Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed Zucchini is a quintessential summer dish, especially popular in Eastern European kitchens where it's cherished as a way to celebrate the season's harvest. It's the kind of comforting, home-cooked meal that brings the family together around the table. This recipe transforms simple zucchini into flavorful vessels filled with a savory mix of ground meat, rice, and aromatic vegetables, all gently simmered in a light tomato sauce. It's not just delicious but also incredibly versatile—easily adaptable for a vegetarian meal. Get ready to enjoy a taste of a true European summer!

Stuffed zucchini

Cooking: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Quantity: 5 Servings

Per serving

Calories: 493 kcal

Proteins: 22 g

Fats: 20 g

Carbohydrates: 55 g

Ingredients for Stuffed Zucchini:

• 2 large zucchini or summer squash
• 1 cup rice
• 300 g (about 2/3 lb) ground meat
• 1-2 carrots
• 1-2 onions
• Several ripe tomatoes (can be replaced with 1 cup of tomato juice or 50 g of tomato paste + 1/2 cup of water)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley and dill
• Sunflower or vegetable oil

How to Make Stuffed Zucchini

First, let’s prepare the filling, similar to what you would use for golubtsy (stuffed cabbage rolls) or stuffed peppers. Cook the rice until almost done. For 1 part rice, use 2 parts or slightly more water. Pour the water over the rice, place it on medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring. Then, reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with the lid slightly ajar to prevent it from boiling over. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit under the lid for another 7-10 minutes. Even if the rice is slightly undercooked, it will finish cooking inside the zucchini. For now, transfer it to a wide bowl to cool.

Peel and wash the onion and carrots. Finely chop the onion and sauté it for 2-3 minutes over medium heat in a pan with vegetable oil. When it starts to soften, add the coarsely grated carrots.

Peel and chop the carrots and onions

Cooking the zazharka

Boiling the rice

Using a teaspoon, carefully scoop out the center with the seeds to create a “cup” with a bottom. Don’t make a hole all the way through, so the filling doesn’t fall out. If the seeds are small, don’t throw away the pulp – it will be great for a delicious sauce. Finely chop the scooped-out zucchini pulp and add it to the onions and carrots. By the way, you can mix this onion-carrot-zucchini sauce with the rice to make a vegetarian version of the dish – without ground meat.

Preparing the zucchini for stuffing

If you’re cooking with ground meat, add half of the zazharka to the rice, then add the ground meat, pepper, and salt, and mix thoroughly. To the other half of the zazharka, add the chopped zucchini pulp and pureed tomatoes (first grate them on a coarse grater, then pass through a sieve), or tomato paste. Dilute the sauce with a small amount of water to the desired consistency, and don’t forget to salt it. After 2-3 minutes of adding the tomato, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside for now.

Mixing the stuffing for the zucchini

Preparing the sauce

Stuffing the zucchini

Placing the stuffed zucchini in a pot

Cover the pot and simmer the stuffed zucchini over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, until tender (test with the tip of a knife). When the zucchini are almost ready, salt the dish and pour the sauce over the top. It will be even tastier if you sprinkle it with fresh or dried parsley and dill. Purple basil will give the dish a wonderful aroma.

Pouring the sauce over the almost-cooked zucchini

Cook the stuffed zucchini for another couple of minutes after adding the sauce, then turn off the heat.

Stuffed zucchini