Zucchini Rolls With Goat Cheese and Mint Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated August 30, 2018
20120327-199174-zucchini-rolls.jpg

These little zucchini rolls may require some patience to get together from start to finish, but their good looks are only bested by the incredible combo of flavors packed into such a small package.

Recipe Details

Zucchini Rolls With Goat Cheese and Mint Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Makes 20 rolls
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 small bunch fresh chives
  • 4-5 medium zucchinis (about 2 pounds), washed, ends removed, and cut into 1/8-1/4” slices lengthwise
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 handful baby arugula
  • 2 fresno peppers, or other similar hot red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/8” matchsticks
  •  
  • Type of fire: Direct
  • Grill heat: high

Directions

  1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Blanch chives in boiling water until softened, about 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and set aside.

  2. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 10 minutes. Alternatively, preheat a gas grill on high heat with lid closed for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Brush zucchini with oil and season with salt and pepper, flip and repeat on second side. Grill zucchini over direct heat until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to cutting board.

  3. Spread 1 teaspoon of goat cheese over each zucchini slice, then sprinkle with mint and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

  4. Place 1 piece of arugula and 1 piece of sliced pepper at end of zucchini slice and gently roll slice together from that end. Tie a chive around each roll to secure close. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Special equipment

grill, charcoal

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