Balkan Stuffed Zucchini with Beef Rice and Dill Yogurt 🥒✨

Description

Balkan Stuffed Zucchini with Beef Rice and Dill Yogurt is a cozy oven-baked main dish with tender zucchini boats, juicy beef and rice filling, tomato paprika sauce, garlic, herbs, and a cool dill yogurt finish. It feels rustic, homestyle, and satisfying, but still lighter than heavy casseroles.
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Hook ✨
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Tender zucchini, savory beef, soft rice, tomato sauce, paprika, garlic, and creamy dill yogurt make this Balkan main dish warm, bright, and full of comfort. 🍽️

Ingredients

• Zucchini boats 🥒
• 🥒 4 medium zucchini, about 900 g total (4 medium / 2 lb)
• 🧂 3 g fine sea salt (½ tsp / 0.1 oz)
• 🫒 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• ‌
• Beef rice filling 🍖
• 🫒 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧅 180 g onion, finely chopped (1½ cups / 6.3 oz)
• 🥕 90 g carrot, finely grated (⅔ cup / 3.2 oz)
• 🧄 4 garlic cloves, minced (4 cloves / 0.7 oz)
• 🍖 450 g ground beef (1 lb)
• 🍚 90 g short-grain rice, rinsed (½ cup / 3.2 oz)
• 🍅 30 g tomato paste (2 tbsp / 1 oz)
• 🌶️ 5 g sweet paprika (2 tsp / 0.17 oz)
• 🌫️ 1 g smoked paprika (½ tsp / 0.03 oz)
• 🧂 6 g fine sea salt (1 tsp / 0.2 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌿 10 g fresh parsley, chopped (¼ cup / 0.35 oz)
• 💧 120 ml water or stock (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
• ‌
• Tomato paprika sauce 🍅
• 🍅 400 g crushed tomatoes (1½ cups / 14.1 oz)
• 💧 250 ml vegetable or beef stock (1 cup / 8.5 fl oz)
• 🫒 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🌶️ 3 g sweet paprika (1 tsp / 0.1 oz)
• 🧄 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 cloves / 0.35 oz)
• 🍃 1 bay leaf
• 🧂 3 g fine sea salt (½ tsp / 0.1 oz)
• ‌
• Dill yogurt finish 🌿
• 🥛 200 g Greek yogurt or thick plain yogurt (¾ cup / 7 oz)
• 🌿 12 g fresh dill, chopped (¼ cup / 0.4 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice (2 tsp / 0.3 fl oz)
• 🧂 1 g fine sea salt (¼ tsp / 0.03 oz)
• ‌
• Finish 🌿
• 🌿 10 g fresh parsley, chopped (¼ cup / 0.35 oz)
• 🫒 10 ml olive oil for finishing (2 tsp / 0.3 fl oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the zucchini 🥒
2. ‌
3. Heat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, scoop out the centers with a spoon, and chop the scooped flesh finely. Sprinkle the zucchini boats with 3 g salt and set aside for 10 min.
4. ‌
5. 2️⃣ Start the filling 🧅
6. ‌
7. Heat 30 ml olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and the chopped zucchini flesh. Cook for 8 min, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden.
8. ‌
9. 3️⃣ Brown the beef 🍖
10. ‌
11. Add garlic and cook for 1 min. Add ground beef and cook for 7 min, breaking it apart, until no longer pink and lightly browned.
12. ‌
13. 4️⃣ Add rice and spices 🍚
14. ‌
15. Stir in rice, tomato paste, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, parsley, and 120 ml water or stock. Cook for 5 min, until the mixture thickens slightly. The rice will finish cooking in the oven.
16. ‌
17. 5️⃣ Make the sauce 🍅
18. ‌
19. In a baking dish, mix crushed tomatoes, stock, olive oil, paprika, garlic, bay leaf, and salt. Spread the sauce evenly across the bottom of the dish.
20. ‌
21. 6️⃣ Fill and bake 🔥
22. ‌
23. Pat the zucchini boats dry, brush with 15 ml olive oil, and fill generously with the beef rice mixture. Place them into the tomato sauce. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 200°C (392°F) for 30 min.
24. ‌
25. 7️⃣ Finish uncovered ✨
26. ‌
27. Remove the foil and bake for 12 min more, until the zucchini is tender, the filling is set, and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Rest for 10 min.
28. ‌
29. 8️⃣ Add dill yogurt 🌿
30. ‌
31. Mix yogurt, dill, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Spoon a little over the warm zucchini just before serving, then finish with parsley and a light drizzle of olive oil.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 25 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 1 h 3 min
🛋 Rest: 20 min
⏰ Total: 1 h 48 min

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