Mutabal Kousa (zucchini dip)

This creamy, dreamy Middle Eastern Zucchini dip called Mutabal Kousa is a true celebration of simple ingredients. They come together to create a delicious dip that'll have you waiting for the next zucchini season. It's best served with pita bread, sliced veggies, or, to make it extra special, jewel-toned root vegetable chips. Made with 7 pantry ingredients in 20 minutes or less, this zucchini dip is perfect for healthy snacking or an easy appetizer recipe for any gathering!

This tangy, savoury, and garlicky Mutabal Kousa is always a delicious complement to your table for any occasion. It only takes a few minutes of prep and a few ingredients to make⏤ and so many ways to eat it! Traditionally this dip is served in a meze-styled meal, similar to the Spanish tapa. Serve this dip with pita bread, veggies, or a variation of chips (pita chips, root veggies etc).

Additional bonus! This dip is amazing in sandwiches, pile it a mile-high on your favourite kebab, shawarma or souvlaki.

What is a Mutabal?

Muttabel is an Arabic word used for vegetable dips (i.e. mashed/pureed). Any time you blend a vegetable and serve it as part of a meze option, it is called a muttabel. It's actually incorrect to call a pureed vegetable hummus unless the main ingredient is actually hummus (chickpeas). It's not hummus, it's a muttabel. To call muttabel hummus is like saying a pie is a cake! 

Most muttabel dips are made with your vegetable of choice, strained yogurt (like Greek yogurt) along with tahini, garlic, olive oil, salt and lemon juice. It’s served at room temperature and usually accompanied by many other small dishes.

If you would like to make this dish plant-based you can swap out the yogurt for a plant-based yogurt or use my creamy tahini sauce instead

This type of dip is prevalent in the Mediterranean diet, and throughout the Middle East,⏤each country has a similar type of yogurt-based dip.

What Do You Need To Make This Dip?

• Zucchini: Marrow squash is the most common type of zucchini found in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It's preferred due to the low water amount. You can use regular or yellow zucchini for this recipe too.
• Olive oil: No Mediterranean recipe is without a generous helping of olive oil, and this recipe is no exception.
• Yogurt Sauce: A classic sauce that's used in countless ways. Made from yogurt, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice.
• Mint: This is a must for this dip; however, if you really hate mint, you can swap it with dill.
• Garnishes: These are optional additions such as pomegranate seed, chillies, or micro herbs.

What to serve with Mutabal Kousa

Want to make this humble-looking dip more festive? Sprinkle on some pomegranate & dried mint over the top & serve with various root veggie chips. The extra pops of jewel-toned food like the pomegranates and veggies chips are the perfect amount of gorgeousness to add that wow factor to this plain-looking dip.

• toppings: a swoosh of olive oil, extra mint
• fresh veggies for dipping (Persian cucumbers & rainbow carrots are my faves)
• Fresh bread like pita or naan bread
• or your favourite crackers, chips, or pita chips

Tip for Making Mutabal

1. You can choose to saute the zucchini in an abundance of olive oil or grill then add the olive oil during the mashing process.
2. If you find the garlic taste too strong, try using roasted garlic.
3. Allow the dip to sit for a while for the best flavour⏤, at least 15 minutes, but the longer, the better so the flavours have a better chance to blend.
4. After storing the fridge allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

Want More Mediterranean Dips? Try these out!

• Baba Ganoush
• Tzatziki 
• Muhammara
• Hummus

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Mutabal Kousa(zucchini dip)

Sarah

This Mutabal Kousa is a true celebration of simple ingredients coming together to create a delicious dip that'll have you craving for the next zucchini season. This recipe is so simple; you only need 7 ingredients and 15 minutes for it to be on your table.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Course Dips

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

Zucchini Base

• ¼ cup olive oil Extra virgin
• 2 large zucchini chopped or sliced
• 1 pinch salt

Yogurt sauce:

• 3 tablespoon yogurt greek or plant-based
• 2 tablespoon tahini
• 1 Small garlic clove pressed or grated
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 teaspoon mint dried
• 1 pinch of salt
• Water as needed

Garnishes

• Pomegranate
• Chilli peppers
• Mirco herbs

Instructions

 

• Heat a large saucepan on medium-high heat, then add oil. Once the oil begins to simmer from the heat, add the zucchini.
• Saute the zucchini until golden brown and soft. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking on both sides.
• Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt sauce. Combine yogurt, tahini, garlic, mint and lemon. Mix well.
• If the yogurt sauce is too thick, add 2 tablespoon of water at a time to thin out the sauce. You're looking for a thick yet pourable constancy.
• Once the zucchini is golden and soft, transfer to a serving bowl. Mash the zucchini with a fork to a chunky constancy
• Pour on the yogurt sauce. You have two choices at this stage you stir the yogurt and zucchini together like a tzatziki sauce or layer like I did in the photos.
• Top the dip with pomegranate seed, chilli peppers, microgreens, or whatever you would like.
• Enjoy with bread and veggies.

Notes

Fridge: 3-4 days in an airtight container. It doesn't freeze well.

Best eaten at room temperate. If the dip is thick after refrigeration, add 2 tbsps of water to loosen the dip's constancy.

The dip should be similar to a spinach dip when it comes to its constancy and texture.

Keyword holiday dips, mediterranean dips., mutabal kusa, zucchini dip