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Lentil stuffed vegan zucchini boats topped with vegan cheese and basil on a baking sheet.
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Vegan Zucchini Boats

Lentil-stuffed zucchini with pizza sauce and topped with vegan mozzarella.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword lentil stuffed zucchini, vegan zucchini boats
Diet Gluten-Free Option, High Protein, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 322kcal
Author Monica Davis

Ingredients

  • 3-4 medium zucchini about 6-8 inches long
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more for extra spice
  • 2 cups cooked lentils or any other vegan protein of choice
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 cup vegan pizza cheese sauce
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425° F (218° C). If using pizza cheese sauce, make it now and set it aside.

Prep the Zucchini

  • Wash the zucchini and slice them in half the long way. Cut a border around the zucchini about 1/4 inch in from the edge. With a spoon, scrape out the inside of the zucchini and place the scrapings in a small bowl. Chop it up into small pieces and sprinkle it with salt, and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
  • Place your zucchini halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Then bake the empty zucchini halves for 15 minutes at 425° F (218° C).

Make the filling

  • While the zucchini is baking, sauté a diced onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of salt, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, and fennel. Cook the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until they are translucent.
  • While the onions are cooking, place the scraped zucchini filling in a cheese cloth or a thin, clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, then add it to the pan with the onions and sauté for 3-4 more minutes.
  • Add 2 cups of cooked lentils (or other vegan protein of choice) and 1 cup of pizza sauce. Stir well and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.

Stuff and bake the zucchini boats

  • Once the zucchini has baked for 15 minutes, take them out of the oven and fill them with the lentil mixture. Top with vegan pizza cheese sauce or vegan mozzarella and place back into the 425° F (218° C) oven for 20 more minutes.

Notes

  • Use a sharp paring knife to cut an outline around the zucchini where you want to scoop out the middle.
  • Be sure to leave about 1/4 inch of the zucchini for the boat. You don't want it to get too thin, or it will fall apart.
  • If the zucchini has big seeds, you can discard them. Don't use the seeds in your filling
  • If cooking your own lentils, boil 1 1/4 cups of green lentils in salted water for 18 minutes, then drain and rinse. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2boats | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 587mg | Potassium: 947mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 568IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 5mg