Stuffed Zucchini
Dive into a bowl of sunshine with these delightful stuffed zucchinis! Each tender zucchini boat is generously packed with a savory blend of aromatic herbs, fluffy rice, and seasoned ground beef, all drizzled with a luscious lemon-egg sauce that ties it all together. Perfect for a family dinner or a cozy gathering, these flavorful gems are sure to steal the show!
Prep
30
min
Cook
60
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- Juice of 2 ½ lemons
- 20 fresh mint leaves (dyosmos), finely chopped
- 2 large onions, grated
- ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 pieces each
- 1 liter (4 cups) water (960 ml)
- 9 large round zucchinis
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 500 g (1 lb) ground beef (454 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 2 eggs
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) (22.5 ml)
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil (60 ml)
- 100 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil (120 ml)
- 200 g (1 cup) Carolina rice, well rinsed (240 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
640
Protein
30g
Carbs
62g
Fat
34g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the zucchinis: Cut off the tops and hollow them out gently with a tea spoon, keeping the flesh aside for another recipe.
- 2
Make the filling: In a bowl, mix the ground beef, rice, onions, dill, parsley, mint, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Stuff the zucchinis: Fill each zucchini about ¾ full, leaving space for the rice to expand.
- 4
Cook: Place the zucchinis in a large pot. Add the potatoes, water, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with the lid and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the zucchinis are tender.
- 5
Prepare the avgolemono: In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the lemon juice and cornstarch, then slowly temper with hot broth from the pot while whisking.
- 6
Finish the dish: remove the pot from the heat and immediately pour in the egg-lemon mixture. Swirl the pot gently (do not stir with a spoon) to distribute the sauce evenly without curdling.
- 7
Serve warm, with the silky egg-lemon sauce spooned generously over each zucchini.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Fill zucchinis only 3/4 full because rice expands 3x its dry volume during cooking; overfilling causes the zucchini skin to split and filling to leak into the broth.technique3x expansion ratio
- ✓Temper the egg mixture by whisking in hot broth at a 1:3 ratio (1 part broth to 3 parts egg mixture) gradually over 30-45 seconds, raising the egg temperature to 160°F before adding to the pot, which denatures proteins slowly and prevents curdling.technique1:3 broth-to-egg ratio, 160°F target
- ✓Use 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch per 2 eggs because it inhibits egg protein coagulation by forming a protective colloidal suspension, allowing the sauce to reach a silky consistency rather than scrambled texture.ingredient1.5 Tbsp cornstarch per 2 eggs
- ✓Swirl the pot gently with a tilting motion rather than stirring after adding avgolemono because vigorous stirring creates shear stress that breaks down the emulsion and causes visible curdling; gentle swirling distributes heat evenly without disrupting the sauce structure.techniqueSwirl, do not stir
- ✓Remove the pot from heat before adding the tempered egg-lemon mixture because residual heat at 200°F+ will scramble the eggs in 5-10 seconds; adding off-heat keeps internal temperature at 165-170°F where the cornstarch stabilizes the emulsion.timing165-170°F off-heat temperature
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
60
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Stuffed Zucchini
Dive into a bowl of sunshine with these delightful stuffed zucchinis! Each tender zucchini boat is generously packed with a savory blend of aromatic herbs, fluffy rice, and seasoned ground beef, all drizzled with a luscious lemon-egg sauce that ties it all together. Perfect for a family dinner or a cozy gathering, these flavorful gems are sure to steal the show!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(7)
- Juice of 2 ½ lemons
- 20 fresh mint leaves (dyosmos), finely chopped
- 2 large onions, grated
- ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 pieces each
- 1 liter (4 cups) water (960 ml)
- 9 large round zucchinis
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 500 g (1 lb) ground beef (454 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 2 eggs
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) (22.5 ml)
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil (60 ml)
- 100 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil (120 ml)
- 200 g (1 cup) Carolina rice, well rinsed (240 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
640
Protein
30g
Carbs
62g
Fat
34g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the zucchinis: Cut off the tops and hollow them out gently with a tea spoon, keeping the flesh aside for another recipe.
- 2
Make the filling: In a bowl, mix the ground beef, rice, onions, dill, parsley, mint, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Stuff the zucchinis: Fill each zucchini about ¾ full, leaving space for the rice to expand.
- 4
Cook: Place the zucchinis in a large pot. Add the potatoes, water, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with the lid and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the zucchinis are tender.
- 5
Prepare the avgolemono: In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the lemon juice and cornstarch, then slowly temper with hot broth from the pot while whisking.
- 6
Finish the dish: remove the pot from the heat and immediately pour in the egg-lemon mixture. Swirl the pot gently (do not stir with a spoon) to distribute the sauce evenly without curdling.
- 7
Serve warm, with the silky egg-lemon sauce spooned generously over each zucchini.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Fill zucchinis only 3/4 full because rice expands 3x its dry volume during cooking; overfilling causes the zucchini skin to split and filling to leak into the broth.technique3x expansion ratio
- ✓Temper the egg mixture by whisking in hot broth at a 1:3 ratio (1 part broth to 3 parts egg mixture) gradually over 30-45 seconds, raising the egg temperature to 160°F before adding to the pot, which denatures proteins slowly and prevents curdling.technique1:3 broth-to-egg ratio, 160°F target
- ✓Use 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch per 2 eggs because it inhibits egg protein coagulation by forming a protective colloidal suspension, allowing the sauce to reach a silky consistency rather than scrambled texture.ingredient1.5 Tbsp cornstarch per 2 eggs
- ✓Swirl the pot gently with a tilting motion rather than stirring after adding avgolemono because vigorous stirring creates shear stress that breaks down the emulsion and causes visible curdling; gentle swirling distributes heat evenly without disrupting the sauce structure.techniqueSwirl, do not stir
- ✓Remove the pot from heat before adding the tempered egg-lemon mixture because residual heat at 200°F+ will scramble the eggs in 5-10 seconds; adding off-heat keeps internal temperature at 165-170°F where the cornstarch stabilizes the emulsion.timing165-170°F off-heat temperature