Lebanese Stuffed Kousa Squash

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Kousa is stuffed with a savory meat and rice mixture and simmered in a flavorful tomato broth until tender in this flavorful Lebanse Stuffed Kousa Squash.

Late summer is one of my favorite times of the year for one very simple reason: the farmers market is finally overflowing with juicy, ripe produce from every color of the rainbow. One of my favorite things to buy is kousa, also known as Lebanese squash, which is a summer squash that you can find right by the zucchini. While I enjoy kousa (or koosa and cousa) many ways, today I’m sharing my Lebanese Stuffed Kousa Squash recipe which you’re sure to love.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Kousa: Arabic for zucchini, it’s a summer squash with a light green rind that is mildly sweet and nutty in flavor.
Tomato juice: Slightly sweet and tart flavor that both cooks the squash and creates a delicious sauce.
Ground beef: I like to use sirloin, but you could also use ground chuck or even ground lamb.
Long grain rice: Soaks up the juice and surrounding flavor as it cooks and adds texture to the filling.
Garlic: A staple in my kitchen, it has a sweet, nutty, slightly buttery taste when cooked.
Dried mint: Sweet and woodsy, it adds a different depth of flavor than fresh mint would.
Lemon juice: Bright, acidic flavor that creates balance to the dish.

How to Make Lebanese stuffed Kousa Squash

Start your Lebanese Stuffed Kousa Squash by creating the stuffing by putting your ground beef in a large bowl.

Then add the uncooked rice, and freshly grate half of the garlic cloves with a microplane.

Finish with half of the dried mint and season with some salt and pepper.

The best way to combine the meat mixture is with your hands, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.

To prepare your squash for stuffing, start by washing and drying them, then cutting off all the tops.

Then hollow out the insides by using a zucchini corer, being careful that you don’t puncture the bottom or sides.

Next take the meat and rice mixture and stuff into the squash, leaving about 1 & 1/2 inches of space at the top for the rice to cook and expand.

Then in a large pot, pour in the tomato juice.

Then grate in the rest of the garlic.

And add in the rest of the dried mint.

Once tomato juice is boiling, gently add in the stuffed kousa squash as well as the lemon juice.

You can also add any leftover meat stuffing to the pot as little meatballs. Once everything is added to the pot, bring back to a boil before reducing heat and simmering for about 35 minutes.

Once rice is fully cooked (the meatballs are a great way to test this), remove from the pot, garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions:

How do you freeze kousa?

This recipe is freezer friendly, but before freezing you need to fully cook the kousa. The kousa should last for up to three months in the freezer in an air-tight container. To reheat, simply place them in the refrigerator for 24 hours to thaw and then warm them in a pan.

Where do you find kousa squash?

It’s usually available at your local farmers market. I normally find it next to yellow squash and zucchini. You can also find it at some grocery stores.

How do you core a squash without a corer?

You can try a small, thin knife, a grapefruit spoon, or a potato peeler (the long, scoop, skinny kind).

More LEbanese Recipes

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Liz eating Lebanese stuffed kousa squash.

Lebanese Stuffed Kousa Squash has always been a favorite of mine, and once you give it a try, I hope it’ll become a favorite of yours as well.

Your fork is waiting.

In this Traditional Lebanese dish, kousa is stuffed with a savory meat and rice mixture and simmered in a flavorful tomato broth until tender.

PREP: 15 mins

COOK: 35 mins

TOTAL: 50 mins

Servings: 4

To hollow out the kousa, trim off the top and use a zucchini core to slowly remove the inside of the squash. Be careful not to poke through the bottom or the sides. Once the squash is hollowed out, set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine beef, rinsed uncooked rice, salt, and pepper. Add half of the garlic (3 grated cloves) and half of the mint (1 tablespoon) to the meat mixture and combine.
Before you start stuffing the squash, place the tomato juice or tomato paste/water mixture in a large pot, and heat on medium high until boiling.
While the tomato juice is heating up, begin stuffing the kousa. Be careful to leave about 1 1/2 inch at the top which allows room for them to expand. If you have leftover meat mixture, simply roll them into little meatballs, and add to the tomato broth.
When the tomato juice has come to a boil, add the remaining mint (1 tablespoon) and garlic (3 grated cloves) as well as the lemon juice.
If you used tomato paste/water, add salt and pepper to the broth to taste.
Gently add in the stuffed kousa. Bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer for 35 minutes. The meatballs are the perfect way to see if the rice is fully cooked.
Serve in a bowl with plain yogurt on the side.

Serving: 1squashCalories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 29gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 706mgPotassium: 1742mgFiber: 5gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1506IUVitamin C: 98mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 5mg