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
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- 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.
How to Make Vegan Zucchini Boats
- Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a boarder to give it some structure.
- Place zucchini in a pan and rub oil over into them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 5 minutes.
- Cook onions until tender, then add garlic and cook for one minute. Add the salsa, black beans, and corn and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Spoon the filling into the zucchini boats.
- Top with vegan cheddar shreds. See more on melting vegan cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the zucchini is tender.
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.
Zucchini Boat Filling Options
You have many options when it comes to fillings for your vegan zucchini boats. Here are some of our favorites:
- Vegan Mexican Stuffed Zucchini — Add a tablespoon of taco seasoning to the filling to give it a South of the Border flair!
- Tofu Stuffed Zucchini — Substitute black beans with Miso Glazed Tofu for amazing protein and flavor!
- Lentil Stuffed Zucchini — This lentil sloppy Joe mix would be perfect in zucchini boats!
- Greek Stuffed Zucchini — These air-fried falafel could be paired with hummus and chopped cucumber to make Greek zucchini boats. Don’t forget to drizzle some dairy-free tahini sauce on top!
So many great flavor options. It speaks to the versatility of the humble zucchini!
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:
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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.