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Here in the pacific northwest, zucchini seems to explode between July and September. What better way to celebrate the bounty of the season than with a summery stuffed zucchini soup! This soup bursts with a rich hearty broth, tons of zucchini, and deliciously seasoned beef. This is the best one pot meal for busy back to school days, laid back weekends, and chill hosting parties. I suggest sprinkling gobs of mozzarella cheese on top for the perfect spoonful of stuffed zucchini soup. Mmmm! It’s the best type of comfort food!
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Zucchini Gone Wild!
They say if you have to buy zucchini you don’t have friends. I feel like zucchini is the kind of summer produce you never actually have to buy if you know a guy! On the way to my parents house there are even signs for free zucchini that people are giving away off the side of the road! My dad grows zucchini, and those squashes are ridiculously enormous! The problem with an overabundance of zucchini is that while chocolate zucchini bread is good… I get tired of it after a while.
My FAVORITE dish growing up was stuffed zucchini. It’s warm, savory, and the broth is to DIE for! I really wanted to make this easy dinner into a soup. Funny enough, it’s actually hard to replicate the exact flavor of stuffed zucchini on the stove. Cooking soup is also not super fun when it’s 104 degrees outside. The solution? Bake it!
Hold up! Baked Soup??
Unlike most soups, this summer soup is baked. There’s no need to slave over a hot stove this summer! The slow roasting of the soup does wonders to the zucchini. They aren’t mushy, and they still retain a little bite similar to carrots. Baking soup is a revelation! It helps keep a very steady temperature and is as easy as it gets! You throw it together, call it good, and reap the rewards an hour later.
It’s Soup, Not a Science Experiment
While I do give exact measurements, your zucchinis won’t be the same as mine. For this recipe you need approximately 4 cups of zucchini. However, if you have a little more or a little less, no worries! It will still taste delicious!
I prefer to use Kewpie mayonnaise, but if you don’t have that on hand, any kind of mayonnaise works.
The other ingredient that can change the flavor of this soup is your spaghetti sauce. My favorite brands are Tantillo Reserve Pasta Sauce and Rao’s. Use your favorite spaghetti sauce! It’s gonna taste great!
Step By Step To The Perfect Summer Soup!
No Matter The Weather, Soup Hits The Spot!
In my hometown, we are currently facing some record highs over 100 degrees. For Washington that’s HOT! While soup in the summer doesn’t always sound like a good idea, this summery stuffed zucchini soup hits the spot in all the right places. It’s super easy, and once it’s a very hands off, low maintenance, one pot meal. You don’t have to stand forever over a hot stove, and who doesn’t love soup with gobs of mozzarella cheese! Back to school days will be here before you know it. Kids love it, parents love it, and it’s a great way to feed a crowd. So if you have friends who are trying to pawn off their extra zucchini clubs, try a bowlful of the best summer stuffed zucchini soup.
The Best Summer Stuffed Zucchini Soup
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 small zucchini (enough for 4 cups) 1 medium sized zucchini also works
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/4 cup Kewpie mayonnaise any kind of mayonnaise also works
- 2 tsp onion flakes
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup spaghetti sauce
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375β. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the centers leaving a ΒΌ inch shell. Pour the zucchini centers in a medium mixing bowl.
- Chop up the zucchini shells into Β½ inch cubes. Place the chopped zucchini into a dutch oven. Set aside.
- Using a spoon, coarsely chop the zucchini centers. Add the ground beef, mayonnaise, onion flakes, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently mix into the meat using your hands. Do not over mix!
- Evenly cover the chopped zucchini with the ground beef mix. Top with spaghetti sauce. Cover the dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and chop up the beef into bite sized pieces with a spoon. Pour in the white wine, chicken stock, and bay leaves. Cover, and return to the oven. Bake another 20 minutes.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and top with grated mozzarella cheese or Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Pair with some toasty sourdough bread! Enjoy!
