Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sabra. All opinions and statements remain 100% my own.

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

Now that the weather is finally getting warmer around the Northwest, many of us are working on our gardens. We bought all of our vegetable starts at the end of April & got them in the ground and now we just wait for more sun to get these gardens growing. One of the most popular veggie items that it seems like almost every family has in their vegetable garden is zucchini {which also happens to be my favorite!}. Zucchini is one of those plants that produces such an abundance of vegetables from just one plant for many weeks, it makes sense that so many gardeners choose this plant to add to their vegetable gardens. Once that zucchini starts growing in mid-late summer, you’ll have an endless supply. {One year we mistakenly planted 6 plants – we were giving so many zucchini away just to keep up}

This is where you have to get creative on how to up all your zucchini. One great option is to make stuffed zucchini dishes. You can carve out your zucchini & use the inside of the vegetable for zucchini bread & then fill those zucchini up with all sorts of options.  I love that these make a delicious appetizer, which is not only healthy, but so filling that it can really be an unofficial meal for your guests.

My husband and I have been working hard to eat healthier, so we’re trying to add more veggies into our diet. These stuffed zucchini are a great option for us as it can be a great starter appetizer for a gathering (almost the unofficial meal), either in bites or strips like these or you can even make them the main dish as the hummus is full of nutrition, with both protein and fiber to keep you fuller and keep those cravings away.

We love the Sabra hummus dips as they have 14 different varieties to choose from (plus 3 spreadable options), so you could just make these Stuffed Zucchini using your favorite Sabra hummus variety. We wanted to add a bit more to them, though, with some additional toppings, to dress them up as an appetizer, so we went with a Mediterranean flair with this recipe.

When you add on the fun toppings, it makes it so bright & colorful, perfect for a summer gathering with friends or family. If you have a garden, it’s a great way to showcase some of your garden-fresh veggies & herbs in the summer. Or hit up a Farmer’s Market or your local produce stand to gather some of the season’s best veggies to add on top of your zucchini & hummus!

There are so many different combinations you could come up with and you can use the different Sabra hummus varieties as a good base for whichever cuisine you want to try. Try the Tuscan Herb Garden Hummus for an Italian flavored Stuffed Zucchini or the Jalapeno or Supremely Spicy Hummus for a Mexican-inspired Stuffed Zucchini. I love all the options you can choose with the zucchini and hummus as your base.

My husband loves the Mediterranean and he’s always wanting to cook foods from that region, so we came up with a unique recipe using zucchini & hummus and some classic Mediterranean flavors. It’s a Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini dish, which work well for appetizers – you can either keep them whole to eat with a fork  or chop them into bite-sized bites.

I love that this recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free, as well –  depending on what you add as toppings, it can also be vegan (without the cheese).  This makes it a healthy alternative to serve to a variety of people. So many of us are trying to eat less carbs these days and eat clean, as well as add more fresh veggies, so this Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini dish is sure to be a hit with everyone!

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini:

Ingredients:

The two main ingredients you will need are zucchini & hummus – from there, it’s about personal preference and what you like as toppings. We did several options, so here are two of the combinations we made for our Mediterranean versions:

1st option:

• Zucchini
• Hummus – I prefer using Sabra Hummus and we used the Spinach & Artichoke flavor to go with our Mediterranean flavor, but you can choose any flavor
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes (in a jar)
• Grilled Artichokes (in a jar) – cut into small pieces
• Bell pepper (we used yellow, orange & red) – cut into small pieces
• Olives (we used black olives, but Kalamata olives are a great option or whatever is your favorite) – cut in half or quarters
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh parsley

2nd option:

• Zucchini
• Hummus – Sabra Hummus Spinach & Artichoke flavor (choose any flavor you like)
• Feta Cheese
• Bell pepper (we used yellow, orange & red) – cut into small pieces
• Olives (we used black olives, but Kalamata olives are a great option or whatever is your favorite) – cut in half or quarters
• Grape Tomatoes – cut in half or quarters
• Red Onion – cut in small slivers
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh thyme

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice off  part of the zucchini. How much you slice off will depend on the size of the zucchini. If it’s a smaller zucchini like I used, I just sliced off the first quarter length-wise.  When these are in season & bigger, you can cut them in half length-wise & still have enough support to hold your hummus & all the toppings.

Scoop out the middle of the zucchini using a spoon or melon baller (leaving enough around the edges and ends to be able to support your stuffed zucchini). Discard the flesh of the zucchini or save for zucchini bread

Fill each carved out zucchini with your choice of hummus (we used the Sabra Hummus Spinach & Artichoke flavor). Fill it to the top of the zucchini

Add your toppings – get creative with the toppings you choose.

Place in a baking dish or baking sheet with a rim (size will depend on how many zucchini you are making)

Bake for 10-15 minutes (we baked the small zucchini for 10 minutes which was perfect, but the larger zucchini may need more time)

You can add the feta cheese at the end if you’d like to broil it for several minutes or until brown. {Or just bake it from start to finish, which is what we did.}

Sprinkle with parsley and thyme (or your favorite herbs) and serve hot.

There you have it – a healthy, vegetarian option for an appetizer, or even filling enough for an unofficial meal or main dish. We love using the Sabra Hummus dips in our recipes, because hummus is such a filling and healthy option to add in place of the heavier creams & cheeses that are often used in appetizers like this.

Plus, the ingredients in hummus (chickpeas, tahini,oil, garlic & salt as the base) provide a good source of plant-based nutrition with the protein & fiber you’ll receive, making it a great choice to use in a vegetarian appetizer recipe.

National Hummus Day:

National Hummus Day is this Saturday, May 13, 2017, and you’ll find lots of great ideas on Sabra.com of how to use hummus not only as a dip with your fresh fruits and veggies, but using it in a variety of recipes for main dishes, appetizers, salads, sandwiches & wraps & more. Check out why hummus is such a good source of plant-based nutrition.

Make sure to check out Sabra’s Instagram page, too, for more inspiration on using hummus in your home.

We’d love to hear your favorite way to use hummus  – and what your favorite Sabra hummus flavor is!

Printable Recipe for Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini:

Make sure to print this off for your recipe binder or add to your recipe collection.

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