These grilled zucchini boats offer a lively, full-flavored option for your next cookout. The zucchini are halved and hollowed, then filled with a savory mixture of ground turkey, chickpeas, feta and harissa for a gentle warmth, along with rice, breadcrumbs and a blend of warm spices. Once grilled, the zucchini become tender and the filling gets marked by the grates and cooks through. A drizzle of tahini-harissa yogurt, a scattering of feta and a generous handful of fresh mint and parsley complete the plate.
Info
- Cook time: 50 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Zucchini Boats
- 4 large zucchini (about 3 pounds total)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for the grill grates
- 1 pound 85/15 ground turkey
- One 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen white rice, thawed
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon harissa
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the filling
- 1/3 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
Serving
- 2 tablespoons lightly packed fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Crumbled feta, for sprinkling
- Lemon wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
- Prepare the zucchini boats: Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, leaving a border about 1/4 inch thick. Place the boats on a baking sheet, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and let them rest until droplets form on the surface, roughly 20 minutes. Dry them with paper towels.
- While the zucchini sit, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates.
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey, chickpeas, rice, panko, feta, onion, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, garlic, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the harissa, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Spoon the filling into the zucchini boats, using about 1/2 cup for each, and press it into an even layer. Lightly coat the top of the filling with nonstick spray.
- Place the boats on the grill filling-side down and cook until grill marks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them with a long spatula, lower the heat to medium, cover and continue grilling until the zucchini is tender and the filling is fully cooked (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F), 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, the remaining 1 teaspoon harissa, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup cold water until the mixture is smooth.
- To serve: Move the zucchini boats to a large platter. Drizzle about half of the harissa yogurt over them, then sprinkle with the mint, parsley and feta. Accompany with lemon wedges and the rest of the harissa yogurt.
