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July 23, 2014

Spinach and Herb Cauliflower Couscous Stuffed Zucchini

Home » Recipes » Diets » Gluten-Free » Spinach and Herb Cauliflower Couscous Stuffed Zucchini

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Zucchini boats are filled with a crunchy mixture of cauliflower “couscous” flavored with baby spinach and fresh herbs then topped with pine nuts.

spinach and herb couscous, cauliflower couscous, vegan stuffed zucchini, stuffed zucchini

Zucchini has become somewhat of a staple at mealtime here, which always seems to be the case around this time of year when they’re at their most plentiful.

And when they’re as fresh and tender as they have been, there’s no reason to even cook them. The slender ones have an especially creamy interior  that make them the perfect candidates for being eaten raw.

stuffed zucchini, paleo stuffed zucchini, raw stuffed zucchini, vegan stuffed zucchini

These particular stuffed zucchini boats are filled with a crunchy mixture of raw spinach and cauliflower “couscous” dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.  I throw in a good quantity of fresh mint, oregano, garlic and olives for a multitude of tastes and textures inspired by the Mediterranean along with some lemon zest for extra brightness and good measure.

It’s a simple dish with big flavors that comes together quickly, which is always welcome come dinnertime when you’re short on time.  (The lengthiest part of the whole thing is the salting which helps to soften and tenderize the zucchini even further before stuffing so don’t skip it!) The filling can even be made ahead of time and the zucchini stuffed right before serving.

spinach and herb couscous, cauliflower couscous, vegan stuffed zucchini, stuffed zucchini

You can treat this as a side dish, a light lunch or cut them into bite-sized pieces for a party or picnic platter.

What’s your favorite way to eat zucchini this time of year?

Serves serves 6

Spinach and Herb Cauliflower Couscous Stuffed Zucchini

These stuffed zucchini boats are filled with a crunchy mixture of raw spinach and cauliflower “couscous” dressed with lemon juice and olive oil and topped with pine nuts.

25 minPrep Time

25 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 6 small to medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
  • The zest of half a lemon
  • The juice of one large lemon
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Coarse sea salt
  • ½ a medium sized head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves, thinly chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
  • 1/4 cup/45g black olives (like kalamata), pitted and coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup/30g raw pine nuts , coarsely chopped and lightly toasted if desired for a nuttier taste (for a fully raw recipe use untoasted pine nuts)

Instructions

  1. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out the seeds and pulp from the center. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt evenly over the zucchini. Place the salted zucchini face down on a shallow dish and set aside for at least 15-20 minutes to drain.
  2. In the meantime make the filling. Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Place the cauliflower florets into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. (Don't over-process, you want a fluffy texture with grain-sized pieces)
  4. Add the chopped cauliflower, to the dressing and toss to combine. Add in the chopped spinach, finely chopped herbs and chopped black olives and toss again.
  5. Flip salted zucchini halves over and wipe dry with a clean cloth. Spoon cauliflower stuffing into each zucchini half, top with pine nuts and serve immediately.

Notes

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, Raw

7.8.1.2
142
https://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/raw-spinach-herb-cauliflower-couscous-stuffed-zucchini-boats/
gourmandeinthekitchen.com

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Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.

Filed Under: Courses/Meal, Diets, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Mains, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Savory, Season, Summer, Vegan Tagged With: cauliflower, lemon, mint, olives, oregano, summer, zucchini

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    Rate this recipe: ☆☆☆☆☆

  1. Millie l Add A Little says

    September 27, 2014 at 11:35 pm

    This looks super delicious and healthy! I love it!
    Reply
  2. Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says

    September 8, 2014 at 4:58 am

    right up my alley! As always
    Reply
  3. Meredith in sock monkey slippers says

    July 31, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    Love all of the flavors in this! Pine nuts, olives, and mint - yes please!
    Reply
  4. EA-The Spicy RD says

    July 31, 2014 at 1:59 pm

    Yum! I've been doing zucchini noodles, but haven't tried stuffing them yet. Love the idea of cauliflower cous cous, and, of course, pine nuts are always a must :-)
    Reply
  5. Kitchen Belleicious says

    July 30, 2014 at 5:40 am

    delicious but healthy- just what I want and expect in a meal. I love the herbs used and the raw spinach is super cool. and as always the pictures are stunning
    Reply
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