This is the second in a series of vegetarian Bulgarian recipes from Krista Gelev that we’re featuring. Look out for new recipes every month!

A dish of tomatoes, peppers, & poached eggs

Gyuveché comes in many versions from around the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa. Americans may have encountered it as shakshouka, in its Tunisian and Israeli variations. It presumably came to Bulgarian cuisine by way of Ottoman occupation. It can be served any time of day, and is a hearty and filling vegetarian dish. The Bulgarian version notably contains feta cheese.

Ingredients:

• 5 soft tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 1 yellow or red pepper (preserved red roasted peppers may be substituted)
• ½ lb of Bulgarian or Greek feta
• ½ cup olives
• 5 eggs
• 3 tbsp butter or olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a baking dish with the butter or olive oil. Slice the tomatoes, and add them to the dish.
• Roast the peppers on the stovetop over an open flame. Remove when charred, and peel when cool. Red roasted peppers can be substituted if fresh ones are not available.
• Chop the peppers and add to the dish. Crumble chunks of feta cheese into the mixture.
• Add the olives. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
• After 35 minutes, add the eggs on top and bake until the yolks are soft, but not runny.
• Add fresh parsley or mint as a garnish.

-Krista Gelev, class of 2018