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Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

1/7/22

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

These easy Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the perfect appetizer to serve even the pickiest crowd – they're gluten-free and vegetarian!

Mini Vegetarian Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats

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How to make this recipe

  1. Cook lentils and quinoa.
  2. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, then scoop out flesh.
  3. Season with salt and pepper then bake for 8 min.
  4. Saute all filling ingredients except for cheese and cilantro.
  5. Remove from heat then add in cheese and cilantro.
  6. Stuff cooked zucchini with filling, then sprinkle with more cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted.
  7. Remove from oven, then cut each zucchini boat into four different pieces if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Mini Vegetarian Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Zucchini – zucchinis will give the boat shape effect for this recipe, but feel free to use any other squash. Yellow summer squash would work especially well

Filling

  • Olive oil – any neutral oil such as canola oil, grapeseed oil or avocado oil can replace olive oil in this recipe
  • Red lentils – use any other lentil (like brown or black) as a substitution
  • Quinoa – barley, farro, rice or couscous can be used in place of quinoa
  • Chili powder – crushed chili peppers, taco seasoning, or cayenne powder can all be used in place of chili powder
  • Red and yellow bell peppers – use any bell pepper colors of choice or replace with another vegetable of choice
  • Plum tomatoes – roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes or diced tomatoes can be used in place of plum tomatoes
  • Yellow onion – feel free to use another onion of choice like red onion, white onion or sweet onions
  • Garlic – use fresh or jarred minced garlic in this recipe or garlic powder in a pinch
  • Salsa – use a store-bought or homemade salsa of choice
  • Cheddar cheese – any shredded cheese blend that you like can be used
  • Cilantro – parsley can be used instead (to garnish)

Mini Vegetarian Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Storing and reheating

This recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner! The zucchini is a low carb and it's stuffed with delicious vegetarian flavours that make it a lighter dinner option that tastes amazing.

To store any leftover zucchini boats, place them in an airtight container. The stuffed zucchini can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days, making them a great meal prep dinner idea for the week. When ready to enjoy the zucchini boats, place them on a baking sheet in the oven until warmed or microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Mini Vegetarian Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats

More stuffed zucchini ideas

Stuffed vegetables are the perfect way to get in your vegetables in a fun and exciting way. They can also be easily customized with the flavours that you're craving. So, if Tex Mex or  vegetarian zucchini boats aren't what you're craving then you can easily swap out some of the ingredients to your (or your family's) liking.

Here are some easy ideas below:

  • Make the dish heartier by adding protein from a ground meat of choice (ex: extra lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey)
  • Experiment with other cheeses of choice than cheddar cheese
  • Replace the zucchini altogether with hollowed bell peppers or another squash of your liking
  • Replace spices to achieve a new flavour

What to serve with baked stuffed zucchini

This dish is hearty on its own and doesn't need a side dish. But if you're looking to make a delicious dinner spread, try pairing these zucchini boats with a side dish of your choice. Tasty sides and appetizers to serve with stuffed zucchini include:

  • Garlic bread
  • Rice side dish
  • Side salad
  • Grilled chicken

Mini Vegetarian Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats

More delicious vegetarian recipes

  • Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup
  • Sweet Potato, Squash and Kale Buddha Bowl
  • Roasted Vegetable Flatbread
  • Warm Tahini Kale and Quinoa Bowls

Meal prep tools 

  • Grab some glass meal prep bowls to store leftovers
  • These Foil Containers are great for freezing individual servings then reheating in the oven
Mini Vegetarian Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

These easy Mexican-inspired Zucchini Boats are the perfect appetizer to serve even the pickiest crowd - they're gluten-free and vegetarian!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 24 bites
Calories: 93kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson

Ingredients

  • 3 in medium-sized zucchini cuthalf lengthwise
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Filling:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/4 cups brown, black or red lentils
  • 1 1/4 cups quinoa
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 each red and yellow pepper diced
  • 1 medium-sized plum tomato deseeded and diced
  • 1/2 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 3/4 cup salsa
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 tbsp reserved for garnish
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro or parsley minced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Cook lentils and quinoa each according to package directions.
  • Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, then scoop out flesh. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 min until zucchini is just tender.
  • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan on med-high heat. Add all filling ingredients except for cheese and cilantro. Saute for 5-6 min, then remove from heat, stirring in cheese and cilantro.
  • Remove zucchini from oven and stuff with filling, then sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp cheese. Bake for another 2 min until cheese is melted.
  • Remove from oven, then cut each zucchini boat into four different pieces. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

NOTE: Nutritional info is for 1 bite out of 24 bites

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GirlonBloor or tag #girlonbloor!

These easy Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the perfect appetizer to serve even the pickiest crowd - they're gluten-free and vegetarian! #zucchiniboats #lowcarb These easy Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the perfect appetizer to serve even the pickiest crowd - they're gluten-free and vegetarian! #zucchiniboats #lowcarbThese easy Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the perfect appetizer to serve even the pickiest crowd - they're gluten-free and vegetarian! #zucchiniboats #lowcarb

These easy Mexican-inspired Zucchini Boats are the perfect appetizer to serve even the pickiest crowd – they're gluten-free and vegetarian! #zucchiniboats #lowcarb These easy Mexican-inspired Zucchini Boats are the perfect appetizer to serve even the pickiest crowd – they're gluten-free and vegetarian! #zucchiniboats #lowcarb

 

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Chickpea Quinoa Power Salad {Gluten Free} »

About Taylor Stinson

Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!

Comments

  1. Meaghan says

    October 26, 2016 at 18:01

    Congrats again on your graduation! Loved these zucchini boats at FBC 🙂 All the best for your future xx

    Reply
    • Taylor Stinson says

      October 27, 2016 at 08:57

      Thanks so much Meaghan!!! I’m so glad I met you at FBC this past weekend. I think we should try to get there early next year and do a pre-FBC lunch or something! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jaclyn says

    October 20, 2016 at 10:41

    Taylor,

    Congrats on your graduation today! That’s awesome! Enjoy your time at the conference this weekend – it sounds like an amazing opportunity. I would love to hear more about your experience at it this year – I would love to attend next year

    Reply
    • Taylor Stinson says

      October 25, 2016 at 18:00

      Thank you so much Jaclyn – it was SUCH a whirlwind weekend and I’m still catching up needless to say! I will be coming out with a post within the next couple of days so stay tuned for a wrap up. You should TOTALLY attend last year. I honestly learned so much and I really think I will be able to take my blog to the next level because of it!

      Reply
  3. Sachie says

    October 20, 2016 at 09:21

    Oh these look SOOOO GOOD!! I’ll be adding these on my list to try out this week!

    Reply
    • Taylor Stinson says

      October 25, 2016 at 18:00

      Thanks so much Sachie!! They were a big hit at the conference so I hear 😉

      Reply

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Taylor Stinson

Oh hey there, welcome!!

I'm Taylor Stinson, a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto. Looking to switch up your weekly meal prep routine? I've got you covered with healthy recipes and meal planning resources. Join 1.5 million other monthly readers and dive in! MORE ABOUT ME..

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