Vegan Low-Carb Stuffed Zucchini Cups

Carve out these cute mini cups from a large zucchini and stuff them with our mushroom, basil, and cauliflower rice mix. They're vegan, keto, and low in calories, perfect as a light appetiser or party nibble.

Vegan Low-Carb Stuffed Zucchini Cup

Info

Nutrition per serving
NutrientAmountRDA
Net Carbs8.6 g3.1%
of which Sugars6.7 g7.4%
Fibers4.3 g15.4%
Fats11.7 g17.9%
of which Saturates1.5 g7.7%
of which Omega 31.8 g162.6%
Proteins5 g10.8%
Calcium50 mg5%
Vitamin A18 mcg2.6%
Vitamin C52 mg70%
Iron1.3 mg9%
Potassium733 mg20.9%
Sodium32 mg1.4%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Kcal159 8%
Macro split
  • net carbs 29%
  • sugars 23%
  • fats 39%
  • saturates 5%
  • proteins 17%
  • fibers 15%
*RDA based on a 2000 kcal diet;
**Nutritional data sources: USDA, food labels.
KCAL
159 per serving
TIME
1h
HEALTH

Today, we want to share our easy recipe for stuffed zucchini cups, a fun appetiser perfect for a glamorous dinner or as a party nibble. And what's so great about them is that they're also vegan and low-carb — and they will make everyone happy!

You usually find stuffed zucchini carved out like small boats or hollow cylinders, but we opted for a fancier look here. We sliced thick courgettes into pieces and scooped out the pulp to make mini-cups. They're super cute — and quite practical too! They're easy to move around once stuffed, and being closed at the bottom, they can hold the filling without leaks.

As for the filling, we chose a delicate yet savoury combo of cauliflower rice, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh basil. We designed our recipe to be both vegan and low in carbs, meaning the stuffing can have neither legumes nor meat mince. But we definitely didn't give up on flavour!

Cauliflower rice is an awesome low-carb alternative to white rice, often used in ketogenic recipes. You can easily make it from fresh cauliflower florets, either using a food processor or a box grater. It won't take more than a couple of minutes.

Shiitake mushrooms add lots of flavour to our plant-based filling and give it an amazingly "meaty" texture. You can also use king oyster mushrooms if you like — they're equally awesome! Once ready, bring the filling ingredients together and have fun stuffing the zucchini.

Finally, bake the prepared cups until tender and serve these beauties with pride! We hope you'll like them as much as we did! And we bet you'll be happy to know that each tasty morsel comes with less than 50 calories and 2 grams of net carbs. Super!

Ingredients

Adjustments
Serves
Measuring System
Large Zucchini3
Cauliflower Florets200 g
Extra Virgin Olive Oil2 tbsp
Garlic Cloves1
Small Shallots1
Shiitake Mushrooms160 g
Chopped Basil2 tbsp
Walnuts (or cashews)25 g

Step 1

Trim off the ends of the zucchini and cut 5cm (2 inches)-thick slices.

Then, scoop out the pulp with a teaspoon, leaving about 0.5 cm (1/4 inches) of flesh on the sides and base.

Save one-third of the zucchini pulp and chop it into small bits as you'll need it later for the filling.

sliced zucchini carved into cups

Step 2

Grate cauliflower florets with the large side of a box grater or blitz them in a food processor into small bits, pulsing them in short bursts (1).

Next, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet with minced garlic and sizzle for a minute.

Then, stir in the prepared cauliflower "rice" and fry it for 5 minutes over high heat, stirring it occasionally (2).

Season with salt and pepper to taste and set it aside.

grated cauliflower rice
1
fried cauliflower rice in a skillet
2

Step 3

In a clean skillet, sizzle the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil with finely chopped shallots.

Add thinly chopped shiitake mushrooms and the zucchini pulp you saved earlier.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 5-10 minutes until all the water has evaporated.

cooked mushrooms and zucchini pulp in a skillet

Step 4

Combine the mushroom zucchini mix with the cauliflower rice and chopped basil in a bowl.

cauliflower rice mixed with mushrooms and basil in a bowl

Step 5

Place the prepared zucchini cups on a greased baking tray and season them with salt and pepper.

Then, use a teaspoon to stuff them with the mushroom mix, filling them to the brim.

Garnish with chopped walnuts or cashews for a crunchy finish.

stuffed zucchini cups in a baking tray

Step 6

Bake them at 180°C (355°F) for 35-40 minutes until the zucchini cups are soft and cooked through, and the nuts are crunchy.

Enjoy your vegan low-carb stuffed zucchini cups hot or cold, as a starter or a side.

oven baked stuffed zucchini cups in a tray

Tips

You can swap fresh basil with other aromatic herbs like thyme or mint.

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