Samuel Goldsmith knows we probably all have a bag of frozen peas lurking somewhere in the depths of our freezers. And he wants to help us put them to good use. The Frozen Peas Cookbook is a compendium of 100 easy recipes in which the little green spheres take centre stage, or do a lot of heavy lifting for other ingredients. And it’s surprising how many ways you can cook a pea; they appear in all manner of dishes, from a pistachio and matcha cake to ravioli with sage brown butter and this verdant shakshuka.
“This is very different in flavour to the shakshuka you’ll likely be used to, which is made with tomatoes,” writes the UK cookbook author and food writer. “What I love about this version is that you can switch up the greens depending on what’s in season – I always include the frozen peas because they’re great all year round.”
Like all the recipes in The Frozen Peas Cookbook, this shakshuka is simple, doesn’t leave much washing up and won’t take ages in the kitchen. Plus, it’s gluten- and dairy-free. You might call it a master-peas.
Samuel Goldsmith’s green shakshuka
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, halved lengthways and sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin, plus an extra pinch to serve
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional), plus an extra pinch to serve
150g kale, cavolo nero, spring greens or chard, finely sliced
225g frozen peas
4 eggs
75g Greek yoghurt or plant-based alternative yoghurt
Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid over a medium-low heat. Add the leek and red onion and fry, with the lid on but stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes or until softened but not golden. Remove the lid and stir in the garlic, then cook for 1 minute before sprinkling in the ground coriander, cumin and chilli flakes, if using. Cook for 1 minute, making sure that the spices don’t burn. Stir in the kale (or other greens) and frozen peas along with 75ml water. Put the lid back on the pan and simmer for 3–4 minutes or until the kale has wilted and peas have warmed through.
Make 4 wells in the greens. Crack an egg into each one. (You can crack the egg into a cup or glass first, if that’s easier for you.) Put the lid on the pan and cook for 3–5 minutes or until the egg white is cooked and the yolk is a little runny. (You can cook for longer if you want a completely set egg yolk.)
Dollop over the yogurt and add a pinch each of ground cumin and chilli flakes, if you like.
This is a lightly edited extract from The Frozen Peas Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, released on March 18, 2025 by Murdoch Books. RRP$39.99.
