Wake Up by the Collar: Melting Swiss Chard & Preserved Lemon Shakshuka
I believe breakfast should wake you up by the collar. This Melting Swiss Chard and Preserved Lemon Shakshuka is not a gentle morning dish—it is a loud, bracing, and intensely savory celebration of the Mediterranean. Growing up in Tel Aviv, mornings were always vibrant and loud, but it was during my freezing, gray winters cooking in London that I started craving something fiercely green and comforting to kickstart the day. The inspiration hit when I had a massive surplus of winter greens and half a jar of preserved lemons begging to be used. I realized that by slow-cooking a mountain of leeks and chard until completely silken, you create the ultimate savory foundation. But here is the magic trick that makes this recipe so incredibly special to me: we swirl raw tahini directly into the pan juices, creating a rich, dairy-free velvet bath to poach our eggs in right on the stove. The texture contrast is everything here. You must finish the plate with a heavy shower of fresh mint and dill—because more herbs is always the answer—and sizzling Urfa chili pine nuts. Feel free to swap the chard for spinach or kale, just promise me you will never skip the tahini.
Featured Recipe
Melting Swiss Chard & Preserved Lemon Shakshuka with Sizzling Urfa Pine Nuts
I believe breakfast should wake you up by the collar. This is not a gentle morning dish—it’s a loud, bracing, and intensely savory celebration of the Mediterranean. We're turning a mountain of Swiss chard and leeks into a silken, spiced stew, using raw tahini to create a rich, dairy-free cream sauce right in the pan, then poaching eggs directly in that velvet bath. Finished with a heavy shower of herbs and sizzling chili pine nuts, it's everything I crave when the sun comes up.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches Swiss chard(Leaves roughly torn, stems finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil(Divided)
- 2 medium leeks(White and pale green parts only, thinly sliced)
- 1 medium jalapeño(Finely chopped, seeds included if you like heat)
- 4 cloves garlic(Thinly sliced)
- 1 tbsp preserved lemon rind(Flesh removed, rind finely chopped)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 (15oz) can chickpeas(Rinsed and drained)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup raw tahini(Well stirred, divided)
- 4 to 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 tsp Urfa biber or Aleppo pepper flakes(Use standard red pepper flakes in a pinch, but use half the amount)
- 1 cup mixed fresh soft herbs(Equal parts dill, cilantro, and mint leaves, roughly chopped)
- to taste Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Prep your greens. Separate the leaves and stems of 2 large bunches Swiss chard. Finely dice the stems—these will provide a beautiful, celery-like crunch and earthy base. Roughly tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice 2 medium leeks, and finely chop 1 medium jalapeño and 4 cloves garlic.
10 min
Tip: Do not throw away those chard stems! We treat them like onions here, letting them sweat down and build our flavor foundation.
- 2
In a large, deep skillet or braiser, heat 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, the chopped chard stems, and the jalapeño. Season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are translucent and the chard stems have deeply softened, about 8 minutes.
8 min
Tip: You want the aromatics sweet and soft, not browned. Turn down the heat if they start to catch.
- 3
Clear a small space in the center of the pan. Drop in the sliced garlic, 1 tbsp preserved lemon rind, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp ground coriander. Let the spices and garlic hit the direct heat and bloom for 1 minute until highly fragrant, then toss everything in the skillet together.
2 min
Tip: Blooming spices in oil wakes up their fat-soluble flavor compounds. It makes a massive difference in the final dish.
- 4
Begin adding the torn chard leaves in large handfuls, folding them into the hot aromatics so they wilt. Once all the greens have collapsed into a silky pile, stir in 1 (15oz) can chickpeas and pour in 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, allowing the liquid to reduce slightly into a glossy base.
7 min
Tip: It will look like an impossible amount of greens at first. Trust the process; they will melt down beautifully.
- 5
While the greens simmer, grab a small skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup pine nuts. Toast gently, swirling the pan often, until the nuts turn a deep, golden brown. Pull from the heat immediately—they burn fast!—and stir in 1 tsp Urfa biber or Aleppo pepper flakes. Set aside to infuse.
4 min
Tip: Keep a close eye on the pine nuts; they go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
- 6
This is where the magic happens. Drizzle half of your 1/3 cup raw tahini directly into the simmering greens and broth, stirring vigorously. The tahini will emulsify with the liquid, creating a thick, rich, dairy-free cream sauce. Use the back of a spoon to create small wells in the mixture. Crack the 4 to 6 large eggs into the wells. Season each yolk with a tiny pinch of salt. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and poach for 4 to 6 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks remain jammy.
6 min
Tip: Check the eggs at 4 minutes! Carryover cooking will continue to firm them up once off the heat.
- 7
Remove the skillet from the heat. Drizzle the remaining tahini beautifully over the greens. Spoon that incredible, crimson-stained sizzling pine nut oil generously over the eggs and the stew. Finish by absolutely burying the pan under 1 cup mixed fresh soft herbs.
2 min
Tip: A mountain of herbs is non-negotiable here. The freshness cuts through the rich, earthy tahini perfectly.
Chef's Notes
Tahini acts as our heavy cream in this dish. Make sure you are using a high-quality, runny tahini from a Middle Eastern grocer—it should pour easily, like thick honey. If your tahini is very thick or stiff, whisk it with a splash of ice water before adding it to the pan so it emulsifies smoothly into the broth. Serve this with the thickest, fluffiest pita you can find to mop up that glorious green sauce.
Yael Mizrahi
Bold flavors, beautiful plates
Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.