If you love Mexican-inspired flavor, you’ll love this easy dish. The filling in the center tastes like tacos! It’s a fun alternative to traditional stuffed zucchini made with ground beef, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Zucchini acts as an alternative to taco shells or tortillas in this recipe, with extra vitamins and antioxidants in each bite. It’s a light summer meal that will leave you feeling satisfied. Instead of baking the filling and zucchini together in the oven all at once, this method cuts the cooking time in half by letting the zucchini bake while you saute the filling in a separate pan on the stove. The result is a meal ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make the stuffing, you’ll need red onion, bell pepper, garlic, black beans, and spices, but feel free to use any other vegetables you have on hand. You can swap the bell pepper for tomato, or if you don’t have extra veggies around, you can use the scooped-out zucchini flesh as the filling instead. Top these with shredded cheese for a quick vegetarian meal, or keep this dairy-free by using vegan cheese or my favorite Vegan Nacho Cheese sauce. Either way, it’s delicious!
How to Make Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Prepare the zucchini. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Use a sharp knife to cut off the ends of the zucchini squash, then slice them in half lengthwise. (No need to peel!) Next, use a spoon to scoop out the center of the zucchini, including the small seeds. Leave roughly a 1/2-inch of zucchini flesh inside the boat so they will be sturdy enough to cook in the oven. Reserve the zucchini pulp for another use, like adding it to a zucchini smoothie or oatmeal. Arrange the zucchini squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork.
- Prepare the filling. Once the zucchini is in the oven, add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper until they soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Then add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 1 more minute. Add in the drained black beans and salt, and stir briefly until everything is piping hot and the vegetables are as tender as you’d like.
- Assemble the zucchini boats. Remove the tender zucchini from the oven, and spoon the black bean mixture into each zucchini half. Depending on how many zucchini boats you choose to make, you might not use all the stuffing, and that’s ok! Save the leftovers for an egg scramble or stir fry later. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top for a cheesy topping and return the zucchini boats to the oven until the cheese has melted, about 5 to 8 more minutes. (Or you can turn on the broiler and watch closely until it is bubbly.) Looking to make vegan zucchini boats? Use dairy-free shredded cheese or drizzle on some vegan nacho cheese sauce. (There’s a tahini sauce option in the recipe notes, too.) Looking for more zucchini recipes? Try Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Air Fryer Zucchini, and Zucchini Lasagna for more ideas. If you try these Vegetarian Zucchini Boats, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like them! SaveSave
