I grow courgettes myself every summer and often feel that guilty lurch when I see yet another pile of courgettes lurking in the vegetable drawer awaiting their fate! I’ve frozen them, grated them for fritters, even baked them into cakes, but still they keep coming.
Well, worry no more. You can dial this delicious recipe up or down (depending on how many you have) and use it as part of a mezze meal, or to fill wraps. However, my particular favourite is combining it with vegan cheese to make quesadillas.
Courgette Dip Recipe
Equipment
- 1 deep-sided roasting dish – approx 20x30cm – with lid (or use foil). Line with baking paper if you want to minimise the effort to clean your pan afterwards, but I like the bits that stick to the bottom!
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium to large courgettes (roughly 6-700gms in total), sliced into thick slanted ‘coins’ (2-3cms)
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I use Toplou Monastery Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 2-3 medium to large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano (you could also use rosemary, thyme or tarragon if you prefer. Dried is fine too, but adjust quantities down)
- Large pinch of chilli flakes (I like using smoky Urfa, or Bart's Chipotle Chilli Flakes, but normal are great too)
- 2 fat cloves of garlic, skin on but smashed slightly with the side of a knife
- A good pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper (I use Cerebos iodised salt to help with my intake of iodine)
- ½ an unwaxed lemon
- Fresh chopped mint (or use dried)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 160°
- Place the 1st 7 prepared ingredients into the baking tray and mix well
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the mix, then throw the lemon half into the tray as well – why not?
- Cover and place in the oven for 45-60 minutes, stirring part way through
- When cooked, the courgettes should be meltingly soft and unctuous (such a descriptive word!)
- Remove the lemon and adjust seasoning to taste
- I find this is best left to cool for a while, then served with mint sprinkled on top and extra lemon if you wish
- Alternatively, store in the fridge to use later in wraps or quesadillas
- Finally, given the amount of oil just used, avoid the bathroom scales for a while…
Freezing
As you will see, the measurements are a guide, so use more or less according to taste.
This will freeze, but I tend to leave out lemon and garlic when freezing home-cooked food, adding them only when ready to eat because I find their flavours intensify unpleasantly in the freezer.
Notes on Nutrition
Iodine
I’ve mentioned using iodised salt in the recipe below. For a really interesting read on the need for iodine in a vegan diet, take a look at this article here on Vegan Sisters.
Green vs. yellow?
You can see in the photo that I have used a mixture of yellow and green courgettes which enhances the attractiveness of the dish.
I have heard that yellow courgettes may be less nutritious than green, but I’m no expert (that won’t surprise anyone that knows me!)
Do some research and if it’s important to you with this dish, just use the green ones.
Protein
There are plenty of ways that you can add some protein and texture to this dish too. Consider toasting some pine nuts and breadcrumbs, a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, or some flaked almonds and scattering those on the top.
You could also serve it over some sliced silken tofu, with a boiled or steamed grain, or even just some plain rice. The choices are many.
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