Zucchini season is here! Whether you are growing zucchini in your home garden, or are buying them from the grocery store or farmers market, you will notice that there are TONS available and are quite inexpensive.
If you want to take advantage of the seasonal prices or just need a way to use up what is in your garden, look no further than this recipe for Pork-Stuffed Zucchini. This recipe is fast, delicious and healthy and is great for the summertime!
A Plentiful Summer Squash
Zucchini are a summer squash that grow from June to September. There are many varieties of zucchini that are grown, from green to yellow to even orange! Zucchini are also known as corgettes or marrow, depending on where you live.
Overall, zucchini are relatively neutral in flavour–making them the perfect squash for taking on lots of delicous flavours. They are incredibly refreshing and a fibre and nutrient-rich, making them a healthy vegetable to enjoy during the summer.
Dumpling-Like Filling
The filling used to stuff these zucchini rounds is very similar to the filling I make in my Pork & Chive Potstickers. However, instead of chives, I like to use fresh spring onion. I think it makes the filling a bit lighter, but still super flavourful.
Other staple ingredients such as soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground white pepper give the filling that authentic dumpling flavour that everyone loves.
Steamed, Not Fried!
Steaming is a really great way to cook vegetables year-round, since it holds in a lot of nutrients. In the summer, I really enjoy steaming vegetables since this cooking method does not give off a lot of heat, which will keep your home a bit cooler.
Steaming makes the zucchini super tender and also helps it absorb all the delicious juices from the pork filling as well. Plus, it makes an incredible sauce that is great for drizzling on top of these Pork-Stuffed Zucchini and rice (a great accompaniment!).
I hope that you enjoy this recipe for Pork-Stuffed Zucchini! Let me know in the comments below how you like to cook zucchini in the summer! Enjoy!
Get the Recipe!
Pork-Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large green zucchini
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- First, make the filling. Add the pork, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil and ground pepper into a a large mixing bowl. Use a pair of chopsticks (or your hands) to mix the filling together until combined. Set aside to let the flavours come together.
- Next, prepare the zucchini. Slice the zucchini into 1-inch thick slices. Use a melon-baller to scoop out the seeds in the center of the zucchini rounds. Make sure to not scoop through to the bottom of the zucchini, leaving about 1cm at the bottom to hold the meat and juices in the zucchini as it cooks. Continue the process until all the zucchini rounds have been hollowed out.
- To stuff the zucchini, take 2-3 tablespoons of the pork filling and scoop it into the center of each zucchini rounds. Pack the filling into the zucchini tightly so that there are no air pockets. Repeat the process until all the zucchini rounds are stuffed.
- Place the stuffed zucchini in an even layer in a large frying pan or pot. Add the chicken broth, cover with a lid, and then bring the contents to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let the stuffed zucchini simmer for 15 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked and the zucchini is tender.
- In the meantime, mix the cornstarch and water until combined and there are no lumps. Once the stuffed zucchini is cooked, turn the heat to high, add the cornstarch mixture, and mix to combine.
- Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and serve!
