15-Minute Vegan Shakshuka with Butter Beans and Avocado

Creamy butter beans, chunky tomato sauce, smoky spices and ripe avocado come together in this straightforward, high-protein vegan shakshuka. It is hearty, colorful and satisfying—and it goes from pantry to table in about 15 minutes.

A Monday-Friendly Meatless Monday Meal

As you can imagine (given the topic of my website), I’m all Meatless Mondays. But I have one caveat:

TheMondayhalf should be given equal consideration with theMeatlesshalf.

Mondays can be stressful. No one needs the day capped off with complicated ingredients, hours of shopping and chopping, or extensive instructions concerning precisely how, when and where dinner should be served.

What Mondaysdoneed are change-into-comfy-pants, put-on-a-go-to-playlist, no-fuss, sure-thing meatless recipes.

Enter this vegan shakshuka with butter beans and avocado. It is so straightforward and impressive, it is reliable for Meatless Monday through Friday (Saturday and Sunday, too )

This isn’t merely feel-good food. It’sfeel-memorable food—the kind that looks impressive and tastes substantial with very few ingredients.

What Is Shakshuka?

Shakshuka (or shakshouka) is a tomato-based skillet dish with North African roots that is now enjoyed throughout the Middle East and well beyond. Traditional versions feature eggs gently poached in a chunky, warmly spiced tomato and pepper sauce, usually finished with a generous scattering of fresh herbs.

It is a gorgeous, practical dish: one skillet, plain ingredients and plenty of sauce for soaking up with bread.

For this plant-based shakshuka, I replace the eggs with creamy butter beans and ripe avocado. The beans add protein, fiber and satisfying substance, while the avocado brings a silky, rich contrast to the smoky tomato sauce.

The result looks and tastes a little like my home state of California in a skillet: sunny, colorful, abundant and very fond of avocado.

Why You’ll Love This 15-Minute Vegan Meal

• Ready in 15 minutes
• Made in one skillet
• Vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
• Protein-rich and fiber-rich (15 grams protein, 19 grams fiber per serving)
• Naturally gluten-free and grain-free
• Oil-free when made with an oil-free marinara
• Made without tofu, vegan eggs, nutritional yeast
• Built primarily from pantry ingredients
• Substantial enough for dinner, even on a Monday

Ingredients You Will Need for Plant-Based Shakshuka

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• Butter beans.Butter beans—sometimes labeled large lima beans—are creamy and mild, with a tender but substantial bite. Their soft texture works especially well with the chunky tomato sauce. Canned beans make this recipe wonderfully fast; simply drain and rinse them before using.
• Chunky marinara sauce.A good jarred marinara is the shortcut that makes this a true weeknight recipe. No chopped tomato, garlic, white onion, bell pepper, and no separate can of tomato paste needed. I like one containing red peppers and onions for extra flavor and texture. Choose an oil-free sauce if you want the finished dish to be oil-free.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes.Fire-roasted tomatoes deepen the sauce without requiring a long simmer. Add the tomatoes and their juices; the liquid helps create the proper spoonable consistency.
• Ground cumin and smoked paprika.Cumin adds earthy warmth, while smoked paprika amplifies the fire-roasted tomatoes. Together they make a short simmer taste as though considerably more planning occurred.
• Avocados.Use ripe but still slightly firm avocados. They should fan easily without collapsing and need only a few minutes in the sauce to warm through.
• Flat-leaf parsley.Parsley adds freshness and color. Tear or roughly chop the leaves and scatter or sprinkle them casually over the skillet. This is dinner, not a botanical diagram.

How to Make Vegan Shakshuka

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Combine the sauce ingredients.In a 9-inch (22.5 cm) or 10-inch (25 cm) skillet, stir together the chunky marinara sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes with their juices, ground cumin, smoked paprika and drained cooked butter beans.
2. Simmer.Cook over medium heat to medium-high heat on the stove, stirring occasionally, until the sauce just begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Prepare the avocados.While the sauce simmers, halve and pit 2 medium avocados. Peel each half, cut it into thin slices and gently fan the slices.
4. Add the avocado.Arrange the four avocado portions over the sauce in the pan. Continue simmering for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the avocado is warmed through.
5. Finish and serve.Scatter about 1 cup of loosely packed, torn flat-leaf parsley over the skillet. Serve immediately with crusty bread for scooping.

Tips for the Reliable Vegan Shakshuka

• Drain the beans, but not the tomatoes.The tomato juices belong in the sauce.
• Use a thick marinara.If your sauce is particularly thin, let it simmer for a few extra minutes before adding the avocado.
• Choose avocados that are just ripe.Very soft avocado can lose its shape in the warm sauce.
• Warm rather than boil the avocado.Once it is added, keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.
• Keep the garnish relaxed.Torn herbs scattered unevenly look fresher and more natural than perfectly arranged leaves.
• Serve it promptly.The color and texture of the avocado are reliable immediately after cooking.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Butter beans:Substitute an equal amount of cannellini beans, Great Northern beans or chickpeas. You can also use 3 cups of drained home-cooked butter beans.
• Fire-roasted tomatoes:Regular canned diced tomatoes work well, although the flavor will be slightly less smoky.
• Smoked paprika:Use regular paprika for a milder flavor. Chipotle powder or a bit of harissa paste can also work, but begin with smaller amounts because both are significantly hotter. You can also use a pinch of cayenne pepper
• Ground cumin:Mild chili powder can be used in its place. Curry powder or turmeric will take the dish in a different—but still satisfying—direction.
• Flat-leaf parsley:Substitute cilantro (fresh coriander), mint or a combination of fresh herbs.
• Marinara:Use another thick tomato-based pasta sauce, preferably one that is not overly sweet.

What to Serve with Vegan Shakshuka

Crusty bread is the obvious answer because leaving good tomato sauce behind is a preventable tragedy. I love it with my1-Ingredient Buckwheat Bread,2 Ingredient Flax Bread, orEspecially Straightforward Quinoa Flax Breads.

You can also serve this straightforward dish with warm pita, gluten-free bread or a plain green salad. For an especially hearty meal, spoon it over creamy polenta or serve it alongside roasted potatoes. This satisfying recipe can be served as brunch recipe, or a satisfying breakfast, as well as for dinner.

Storage and Reheating

This shakshuka is reliable served immediately because avocado is at its most attractive and satisfying when freshly sliced.

Store leftovers (cooled) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. If possible, store leftover sauce separately and add fresh avocado when serving. Reheat the tomato-and-bean mixture gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.

If you need to store cut avocado, brushing the exposed surface with a little lemon juice can help slow browning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Traditional shakshuka usually contains eggs. This version is completely plant-based, using butter beans for heartiness and avocado for richness.

Yes. Canned butter beans are ideal for this quick recipe. Drain and rinse them before measuring. You will need 3 cups in total.

Smoked paprika is primarily smoky rather than hot, although varieties differ. Smoked paprika labeleddolce(sweet) is typically mild. Check the label if you are sensitive to heat.

Yes. Prepare the tomato-and-butter-bean mixture in advance, then reheat it gently and add the avocado and parsley immediately before serving.

Comfy pants or shorts are not technically required while making this dinner, but they are strongly encouraged. Happy cooking!