Recipe of the week: ‘Mock’ Zucchini Soufflé

A traditional soufflé requires creating a béchamel sauce, a delicate operation that’s “a guarantee” you’re never going to make a soufflé on a weeknight, said Mark Bittman in The New York Times. But there is an easier way. In my “mock” soufflé, “just eggs and cheese” replace the béchamel. The result isn’t a traditional soufflé, but it’s every bit as “golden and puffy.”

‘Mock’ Zucchini Soufflé

1 tbsp butter

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¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

2 to 3 medium zucchini, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 eggs, separated

8 oz Gruyère cheese, grated

¼ cup parsley, chopped

Butter four 1½-cup ramekins or one 6-cup soufflé dish. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; when hot, add onion and garlic. Cook until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until very tender, another 10 to 12 minutes. Drain if there is excess liquid and cool. (If preferred, substitute in 10 oz chopped and sautéed spinach.)

In large bowl, beat egg yolks and cheese with salt and pepper. Add vegetables and parsley, and stir. In clean, dry bowl, beat egg whites until they are light and fluffy and just hold soft peaks; stir about a third of the whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites, trying not to deflate them much. Pour into ramekins. Bake until golden and puffy, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve immediately.