Vegan Zucchini Boats
Vegan zucchini boats let you enjoy a healthy and satisfying meal. This recipe fills the zucchini boats with a delicious and flavorful mixture of black beans, veggies, and spices. These are a hit for a Meatless Monday meal or whenever you want a light and healthy dinner.
I love zucchini for dinner. Take, for example, this vegan zucchini lasagna. Delicious! I knew zucchini boats were popular, but my question was, could I make stuffed zucchini boats vegan?
The answer is yes! And this vegan zucchini boat recipe is a delicious meal that is perfect for a light and healthy dinner.
How do you make vegan zucchini boats? Hollow out zucchinis and fill them with a flavorful mixture of veggie crumbles, black beans, and cheese. See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Zucchini — You’ll need six average zucchinis. You’ll want them to be uniform in size.
- Olive oil— We’ll brush the insides of scooped zucchini with olive oil.
- Aromatics — Let’s use both onions and garlic for lots of flavors.
- Veggie Crumbles — You can use storebought or homemade veggie crumbles.
- Seasoning — Some taco seasoning and bullion for flavor. You can substitute soy sauce for the bouillon.
- Sauce — Combining chunky salsa with enchilada sauce gives texture and flavor.
- Black beans — Add fiber and protein with some black beans.
- Corn — Add pops of color and flavor with frozen corn. Substitute drained canned corn.
- Cheddar Shreds — Add cheddar shreds for the best cheesy topping.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- FUN — You want to look forward to meals, and these zucchini boats bring smiles around the dinner table.
- EASY — Keep it simple with these boats that are ready in no time!
- MEAL PREP FAVORITE — Make these boats on the weekend and enjoy leftovers throughout the week.
Serving Suggestions
Make this vegan stuffed zucchini boats recipe and serve them with a side of your choice. It’s an excellent option for a Meatless Monday meal or any day when you want a light and healthy plant-based dinner. Enjoy!
- Everyone loves a tasty vegan spring wedge salad as a side dish.
- These oven-roasted vegetables combine flavor, nutrition, and delicious!
- Serve a filling dinner by having these vegan stuffed baked potatoes.
- These vegan cauliflower tots are low carb and tasty!
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Transfer them to the fridge overnight to thaw, then reheat them in the microwave.
Low-Calorie Dinners
These vegan zucchini boats with black beans clock in at around 300 calories. Here are even more recipes that are low-calorie, plant-based dinners:
Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 6 medium zucchini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup veggie crumbles (see note for options)
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Vegan Broth Base (substitute soy sauce)
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 can mild enchilada sauce
- ¾ cup black beans
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds
- Toppings: Chopped fresh cilantro, vegan sour cream, or chopped jalapeños.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
- PREPARING ZUCCHINI: Place zucchini on a cutting board and cut them in half lengthwise. Cut off the stem ends. Then use a spoon to scoop out the zucchini flesh, leaving some of the flesh along the boarder of the zucchini.
- Place zucchini in prepared baking pan. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over them and rub the oil into the flesh. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove and set aside.
- FILLING: In a saucepan heat the remaining olive oil until shimmering. Add onions and cook until tender, around 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Then add veggie crumbles and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the salsa, black beans, and corn into the pan and cook until simmering. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- FILL ZUCCHINI SHELLS: Spoon the filling mixture into the zucchini boats.
- Top with cheddar shreds.
- BAKE: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the zucchini is tender. Garnish with fresh-cut herbs, like cilantro.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
Veggie Crumbles
You can use store-bought veggie crumbles, homemade vegan ground beef, or substitute cooked and drained quinoa.The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Do you discard the scooped out zucchini or use it in the filling?
This is a great question, Jeanettel! You can discard it or add it to another dish, like vegetable soup. We make smoothies every day so adding it to our smoothie batch works, too.