Experience the classic flavors of Greece with this delicious and hearty Greek Stuffed Zucchini in Egglemon Sauce (Avgolemono)! This traditional Greek dish is a great way to enjoy zucchini, even if you’re not usually a fan. It combines ground beef or lamb, rice, onion, herbs and spices for an incredibly flavorful filling with a delicious egg-lemon sauce!
The finishing touch comes from the creamy egg and lemon sauce known as “egg lemon”, which adds a tangy flavor to the dish. Perfect for any meal – appetizer or main course – this recipe is sure to please everyone!
What are Greek Stuffed Zucchini?
Greek Stuffed Zucchini in Egglemon Sauce, also known as “Kolokouthakia Gemista Avgolemono” in Greek, is a traditional Greek dish that is usually served as a main course or part of a meze dish.
Greek stuffed courgettes consist of small to medium-sized courgettes that are split open, stuffed with a flavorful mixture of minced meat (usually beef or lamb), rice, onion, herbs and spices, and then boiled in water until tender.
After the stuffed zucchini are baked, they are finished with a creamy egg and lemon sauce called “egg lemon.” The sauce is made by whisking the eggs and lemon juice together, then simmering it slowly with hot stock until it thickens into a creamy, tangy sauce.
The result is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a family dinner or a gathering with friends.
- Classic way to serve zucchini: Even if you’re not a fan, this dish will convince you to eat the vegetable!
- Great for any meal: Make it as an appetizer or as part of a larger meal.
Greek Stuffed Zucchini Basic Ingredients
Pumpkin: You will need four large zucchinis. Also a large potato to lift the vegetable up when roasting.
Stuffing: Terrain beef mixed with white riceafterward white wine, parsley, mint and dill are added, along with cinnamon, allspice and some black pepper.
Sauce: The egg and lemon sauce is made with egg yolks, lemon juice a little corn starch.
Tips for preparing Greek stuffed zucchini
There are four main steps involved in this recipe:
- We prepare the filling
- Prepare the zucchini
- Cook the courgettes and make the sauce
- Serve the dish
We prepare the filling for Greek stuffed zucchini
To start, heat the oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the peeled and chopped onionalong with a pinch of salt, and fry gently until it becomes soft and begins to color.
Cook it beef with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes until well cooked and browned in some areas.
Together with riceadd the peeled and crushed garlic. Cook for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant and the rice grains are heated through.
Reduce the heat to low and pour the White wine in the mixture. Let the wine simmer until it evaporates completely.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add it herbs, spices and a significant amount of black pepper. Taste and adjust as needed and then let cool for a while.
Prepare the zucchini
Cut off the ends of the pumpkins and cut them into three equal-sized pieces. Then use a sharp knife and a long spoon (an ice cream scoop is recommended) or an apple core to pierce the zucchini pieces to make 1/2 cm (0.3 inch) thick tubes.
To create a honeycomb pattern with the zucchini in a pot with a lidlift them so their cut bottoms are level with the bottom of the pan and make sure they can’t fall during cooking wedging pieces of potato between them to keep them upright. Make sure they fit well in the pan.
Use a small spoon to fill each tube of squash with the beef mixture. Be sure to pack it tightly, but leave enough room for the rice to expand.
Cook the courgettes and make the sauce
Addition cold water in the pan until it reaches halfway up the zucchini tubes, then season the water generously with salt and pepper.
Set the heat to medium-high to bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Put the lid on and leave it simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the courgettes are soft.
While mixing together, make a thick paste by combining the egg yolks and cornstarch. Gradually pour in the lemon juice and set aside.
We serve the Greek stuffed zucchini
Carefully remove the courgettes from the pan with tongs and place them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess moisture.
Pour the remaining cooking liquid through a strainer and gradually add 200 ml (2/3 cup) of it to the beaten eggs while mixing.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat it gently. Next, heat the egg sauce in the saucepan, stirring frequently, until it thickens considerably. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the stuffed courgettes when poured over them.
To enjoy stuffed zucchini, you can serve them either warm or at room temperature. Simply pour over the freshly made sauce and add some fresh dill for extra flavor.
Variations
You can easily swap out the ground beef in this Greek Stuffed Zucchini recipe minced beef or lamb and the recipe will work just as well.
Making time and saving
Leftover stuffed zucchini can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To store, make sure the zucchini is completely cooled first. Place the stuffed zucchini in a container, cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator.
Serving suggestions
Greek Stuffed Zucchini can be served as a main dish on its own or combined with various side dishes to create a delicious and filling meal. Here are some ideas for stuffed zucchini side dishes:
These options provide an array of flavors and textures that complement savory stuffed zucchini. Choose your favorite side dishes and enjoy a complete and satisfying meal!
Do you love zucchini? More zucchini recipes to try
Description
Experience the classic flavors of Greece with this delicious and hearty Greek Stuffed Zucchini in Egglemon Sauce (Avgolemono)! It combines ground beef or lamb, rice, onion, herbs and spices for an incredibly tasty filling with a creamy egg-lemon sauce!
For the Greek stuffed zucchini
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion
- salt
- 500 gr ground beef (about 1 pound/ 18 ounces)
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 3 tbsp white rice
- 125ml white wine (1/2 cup)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large zucchini
- 1 large potato
For the egg-lemon sauce
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- juice from 2 lemon Tree
For the Greek stuffed zucchini
- Heat the oil in the bottom of a large frying pan or frying pan over a medium-high heat and gently fry the onion, peeled and chopped, with a pinch of salt until it softens and starts to colour.
- Add the beef and fry for about 10 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until cooked and browned in places.
- Add the garlic, peeled and melted, along with the rice. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant and the rice grains are heated through.
- Add the white wine and reduce the heat to low. Let the wine drain completely.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the herbs, spices and a generous amount of black pepper. Check for seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.
- Top and tail the courgettes and cut them into three equal pieces. Using a very sharp knife and a long-handled spoon – an ice cream scoop works well for this – or an apple corer, cut the zucchini pieces to create tubes with 1/2 cm (0.3 inch) sides.
- Lift the courgettes to create a honeycomb pattern in a pot with a lid where they fit comfortably. To make sure they stand up straight with their cut bottoms at the bottom of the pan, and to make sure they can’t fall over during cooking, cut potato wedges to wedge between them to keep them upright.
- Using a small spoon, fill each zucchini tube with the beef mixture. You want it to be pretty tightly packed, but not so much that the rice doesn’t have a chance to expand.
- Pour cold water into the pan so that it reaches up to the middle of the zucchini tubes and salt the water well. Put it on medium high heat to bring the water to a boil before simmering. Simmer for 30-40 minutes with the lid on or until the courgettes are tender.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the courgettes from the pan, setting them aside on a paper towel-lined plate to catch any excess moisture.
For the egg-lemon sauce
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks with the cornstarch to a thick paste and gradually stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
- Strain the remaining cooking liquid and slowly beat 200 ml (2/3 cup) into the egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the pot and put it back on a low heat. Heat the egg sauce, stirring frequently, until it thickens considerably, and will coat the stuffed zucchini when it’s poured over the top.
- Serve the stuffed courgettes warm or at room temperature with the fresh sauce drizzled on top and an extra sprinkling of fresh dill. Enjoy!
Keywords: Greek Stuffed Zucchini, Greek Stuffed Egglemon Zucchini
