Zucchini souffle is a puffy, baked cake-like preparation made with zucchini as the main ingredient. Other essential ingredients include eggs and cream. Although soufflés are usually sweet, zucchini soufflés are a savory preparation and often served as an appetizer or side dish.
Zucchini soufflés have a soft, creamy texture and are very tender on the inside with a slightly crusty top.
Ingredients and Preparation
Ingredients: Typical ingredients used in the preparation of traditional zucchini soufflé recipe include zucchini (preferably fresh; rinsed and cut into tiny pieces or mashed), egg whites, egg yolks, butter, cream, milk, a little sugar and salt and pepper for seasoning. To make a more filling and flavorful soufflé than usual, additional ingredients are sometimes added in combination with the zucchini. These are inclusive of vegetables like corn, peas, carrots, cabbage, tomato, etc., and even soft meats like chicken, seafood, etc. Cheese is also a popular addition.
Preparation: Preparation of zucchini soufflé is often categorized as a moderately simple procedure. Baking is the preferred cooking method. In order to make a good soufflé, it is important to ensure that the consistency of the batter is right. The eggs should not be too foamy and the batter should not be runny.
To make the batter, the egg whites are first beaten till stiff and then mixed with the yolks. The eggs mixture is beaten together with all the other ingredients to make a smooth, lump-free batter, which is then poured into baking dish or molds. The soufflés are baked till they are cooked on the inside and puffy, with golden brown tops.
Variations
Popular variations of zucchini soufflé include the modern diet and lactose intolerant friendly versions. In addition to these, there are many regional varieties of the soufflé, which mostly differ from each other based on the ingredients used in preparation. To cut down the fat and calorie contents of the soufflé, it is made with ingredients like skimmed milk, low-fat cream and chess, margarine, etc. To make the dish suitable for people who are lactose intolerant, milk and milk products are completely replaced with coconut milk and olive oil.
Serving Suggestions
Zucchini soufflé is usually served while still warm. It makes a good appetizer as well as side dish to roasts, grills and steaks. The soufflés are unmolded onto a serving plate while they are still warm and usually topped with shredded zucchini, cheese or a warm, sweet syrup made with sugar and flavored liqueur.