Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières
Yield: 4-6 servings
Dish: 12 × 28 × 7.5 cm (4.7 × 11 × 3 in) Pyrex glass baking dish
For the Zucchini Flan
For the Homemade Tomato Sauce
1. Prepare the Vegetables:
Peel the zucchini and cut it into small cubes. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
2. Sauté the Zucchini Mixture:
Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic, onion, and zucchini, and sauté over medium heat for about 10–15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Chop the Basil:
Finely chop the fresh basil leaves.
4. Make the Egg Mixture:
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.
5. Combine and Mix:
Add the sautéed zucchini mixture to the egg mixture and stir gently until well combined.
6. Prepare the Baking Dish:
Lightly grease the inside of a baking dish with olive oil. Pour in the zucchini mixture.
7. Bake the Flan:
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 40 minutes, or until the flan is set and lightly golden.
🍅 Homemade Tomato Sauce
8. Prepare the Ingredients for the Sauce:
While the flan is baking, finely chop the onion and garlic for the tomato sauce.
9. Sauté the Aromatics:
Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and onion, and sauté until fragrant.
10. Simmer the Tomato Sauce:
Once the onion becomes translucent, add the tomato purée or canned tomatoes along with the basil (or your preferred herbs, such as bay leaf). Simmer gently over low heat for 30–40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Cool and Serve:
Remove the flan from the oven and let it cool slightly. It should be lightly golden on top and just set. Allow it to cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled.
Once cold, carefully unmold the zucchini flan by inverting it onto a serving plate or cutting board. Slice into portions and serve with the homemade tomato sauce on the side or spooned over the top.
🌟Enjoy It Your Way: Tips and Stories🌟
⭐️ Make Ahead for Best Flavor:
If you’d like to serve the flan cold, we recommend making it a day in advance. Chilling it overnight helps the flavors blend beautifully and gives the flan a firmer, smoother texture.
⭐️ Perfect for Light Meals or Side Dishes:
This zucchini flan has a light and refreshing taste. It’s perfect as a vegetarian main course for lunch, served with a simple salad . You can also enjoy it as a side dish with meat or fish.
⭐️ Basil Substitute Tip:
No fresh basil? No problem! You can substitute it with chopped parsley for a different but equally fresh and herbaceous flavor 🌿.
🌿 A Personal Note from Berlin:
I first discovered this zucchini flan thanks to a French mom—my child’s friend’s mother—who brought it along as part of a picnic by a lake in Berlin one summer ☀️. She had made it the day before, served it cold at the beach, and I remember thinking, “How elegant!” It felt so effortlessly chic, especially for a simple packed lunch.
Perhaps this is something quite normal for the French… but for me, it was a little culinary inspiration 😅. Since then, this flan has become a summer favorite in our family—especially loved by my elder daughter. On hot days, it’s the kind of light and satisfying dish we always come back to.
Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières
