Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini
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This Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini is inspired by my traditional Lebanese stuffed zucchini recipe, however this is a plant based version. It is made with short grain rice, parsley, tomatoes and onions, stuffed in hollowed out Lebanese zucchini. These Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini are meat free, low carb, healthy and delicious!
If you are a fan of vegetarian stuffed grape leaves and vegetarian stuffed Swiss chard, then you will love this vegetarian Lebanese stuffed zucchini.
What is Lebanese Zucchini?
Lebanese Zucchini or squash, also known as Kousa (koosa) in Arabic is a light green, small and wide zucchini. 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.
What you Need to Make Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini:
- Lebanese zucchini
- Short grain rice
- Lemon juice
- Tomatoes
- Parsley
- Fresh mint
- Onion
- Salt
- Olive oil
Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini Vegetarian Style:
Stuffed zucchini can be time consuming, but are really easy to make! After coring the zucchini, chop all the veggies and mix up a tasty tangy filling, stuff it into the hollowed out zucchini and cook them until tender. The stuffing mixture will be overly salty and sour (if you decide to taste), however after stuffing and cooking the final product should come out just right. To hollow out the zucchini, you will need a special corer (this is what I use). However, I have found some success using an apple corer or an electric veggie corer.
Lebanese Vegan Stuffed Zucchini for Meal Prep:
These stuffed zucchini are perfect for meal prep! Leftovers keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge. In fact, they taste even better the second and third day. Store in an airtight container and bring to room temperature or warm it in the microwave before eating. These vegetarian stuffed zucchini are also great because you can stuff the zucchini ahead of time and cook them before you’re ready to eat. They will keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge pre cooking.
More Vegetarian Lebanese Recipes:
Lebanese Lemon Garlic Chickpeas- Msabaha
Chickpea Fatteh- Fattet Hummus
Vegetarian Eggplant Chickpea Fatteh
If you’ve tried this healthy Vegetarian 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.
How to Make Vegan Stuffed Zucchini- Lebanese kousa:
Vegetarian Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini
Vegetarian Stuffed Lebanese Zucchini recipe features a tangy mixture of herbs and veggies stuffed in hollowed out zucchini. Perfect for meal prep, a meatless dinner or lunch!
Ingredients
- 12 Lebanese zucchini
- 1/4 cup short grain rice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 ripe tomatoes- finely diced
- 1 bunch parsley leaves- about 2 cups finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (if available) or dried.
- 1 medium onion- diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
MAKE THE STUFFING:
In large mixing bowl, combine chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, rice, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well and place in the fridge while you prepare the zucchini.
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.
Stuff the Zucchini:
- Using your hands stuff the zucchini with the prepared mixture, leaving half of an inch free at the top to allow the filling to expand.
- Repeat the stuffing for the rest of the hollowed zucchini.
Cook the stuffed zucchini:
- Arrange the stuffed zucchini 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 60 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.
- Serve hot or at room temperature and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 4g
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.