A "healthier" version of Kousa mahshi aka Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini. This recipe is my Lebanese family’s recipe. Each zucchini (squash) is filled with spiced vegetables, toasted pine nuts and rice cooked in a delicious tomato broth. This is a vegan Lebanese recipe.
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Kousa mahshi is one of the recipes that I can taste instantly upon hearing about it, it was a meal my family enjoyed a lot when I was younger and I still adore it.
Of course, it was made with meat back then.
This Lebanese stuffed zucchini recipe is ideal for vegans/vegetarians, it is in a tomato base and the filling is made of rice, vegetables and toasted pine nuts.
😋Why you’ll love this recipe
- Super delicious and wholesome
- Family friendly - kids and adults love it
- Dietary friendly - vegan, gluten free, soy free, corn free, oil free - Suitable for a WFPB No Oil diet.
- A true comfort and filling meal
🥘Ingredients You’ll Need
Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Zucchini depending on your location this is called gray squash, Mexican squash, Calabacita, Lebanese Zucchini, white courgette (there may be a few other names).
Choose good quality squash, free from punctures, cuts and blemishes.
The ideal squash is not curved and has a wide mouth to make it easier when coring and stuffing.
Do not toss out the insides (flesh), keep the flesh for these recipes Zucchini Flesh Recipe (Lib El Kousa), savory zucchini muffins or this delicious Lebanese squash with burghul.
Tomato paste should be plain with no added herbs or oils. I like to use an organic, reduced salt version.
Rice is the main component in the filling. Medium or long-grain is ideal. Whilst not traditional sometimes I like to use basmati.
Tomato is used in the filling, it needs to be diced finely. Again choose quality.
Brown onion will be used in the filling and is to be diced finely.
Fresh parsley and mint will be finely chopped and added to the filling to build up flavor.
Pine nuts add a good source of plant protein. These are dry roasted to enhance the nutty flavor. The pine nuts are part of the filling.
Spices and seasoning - you will need Lebanese 7 spice, which you can easily make your own blend (click on the link), salt and black pepper.
OPTIONAL - Olive oil & vegan butter can be used to brown the pine nuts if you prefer not to dry toast them. If doing this, you will need 50/50 ratio, about a tablespoon. (I personally have been leaving oils out to suit my current diet)
Water is used to submerge the Lebanese stuffed zucchini. Which will help to cook the rice and vegetables. You will need between 6-8 cups.
🔪 How to Make Kousa Mahshi
Filling
Coring zucchini with an electric corer
Coring Zucchini
Step 1 - Wash and dry zucchini as normal. Using a paring knife, slice off the ends (take off as little as possible) Use a corer (this can be done manually or with electric tool (affiliate link)) to hollow out each squash. Set aside.
Click here to view a quick 30sec video on how to core a zucchini manually or watch the full Youtube video for how to core zucchini with an electric corer.
(Use the zucchini flesh to make chickpea omelette, vegan ejjeh, Lebanese zucchini with burghul or lib koosa)
Preparing the Stuffing
Step 2 - In a nonstick fry pan/skillet, (optional - add olive oil/vegan butter) toast pine nuts until golden, and set aside. Be sure to remove the pine nuts from the pan immediately as they will continue to brown from the heat which can cause them to burn. This happens very quickly.
Step 3 - In a large mixing bowl add rice, tomato, onion, fresh parsley, fresh mint, pine nuts, Lebanese 7 spice, salt, and black pepper. Mix well together.
Stuffing Zucchini
Step 4 - Using your hands, scoop little amounts of the stuffing and place it inside each cavity. Tap the bottom of each squash to help the filling to fall into the cavity.
Leave approximately ½” (1.5cm) from the opening to allow the rice to expand whilst cooking.
Do not compact the rice, otherwise, it won't cook evenly. Wipe down each zucchini to ensure there is no filling on the outside.
Cooking Time
Step 5 - Dissolve the tomato paste into the water, add salt & pepper. Place the stuffed zucchini into the pot and submerge with the water & tomato paste mixture. Place a plate onto and cover.
Bring to the boil over med/high heat and then simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. Kousa Mahshi should be tender once done. Serve warm.
🌟Pro Tips
If you’ve never cored Lebanese zucchini before, allow more time to make this kousa mahshi recipe.
Do not pierce skins as the squash will burst whilst cooking as the rice will expand through the piercing.
To flesh out each squash, I used to use a tool called a 'Manakra' (affiliate link) which is a corer. It's a unique tool specifically for the task of coring zucchini; it looks like a long spade.
I now use an electric corer (affiliate link) which helps me core vegetables in a fraction of the time. I highly recommend this tool!
Optional - combining vegan butter with olive oil in a pan stops burning and allows an even browning of the pine nuts.
🔪Leftover Zucchini Stuffing
Use any leftover rice stuffing to stuff tomatoes. Simply core out the tomato flesh, place the tomato flesh into the filling and stuff each tomato with the filling. Cook the tomatoes in the same pot.
🥘Variations
Pine nuts can be swapped out for almonds slivers.
If you can’t find the type of squash needed in this recipe, use the slimmer, longer green variety.
❓FAQ
Kousa Mahshi, which literally translates to “zucchini stuffed” is a classic Middle Eastern meal of zucchinies filled with a rice filling. Either rice and meat or rice and vegetables. There are a couple of broth options also, in yogurt or in a tomato broth.
'Kousa' - pronounced 'koo-sa' translates to "zucchini" or "squash". It is also spelled cusa, cousa, or kusa. Zucchini is also known as squash or courgette, depending on the region.
Kousa mahshi is great as leftovers, so don't be afraid to make a large batch and keep in the fridge for a few days. You could even freeze them in a snap-lock container or bag for up to 3 months.
Kousa is normally found at your local grocer. If you are in Australia ask for 'Lebanese Zucchini or White Zucchini' if you are in America ask for 'Gray Squash’ or “Mexican Squash” and if you’re in the UK ask for “White Courgette” or “Lebanese Courgette”.
If you can't find this variety try using Yellow or Green Squash/Zucchini, these are good alternatives.
🍴Related Recipes
- Warak enab is stuffed Lebanese grape leaves - so good!
- Stuffed silverbeet leaves (chard leaves) in a lemony broth
- A simple dish with buttery blacked eyed beans and lemony greens - Lebanese Black Eyed Beans Recipe Vegan
- An easy tangy light pastry called Purslane Pockets Lebanese Bakleh
- My family's favorite rice, I can never get enough of this - Lebanese Rice Vegan
- If you like to cook fresh beans, try my Foul Akhdar Bi Zeit, which is green broad beans in olive oil.
- For a sweet treat that's light, Lebanese rice pudding Riz Bi Haleeb is a wonderful floral citrusy flavor.
- A big on flavor side salad (or as I like it, for brekky on toast) a fresh oregano salad is perfect.
- Lebanese brined lupini beans make an amazing snack packed with protein
- The best Lebanese warm chickpeas called balila
- Try delicious Lebanese braised green beans called Loubieh Bi Zeit
- A hearty and easy to make pea stew called bazella w riz
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Kousa Mahshi (Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini)
Ingredients
Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
- 12 medium Lebanese zucchini White squash/Mexican zucchini
- ¾ cup Tomato paste
- ¾ tablespoon Salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Cracked black pepper
- 7 cups Water more or less may be needed
Zucchini Stuffing Ingredients
- 1¼ cups Long-grain rice
- 1 medium Tomato finely diced
- 1 medium Onion finely diced
- ¼ cup Parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup Mint finely chopped
- ½ cup Pine nuts
- ¾ tablespoon Lebanese 7 Spice substitute All Spice
- 2 teaspoons Salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dairy free butter optional
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil optional
Instructions
- Wash and dry zucchinis as normal. Using a paring knife, slice off the ends (take off as little as possible) Use a corer (this can be done manually or with an electric tool) to hollow out each zucchini. Set aside.12 medium Lebanese zucchini
- In a non-stick frypan/skillet, (optional - add olive oil/dairy-free butter) toast pine nuts until golden and set aside. Be sure to remove the pine nuts from the pan immediately as they will continue to brown from the heat which can cause them to burn. This happens very quickly.½ cup Pine nuts
- In a large mixing bowl add rice, tomato, onion, fresh parsley, fresh mint, pine nuts, Lebanese 7 spice, salt, and black pepper. Mix well together.¾ tablespoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Cracked black pepper, 1¼ cups Long-grain rice, 1 medium Tomato, 1 medium Onion, ¼ cup Parsley, ¼ cup Mint, ½ cup Pine nuts
- Using your hands, scoop little amounts of the stuffing and place it inside each zucchini. Tap the bottom of each to help the filling to fall into the cavity. Leave approximately ½” (1.5cm) from the opening to allow the rice to expand whilst cooking. Do not compact the rice otherwise, it won't cook evenly. Wipe down each zucchini to ensure there is no filling on the outside.
- Dissolve the tomato paste into water, add salt & pepper. Place the stuffed squashes into a large pot and submerge with the water & tomato paste broth. Place a plate on top and cover. Bring to the boil over med/high heat and then simmer over low heat for about 35-40 minutes. Kousa Mahshi should be tender once done. Serve warm.¾ cup Tomato paste, 7 cups Water, 2 teaspoons Salt, ½ teaspoon Cracked black pepper
Video
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
Naseem
Can I make this without tomatoes? Is there an appropriate substitute?
Janelle Hama
Whilst I've not done this, you can try red bell peppers (capsicum) in the filling and red pepper paste for the broth, such as this biber salcasi (it's not that chili to me, you should try it first, there is also a biber tatli version which is mild)
Lene Scheel
This is my favorite dish in the whole world! 8 years ago I was so fortunate to have a new neighbor, a family from Syria. As I was an Old single women (57 at that time😂) my new friends saw it as their duty to take of me! Among other things it meant feeding me every afternoon😂 From that time I am a big fan of middel eastern Food! I have had a lot of “lessons” in cooking traditionel arabic food, so I am a very happy danish woman. Thank you for this wonderfull recipe ❤️
Janelle Hama
Hi Lene,
What lovely neighbours you have. I love that so many cultures live amongst each other nowadays and can share their exquisite cuisines. Thank you for sharing a little about you.
Janelle
Jennifer
My grandfather was vegetarian. My grandmother used to
Prepare his coussa stuffed with rice, onion, Tomato, Lebanese seasonings and chickpeas!
Janelle Hama
That sounds delicious Jennifer, I might try adding the chickpeas next time.
Lebatiz
This dish isn't exclusively Lebanese
Janelle Hama
Yes, you're right there are various variations. This is a vegan Lebanese version
Sara
Such an amazingly flavorful dish! We will be making this on repeat in my house!