Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini- Kousa Mahshi

Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini also known as Kousa Mahshi is a one of my favorite Lebanese comfort foods. In this dish, zucchini is cored and stuffed with a perfect spiced ground beef and rice mixture, then simmered with a rich tomato sauce which gives it tons of flavor. 

Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini- Kousa

Lebanese Stuffed zucchini is a classic dish that never goes out of style. Stuffed zucchini recipes are a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. Here are a few other popular Lebanese zucchini recipes on the blog: Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini and Kousa bil Laban- Stuffed Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce. After hallowing the zucchini, save the flesh and make Lebanese Fritters. And if you have any zucchini left, Make this Lebanese Zucchini Stew- Mnazaleh.

What is Lebanese Zucchini? 

Lebanese Zucchini or Lebanese squash, also known as Kousa, koosa, cousa, kusa in Arabic is a light green, small and wide Middle Eastern squash. You often find it at farmers’ markets in summer time, or at Middle Eastern grocery stores all year round. I love adding Kousa to my soups and stir fry dishes. 

If you can’t find kousa, you can use summer zucchinis. You might need to cut summer zucchini in half before stuffing, to make coring easier; as summer zucchini tends to be longer in shape than Arab kousa.

What you Need to Make Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini- Kousa Mahshi Recipe:  

(Full recipe with exact measurements at end of this post)

Lebanese zucchinis- Kousa

Tomato paste/tomato sauce

Fresh tomatoes

Medium grain rice

Lean ground beef 

Middle Eastern Spices

Salt

Butter

How to Make Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini- Kousa Mahshi: 

Core the zucchini:

Wash and dry the zucchinis, cut off the stalks and slice off the dried tips at the opposite end without removing too much skin.

Carefully hollow out the zucchini. Start from the stalk end by inserting your corer about 3/4 of the way into the zucchini, making sure not to poke the bottoms or the tender skin of the zucchinis as you hollow. Twist the corer and pull out the zucchini flesh. Do this a few times, until you have a generous cavity. Some have found success using an apple corer to hollow out their zucchinis, I personally prefer the old fashioned way using a regular corer. You can also use an electric veggie corer drill. 

Make the Stuffing:

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the stuffing ingredients of rice, ground beef, butter, fresh blended tomatoes, spices and salt until fully combined (I do this by hand).

Stuff the zucchini:

Using your hands stuff the zucchini with the beef mixture, leaving half of an inch free at the top to allow the filling to expand. Repeat for the rest of the hollowed zucchinis. 

Cook the Zucchini:

Arrange the stuffed zucchinis in a large pot, add water, just enough to slightly cover the zucchinis. Cover the pot, place on medium-high heat, and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium- low, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.

To serve Kousa Mahshi:

Transfer zucchinis to a serving platter and top with tomato sauce. Enjoy with pita bread and a side salad. 

Variations to Making Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini- Lebanese Stuffed Squash:

There are several variations of Kousa Mahshi, depending on your region in the Middle-East the recipe ingredient varies, but the concept is the same.

• In tomato base – like the one in this recipe stuffed with ground beef and rice mixture.
• In yoghurt – traditionally made with beef or lamb mince. This variety is called Kousa Bil Laban. Here is the recipe for Kousa bil Laban- Stuffed Zucchini with Yogurt Sauce.
• Vegetarian: Stuffed with a tangy  Tabouli and rice mixture, here is the recipe: Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini.

Tips for Making Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini:

• Allow the zucchinis to come to room temperature before coring, this will make the zucchinis less fragile and less prone to damage while coring. 
• Reserve the zucchini flesh for other recipes, such as omelets or frittatas. 
• If Lebanese zucchini is not available near you, you can use dark green zucchinis. You will have to cut each zucchini in half and hollow each side out.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

What is Kousa Mahshi- Stuffed Kousa?

Mahshi translates to stuffed and Kousa is the zucchini, so it literally translates to stuffed zucchini in Arabic. Kousa is also known as Lebanese zucchini- light green in color and small and wide in shape. You often find it at farmer’s market in summer time, or at Middle Eastern grocery stores. I love adding Kousa to my soups , stews and stir fries. 

Can you make Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini? 

Yes! The Vegetarian stuffed Kousa is made with short grain rice, parsley, tomatoes and onions. Here is the full recipe: Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini.

Can kousa be frozen?

Kousa mahshi is one of those dishes that tastes even better the second day, so don’t be afraid to make a large batch and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. You could even freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini:

In my house, we always serve it with pita bread, but I know many also enjoy it with some plain yogurt on the side. 

More Lebanese Stuffed Recipes? 

Lebanese Stuffed Swiss Chard Rolls

Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves

Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves

By the way, did you know that zucchini are called courgette in many countries?

What do you call squash?

Either way, I call them delicious!

If you’ve tried this healthy Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini recipe or any other recipe on The Salt and Sweet Kitchen, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram or Facebook. 

The Best Stuffed Kousa Recipe

Continue to Content

Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Kousa Mahchi- Beef stuffed squash in a tomato sauce broth.

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Ingredients

Non-Stuffing Ingredients

• 15 small Lebanese zucchini, washed and drained
• 8 oz tomato sauce can or 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
•  4 cups water

Stuffing Ingredinets

• 1 cup medium grain rice, washed and drained 
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef 
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, softened

Instructions

To get the zucchini's ready: 

1. Wash and dry the zucchinis, cut off the stalks and slice off the dried tips at the opposite end without removing too much flesh.
2. Carefully hollow out the zucchini. Start from the stalk end by inserting your corer about 3/4 of the way into the zucchini, making sure not to poke the bottoms or the tender skin of the zucchinis. Twist the corer and pull out the zucchini flesh. Do this a few times, until you have a generous cavity.
3. Set cored zucchini aside.

To make the stuffing:

1. In your food processor, add the cut pieces of tomatoes and pulse a few times until well blended.
2. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the stuffing ingredients of rice, ground beef, butter, fresh blended tomatoes, spices and salt until fully combined (I do this by hand).
   

To stuff the zucchini:

1. Using your hands stuff the zucchini with the beef mixture, leaving half of an inch free at the top to allow the filling to expand.
2. Repeat for the rest of the hollowed zucchini. 

To cook the stuffed zucchini:

1. Arrange the stuffed zucchinis in a large pot, add water, just enough to slightly cover the zucchinis.
2. Cover the pot, place on medium-high heat, and bring water to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium- low, add tomato sauce or tomato paste, or both ( depending on how thick you like you sauce to be).
4. Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.
5. Taste the sauce and adjust salt if you'd like.
6. Transfer to a serving plate, serve and enjoy!

Notes

If you have stuffing mixture left over, you can store in the freezer for future use. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 1057mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 7gSugar: 11gProtein: 18g

Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.

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