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes | Yield: base for 6 servings (about 1.5 L)

Ingredients

• Olive oil 60 ml
• Yellow onion 2 medium (about 400 g), diced
• Red bell pepper 2 (about 300 g), diced
• Garlic 6 cloves (about 20 g), sliced
• Tomato paste 60 g
• Smoked paprika 2 tsp
• Ground cumin 2 tsp
• Chilli flakes 1 tsp (optional)
• Canned crushed tomatoes 2 × 400 g
• Empress Smoky Hibiscus Hot Sauce 45 g (3 tbsp)
• Salt 1.5 tsp
• Black pepper 1 tsp
• Sugar 1 tsp (optional, to balance acidity)
• Water 100 ml, as needed

Added fresh on the night: 2 eggs per serving, plus feta, coriander or parsley to finish.

Instructions

1. Sweat the aromatics. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper for 8–10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
2. Bloom the spices. Stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin and chilli flakes. Fry for 60–90 seconds — the paste should darken and smell toasty. This step is what separates a deep base from a flat one.
3. Simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes, Empress Smoky Hibiscus Hot Sauce, salt, pepper and sugar. Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold a spoon-trail. Loosen with water if it tightens too fast.
4. Cool and store. Cool completely, then divide into portions. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. Do not add eggs yet — eggs are always cooked fresh.

Kitchen Tip: The One Pan You Should Not Use

Do not simmer this base in bare cast iron or unlined aluminium. Tomatoes are acidic, and a long simmer in a reactive pan strips the seasoning and leaves a faint metallic taste in the sauce. Use stainless steel, enamelled cast iron, or a good non-stick pan instead. Save the cast iron for the final egg-and-serve step, where the contact time is short.

Recipe 2: Quick Pickled Red Onions

Prep time: 10 minutes | Ready in: 30 minutes | Yield: about 500 ml

Ingredients

• Red onion 2 (about 300 g), sliced thinly
• Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar 180 ml
• Water 120 ml
• Sugar 30 g
• Salt 12 g
• Optional: 1 tbsp Empress Pineapple Miso Hot Sauce, or a bay leaf and a few peppercorns

Instructions

1. Pack the sliced onion into a clean jar.
2. Warm the vinegar, water, sugar and salt until dissolved — it does not need to boil.
3. Pour over the onions, press them under the liquid, and cool to room temperature.
4. Refrigerate. Edible in 30 minutes, bright pink and perfect after a few hours, and good for 2–3 weeks.

These are the reason the same base does not taste the same twice. Rich food needs acid, and a forkful of sharp pink onion resets your palate with every bite.

One Base, Three 15-Minute Meals

Meal 1: The Sourdough Dip (about 15 minutes)

1. Warm 350 ml of shakshuka base in a small pan until it bubbles gently.
2. Make two wells with a spoon and crack in 2 eggs. Cover and cook 4–6 minutes, until the whites set and the yolks stay runny.
3. Toast thick slices of sourdough while the eggs cook.
4. Finish with crumbled feta, coriander, pickled red onions and an extra swirl of Empress Smoky Hibiscus Hot Sauce. Serves 1–2.

Meal 2: The Shakshuka Rice Bowl (about 10 minutes)

1. Reheat rice — leftover, frozen or microwave rice all work.
2. Spoon over hot shakshuka base and add a fried or jammy egg.
3. Top with pickled onions, herbs and a spoonful of yoghurt if you want it creamy. Serves 1.

Meal 3: The Carb-Free Grill-Pressed Plate (about 15 minutes)

1. Slice courgette, portobello mushrooms or thick cabbage steaks about 1.5 cm thick.
2. Press them on a hot pan under a grill press (the one used in the episode is linked in the video description) for 3–4 minutes per side, until charred and tender.
3. Spoon over the warm base, add an egg, and finish with pickled onions. Serves 1.

Your Weekly Timeline

• Sunday, 45 minutes: simmer the base, pickle the onions, cook a pot of rice.
• Monday: sourdough dip.
• Wednesday: rice bowl.
• Friday: grill-pressed plate, or freeze the remaining base for next week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze the shakshuka base?

Yes. Freeze it in single-meal portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Freeze the base only — never freeze it with cooked eggs, which turn rubbery.

Can I cook the eggs in advance?

No, and this is the whole point of assembling instead of cooking. Eggs take 5 minutes and are the fresh element that makes a reheated meal taste like a new one.

Is this recipe very spicy?

It is warm rather than punishing. Empress Smoky Hibiscus Hot Sauce is a mild-heat sauce, so it adds smoke and tart depth more than raw burn. Add chilli flakes if you want more heat, or leave them out entirely.

How do I make it vegan?

The base is already vegan. Skip the eggs and feta and add chickpeas, white beans or firm tofu during the last five minutes of simmering.

How long do the pickled onions last?

Two to three weeks in the fridge in a sealed jar, as long as the onions stay submerged in the brine.

Watch the Full Episode

See the whole weekend prep, the pan mistake to avoid, and all three meals assembled in real time: