This traditional Lebanese dish, kousa or kousa mahshi, is stuffed squash filled with ground beef, rice and Middle Eastern spices. The stuffed yellow squash is then cooked in tomato sauce until tender, and served with yogurt or labneh.
When I think of Lebanese comfort food, I think of this Lebanese stuffed squash or Lebanese kousa (also spelled, cousa, koosa) recipe. Growing up, we always had a large garden in the summer and in late summer we would have loads of yellow summer squash, either straight neck or crook neck summer squash and we would eat Lebanese squash for dinner.
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If you are wondering what to do with yellow squash or how to cook squash, this recipe is for you. It is full of flavor and healthy as well! These ground beef and squash boats are the perfect dinner!
Every Lebanese family makes Lebanese food and recipes slightly different, it is the same with this kousa squash recipe. There are many different versions out there, but I love this Lebanese kousa recipe the best!
One of the wonderful things about Middle Eastern food is their tendency to make vegetables the star of the meal. It is so healthy! There are so many options for delicious stuffed vegetables in Lebanese cooking, just like Stuffed Cabbage Rolls or these healthy Lebanese Stuffed Bell Peppers.
🥘 Ingredients
The ingredients are very simple for this cousa squash recipe.
- Squash or zucchini
- Lean ground beef (or ground lamb)
- Long grain white rice
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground black pepper
- Tomato sauce
In addition to this stuffed squash being delicious, it is also very healthy, gluten free, and dairy free!
What kind of squash to use for Lebanese squash (kousa mashi)
Kousa is the Arabic word for zucchini or squash. There is a particular kind that is slightly green in color, more of a light green and short in shape, that comes from the Middle East. When my family immigrated from Lebanon, this type of kousa or cousa squash was difficult to find in the markets. Since it was so difficult to find, my family switched to using yellow summer squash (bumpy yellow squash, smooth, crook neck, or straight neck) for stuffed yellow squash.
Really, this dish can be made with several different varieties of squash or zucchini. Some people like to make this Lebanese stuffed zucchini with green zucchini, however it may fall apart easily and get mushy. I grew up making this kousa recipe with yellow summer squash.
🔪 Instructions
How to core and cut yellow squash
The most labor intensive part about this dish, is coring the squash. We actually have a tool passed down through my family, specifically for coring squash for mahshi kousa. I really have no idea how old our squash corer is, but here is one from Amazon! I highly recommend investing into this, if you core any sort of vegetable!
I do recommend the one on the left, the top of it does not come to a sharp point and you will not puncture the squash as easily. That particular squash corer is very similar to mine. The one on the right will work great as well, however with the sharp tip, you may have more of an issue with puncturing holes in the squash.
How to prepare the squash for stuffing summer squash:
I recommend using a medium sized yellow summer squash. If you have a very big yellow squash, they can be tough and chewy, and that is the LAST thing you want happening to your precious kousa mahshi. It doesn't matter if it is bumpy yellow squash or smooth.
Take your summer squash, or kousa, and wash it well. With a paring knife or my favorite Santoku knife Cut the tip off of the neck and then cut it where the neck widens. See example below. You will be using the neck and the body of the squash.
For more on my favorite knives, check out my review article on My Favorite Knives.
With your squash corer, scoop out the inside of the body of the squash pulp, seeds and all. You really want to make it very hollow! I try to get it as thin as possible without breaking through the skin or making holes in the squash itself.
As you can see, I poke holes in the squash shell sometimes as well, and I've been doing this since I was 4. It will still taste great! I promise!.
Core the neck of the squash as much as possible as well and discard the seeds and pulp of the yellow squash.
How to make the stuffing for Lebanese kousa squash:
The stuffing for this stuffed summer squash recipe is a very easy meat mixture! Take 1 pound of lean ground beef (or ground lamb), long grain white uncooked rice and the seasonings of ground cinnamon, salt and ground black pepper, along with 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and cut it all together in a large mixing bowl.
Let's talk about quality of ingredients for a moment. Nothing compares to good quality cinnamon! I highly recommend purchasing ground saigon cinnamon from The Spice House. It comes from a real cinnamon tree, as opposed to most cinnamon that can be found on the shelf at a grocery store. You will smell the difference the moment you open up the cinnamon package. Check them out!
Stuffing the Lebanese Squash:
Loosely stuff the cored kousa squash with the ground beef and rice mixture. Don't pack it too tightly! The rice will expand while it cooks, and you don't want to end up with a dense stuffing. You can fill it to the top with the meat filling, just don't over pack it down. The stuffing may spill out of the top as it cooks in the tomato sauce, but that is ok!
🎥 Video
Check out this video on how to stuff yellow squash:
⏲️ Cooking time
How to cook Lebanese Squash:
Gently add the stuffed yellow squash into a Dutch oven or large stainless steel pot. I let them tip over on their side, they do not have to be upright in order to cook well. I usually add the body of the stuffed squash first, then I add the necks of the squash.
Once you place the stuffed kousa squash into the pot, pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the squash evenly. If you want a thicker tomato broth at the end, add another small can of tomato sauce.
Now pour the water into the pot until it barely reaches the top of the squash.
Cover and simmer the Lebanese squash on Medium-high heat for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the squash is tender and the rice is cooked.
🥗 Side dishes
Serve the finished kousa mashi with yogurt. This is the best way to eat Lebanese stuffed squash, with a dollop of plain yogurt or Lebanese Labneh or this amazing Mint Yogurt Sauce.
I also LOVE to eat this with Homemade Pita Bread and a side salad of either Lebanese Tabouli or Lebanese Fattoush (YUM!).
You can also check out these other popular recipes by A Pinch Of Adventure:
FAQ's
How to freeze yellow squash?
I have read that you can freeze Lebanese stuffed squash after it is fully cooked, however I would beg to differ! I tried it once and when I heated it up again, it was very mushy and the texture was ailing, HOWEVER you can freeze yellow squash before it is stuffed and cooked IF you follow my directions!
Freezing yellow squash is pretty straight forward. First wash and cut and core the squash as outlined above. Do no stuff it with any sort of stuffing. Place the cored squash in 1 gallon size freezer bags and place it in the freezer.
In order to use the frozen squash, prepare the mahshi stuffing and stuff the yellow squash while it is still frozen. You do not want to thaw it before stuffing it and you will want to stuff it pretty tight with the stuffing.
Cook the squash on the stovetop per the original directions.
Can I use standard green zucchini in place of yellow squash for stuffing squash?
You CAN use green zucchini and stuff it, however it may turn out a little mushy and the taste will be slightly bitter compared to yellow summer squash. I do recommend using that actual kousa squash, or yellow summer squash in order to get the right consistency and texture.
Enjoy!
🍽 Equipment
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📖 Recipe
Lebanese Squash (Kousa Mahshi)- Stuffed Yellow Squash
Ingredients
- 6 medium summer squash, or kousa squash
- 1 lb lean ground beef or lamb
- 1 ¼ cup long grain white rice
- 1 15 oz canned tomato sauce add another 8 oz can for thicker sauce (optional)
- 2 teas salt
- ¾ teas ground black pepper
- ½ teas ground cinnamon
- 3-4 cups water or just until it covers the squash
Instructions
- Wash and cut the squash according to the picture. Discard the stem of the squash
- Using a squash corer, or something comparable, core the inside of the squash out, leaving a thin layer. Core the body and the neck of the squash as much as you cans
- Place the ground beef (uncooked), rice, spices and 4 Tbls of the tomato sauce in the large mixing bowl and cut the ingredients together until well combined
- Stuff the squash with the ground beef filling to the top of the squash and make sure not to stuff it to tightly. Packing the filling too tightly will result in dense meat and crunchy rice
- Place the stuffed squash on it's side into a large pot or Dutch oven and pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the squash. For a thicker sauce, add another 8 ounce can of tomato sauce (optional)
- Add 3 cups of water to the pan, or enough water until it reaches the top of the squash
- Simmer the squash on medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Squash should be tender and rice should be cooked
- Serve the squash with a dollop of plain yogurt or Labneh
Marianne
Ohhhh... these look really good! And they don't look too difficult either! Yum! Thanks for sharing!
Laura
This is a unique recipe. The closest thing I've ever had are stuffed green peppers. I'll have to keep this in mind for summer when I have squash from the garden.
Emily Ackerman
I personally think it's even better than stuffed peppers, it doesn't have that bitter edge to it
Kim Keltner
This is delish! Laura, my family has made this for years because my grandma was Syrian and loved cooking Lebanese food. However, we use basically spaghetti sauce and put them in a 9x13 in the oven just like Stuffed Bell peppers. This is so good, it’s a little sweeter from the squash. We also do not add the cinnamon but may try it sometimes. Try it, you will love it!
Barbara
WOW! What an interesting idea! Kind of like stuffed peppers, except squash with Lebanese spices. Sounds delish!
Emily Ackerman
It is so delicious!
Tammy Horvath
I love all of the ingredients, especially tomato sauce. I can't wait to try it.
Denise
Oh my gosh...those look so good! I love your detailed instructions. I don't eat meat....wondering if I could try making them with a meat substitute? I really want to try it out. Thank you.
Emily Ackerman
Hi Denise,
I have never made it vegetarian, however you could try mixing the rice with chopped tomatoes, green onions, parsley and mushrooms, and some toasted pine nuts. This would be really flavorful and still be Lebanese! Hope that helps!
Angela
Perfect with cauliflower rice for my grain-free and low-carb diet. YUM!
Lisa, Casey, Barrett Dog
Wow! These look amazing, thank you for sharing! We will definitely try these.
Faye
This is perfect! I usually freeze my squash for soups during the winter but oh dear! Do they get a little old after a while - but this is another erfect alternative! I always have more squash then I know what to do with and this sounds absolutely mouth wateringly dilicious
Emily Ackerman
You are going to love this recipe! It is so wonderful!
Sandy
I use rice ground beef pine nuts browned in butter and salt and pepper no cinnamon. Love it cooked in tomato sauce
Sandy
My mother never put cinnamon in her stuffing just browned pine nuts in butter ground lamb or beef salt and pepper
Emily Ackerman
Some of my family would put pine nuts as well. We usually reserved it for Chicken and Rice. I love how every Lebanese family does it a little diffferent!
jean dupont
This recipe is almost similar to my mother's. She always used that pinch of cinnamon. I use a little minced onion for extra flavor and either tomato juice or tomato sauce...whatever I have on hand. Love koosa.
Emily Ackerman
That pinch of cinnamon is necessary and adds some great flavor. Glad it's similar! This recipe reminds me of summers growing up!
CHRISTINE T DELFELD
If you grow actualy Lebanes Koussa Iike I do (I have some seeds handed down through the family and bought new ones online), you can freeze them fully cooked without them being mushy when thawed. Separate the Koussa from the juice and freeze the stuffed Koussa in airtight containters, ziplock bags or vaccuum seal bags (the best method) and freeze the juice in a separate container. When you want to thaw and eat, just thaw the Koussa and juice and combine before heating. Alternatively, you can cooked the Koussa halfway then freeze the Koussa and juice together in an airtight container. When you want to eat them, just place the thawed Koussa and juice in a pan and continue cooking until done.
Emily Ackerman
Awesome to know! We could grow kousa but do not have the seeds (I am a little jealous), we do have mint plant that was brought over here from Lebanon however. Thanks for the tips! I'll have to try!
CHRISTINE DELFELD
I can send you some kousa seeds if you pay the postage or you can buy then online like I did at Johnny's Seeds or Fedco Seed. They have a few varieties that are more disease resistent than the original version we grew up on. I would love to have a section of the mint plant if we can arrange that somehow.
Emily Ackerman
I'll check out Johnny's Seeds for sure. Our mint won't be transferrable until the spring. What state do you live in? You can email me also, emily@ apinchofadventure dot com
Sara
I'm pretty sure this is the best recipe EVER! This completely reminds me of my childhood and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for! WOW! THANK YOU! I wouldn't change one thing on this recipe!
Emily Ackerman
I am so glad you like it! It's one of my faves as well!
Kris
We used plant-based ground beef and it turned out great! We especially loved the touch of cinnamon!
Glenda
Yum! This stuffed squash made a delicious supper next to a fresh green salad. Thank you!
Sherry
With an abundance of yellow squash in our garden, this is the perfect recipe to use some of these fresh vegetables. This stuffed yellow squash recipe reminds me of the cabbage rolls that I make for my family.
Kate
I'm always looking for new recipes for summer squash as I have so many form my garden. This came our great, my family loved it. Thanks!
Gen
I love summer squash, so my family eats it a lot. This was a delicious new way to prepare it and we’ll definitely make it again!