High-Protein Zucchini Ribbons with Tofu

Honestly, you can also make this recipe with pasta if your carb targets are more generous.

As it is, this dish is very filling and relatively low in calories. Zucchini replaced pasta for me throughout my entire diet phase.

When I’m in contest prep, I even skip the olive oil and cook only with boiling water. I personally like having some liquid in the dish, it feels like a rich sauce to me, but you can definitely use less water if you prefer.

Ingredients

2 large, firm zucchinis4 garlic cloves250 g mushrooms, about one and a half small packs10 juicy cherry tomatoesGreen chili pepper, spicy or mild to taste1 tablespoon olive oilA handful of parsley200 g tofu

Seasoning: garlic and paprika blend or simply paprika, turmeric, and salt. If using spice blends, note that they may already contain salt.

Instructions

Use a vegetable peeler to create long zucchini ribbons. Watch the video if you’re not familiar with this technique.

Chop the mushrooms and set aside. Mince the garlic and tomatoes. Heat a deep pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly sauté the garlic and tomatoes with some of the spices. Once they soften, add 2 cups of boiling water. The water should not fully cover the vegetables, just about halfway.

Add the zucchini ribbons and mushrooms. Stir occasionally so everything absorbs the flavors evenly.

Grate the tofu using a box grater. I like it very crumbly.

After about 10 minutes, once the liquid has slightly reduced, add the tofu.

Tip: If the liquid evaporates but the vegetables are still firm, you probably added too little water. Add a bit more boiling water, let it cook another minute or two, and then add the tofu.

If protein is not a priority for this meal, you can replace the tofu with vegan cheese.

Let the tofu or cheese cook briefly together with the zucchini.

Serving suggestion: chopped parsley and raw tahini on top if you like.

Enjoy.

Approximate macros with vegetables and olive oil:

Protein: 41 gCarbs: 31 gFat: about 20 g

How would I turn this into a cutting-friendly version?

There’s no such thing as a “cutting meal” on its own. What matters is being in an effective calorie deficit overall. But to reduce calories here, you can remove the olive oil, pepper, and tomatoes.

That would leave you with approximately:Protein: 39.6 gCarbs: 24.5 g, about 9 g from fiberFat: about 10 g