I Use This Jarred Tomato Sauce Multiple Times a Week — I Even Use It as a Dip

For me, cooking dinner rarely means doing everything from scratch. And thank goodness for that! Between cleaning, organizing and decluttering, laundry, and the million other things I do to maintain my household, I simply don’t always have time to bake my own bread or roast a tray full of veggies on the daily. So when I discover a grocery shortcut that puts dinner on my table quickly and tastes delicious, I’m all in.

My latest find is Shakshuka Sauce from Mina. I’ve been a lifelong fan of shakshuka. And I’ve used Sheela Prakash’s recipe many times to great success. Made with eggs poached in a saucy mix of tomatoes, peppers, aromatics, herbs, and Moroccan spices, it’s comforting and hearty, inexpensive, and the perfect accompaniment to a heel of crusty bread. (Bread which you may or may not have picked up from the grocery store — whatever works.)

On weeknights when I want to spend more time binge-watching old Game of Thrones episodes and less time standing over the stove, Mina’s jarred sauce is a total dream. The sauce comes in 16- and 21-ounce jars ($7 and $9, respectively), and is vegan, kosher, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and Non-GMO Project Verified. It’s also intensely flavorful, with a top-secret blend of spices. It tastes slow-cooked because it is — but only takes minutes to prepare. Seriously, it’s this easy: Just open the jar, pour the sauce into a skillet, and create little pockets with a spoon. Crack in a few eggs, cover, and simmer until the yolks are just barely set.

If you’re planning on using this as a sauce or poaching liquid, I’ve discovered that it works best when I go low and slow with the heat. A moderately low flame allows the sauce to heat through evenly, without spitting all over the stovetop. Shakshuka sauce is also a great sub for marinara, with a gentle, intriguing heat; I think it’s best with a hearty whole-wheat noodle. I’ve definitely dipped tortilla chips into it too (10/10, would recommend).

Here’s another hot tip: Mina has a wide variety of Moroccan pantry items, including the best harissa I’ve ever tasted, and preserved lemons that have been finding their way into my vinaigrettes and sauces lately. I appreciate that the family-run company takes the slow road to building flavors in all of their products … so I don’t have to. The next item on my to-try list is their black olive spread. I’m already dreaming about fancy toast and roasted salmon.

Buy: Mina Shakshuka Moroccan Tomato Sauce, $6.79 for 16 ounces at Thrive Market

What grocery shortcut have you been buying lately? Tell us in the comments below.