Spicy Eggs in Purgatory Might Be The Best One-Pot Meal Ever

Eggs poached in a fragrant tomato sauce makes for a wonderful (and super simple) meal at any time of day. The addition of savory, briny feta cheese amps up the flavor—but omit this ingredient if you’re trying to keep things strictly Paleo. 

Eggs in Purgatory Recipe

Yield: 5 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 onion, sliced thin, lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro stems
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
5 eggs
1/2 cup cup chopped feta (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add oil to a cast-iron skillet and begin to caramelize onions on medium-high heat. After 3 minutes, turn heat down to medium-low and add in cumin and coriander seeds to toast, 1 minute. When onions turn golden in color, stir in tomato paste, ground cumin, cilantro stems, and honey. Stir in balsamic vinegar. Add sliced red bell pepper and sauté 2 minutes. Finally, add in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Let simmer on low, 8 minutes.

Remove bay and thyme leaves, and place the cherry tomatoes into the sauce. Make 5 indentations in sauce and gently crack eggs into skillet. Crumble feta over entire mixture, if using, and place skillet in oven to bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. The whites should no longer be clear, but the yolks still runny.

Remove from oven and top with chopped parsley and cilantro. Serve warm.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont