Zucchini – how do we cook them and what is so special about them? Here is what – they are fresh, they are easy to work with and they can be the star of your new dish! It is very easy to cook with zucchini, because of their unique, not too overpowering taste. They have a very delicate fruity aftertaste, which can be interpreted in hot and cold meals.
Today we are about to show you four very interesting ways on how to cook zucchini. From a creamy soup to zucchini with rice, we will not hide anything from you and we will share all of our secrets.
Keep on reading if you want to know more about how to cook zucchini!
1. Cold & Creamy Soup With Zucchini And Avocado
You will need:
- 2 zucchini
- 1 avocado
- ½ of a lemon
- 1 cup of sour cream or plain greek yoghurt
- dill
- ½ cup of walnuts
- 500 ml of vegetable broth
How to do it:
Step 1 – Prepare the veggies:
Wash the zucchini and dice them. Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone then dice it as well, but leave on the side for now.
Step 2 – The soup:
In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock to a boil and add the diced zucchini. Cook until they are soft, after that remove them from the broth, but do not throw it away as we might need it for later.
Blend the boiled zucchini with the diced avocado, the sour cream, the juice of ½ lemon and ½ tsp of salt. If the soup is too thick, add ½ cup to 1 cup of the vegetable broth to thin it out.
Chill the soup in the fridge and serve cold with some dill and chopped walnuts on top!
Tip: If you are one of those people who cannot eat anything without some garlic, you can add some garlic powder on top as well.
2. Baked Zucchini With Rice
You will need:
- 500 g of zucchini
- 1 cup of brown rice
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- dill
- 4 cups of vegetable broth or water
How to do it:
Step 1 – The rice:
Wash the rice and let it soak in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. It is important not to skip this step as otherwise the rice might not get fully cooked.
Step 2 – Prepare the veggies:
Wash the zucchini and peel the carrot. Dice them and the onion into small pieces and leave them aside meanwhile you are heating up the pan with some butter or olive oil.
Fry everything for 8-10 minutes on high heat.
Add the soaked rice to the veggies, without the water. Cook until it becomes translucent then transfer into a casserole and add 4 cups of vegetable broth or water if you do not have any stock. Top with some dill and bake at 392F or 200C until the water boils out the zucchini turn golden brown.
This will be best when served with some grated parmesan on top!
3. Stuffed Zucchini With Mince
You will need:
- 2 kg of zucchini
- 500 g of mince
- ⅓ cup of rice
- 2 onions
- 2 red tomatoes
- dill
- 2 tbsp of all purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup of sour cream or greek yoghurt
How to do it:
Step 1 – The zucchini:
Wash them well and remove the top and bottom ends, now cut them in half through the middle. They should look like the stems of mushrooms, around 5-6 cm in height.
Spoon out the flesh of the zucchini and save it, but be careful as you must leave some of it as a bottom. Salt them well and butter them on the inside.
Step 2 – The filling:
Cut the onion in small slices and add it into a pan with heated oil. Once it is soft add the rice and the flesh of the zucchini, stir and after 30 seconds add the grated tomatoes with a pinch of salt and 1 cup of water.
Let it boil until the rice absorbs the water, then it will be time to add the dill and mince. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.
Step 3 – Bake the stuffed zucchini:
Fill the zucchini and set them on a tray, pour ½ cup of water and bake at 392F or 200C in a preheated oven for 1 hour.
Step 4 – Four the sauce:
Roast the flour in a skillet. In a bowl mix the sour cream and egg yolks with either some of the sauce left from the baking of the zucchini, or you can use some vegetable stock or even water as well. Stir everything well until combined and all a pinch of salt.
4. Zucchini And Carrots Salad With Honey
You will need:
- 2 zucchinis
- 1 carrot
- 2 tbsp of honey
- 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- dill
- cilantro
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of sesame seeds
- 3 tsp of pumpkin seeds
How to do it:
Wash the zucchini and the carrots. Use a peeler to slice them into very thin slices.
In a bowl prepare the dressing – add the honey, balsamic vinegar, dill and chopped cilantro. Mince the garlic and combine it with the rest of the ingredients. Finally, when the honey has dissolved after continuous stirring, add the olive oil.
Toss everything together in a bowl and top with some roasted sesame and pumpkin seeds.
We hope you liked our four easy recipes on how to cook zucchini. It is a great product which can definitely enhance your dishes if properly used!
