Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Boats

These Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Boats are filled with black beans cooked in spicy tomato sauce for a healthy low-carb Mexican dinner. Bonus, this stuffed zucchini recipe is also gluten-free and dairy-free.

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I love making healthy recipes with zucchini when it’s the season for these summer squash, like I do with my Baked Zucchini Chips, Zucchini Smoothie, Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread, or Vegan Zucchini Fritters.

These stuffed zucchini boats are baked zucchini halves stuffed with a juicy plant-based protein cooked in tomato sauce. The most common zucchini stuffing use Lentil Taco Meat, TVP Taco Meat, or Mexican Black Beans cooked in tomato sauce with taco seasoning and vegetables.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All you need are a few simple ingredients and good preparation of your zucchini halves to avoid a runny dish.

• Zucchini – I love to use fresh, organic zucchini.
• Black beans – I used canned black beans. One can of 15 oz makes 1 1/4 cups of cooked black beans. Rinse and drain the black bean before cooking. You can also use 1 1/4 cups of cooked black beans from raw black beans. You can swap black beans for many other cooked beans, including butter beans, also known as cannellini beans, chickpeas, peas, or cooked brown lentils.
• Corn Kernel – Fresh, frozen, or canned.
• Olive Oil – I prefer using locally-sourced extra-virgin olive oil.
• Red Bell Pepper – or any color of bell pepper you love.
• Red Onion – You can alternatively use yellow onions.
• Garlic Powder – or fresh, crushed garlic.
• Spices – Oregano, Paprika, Cumin, Chili Powder
• Tomato Passata and Tomato Paste – for a rich tomato flavor.
• Vegetable Broth – or just water.
• Salt and Pepper – to taste

How To Make Vegan Stuffed Zucchini

It’s straightforward to make stuffed zucchini.

1. Before you start, make sure you select a baking tray that fits the length of your zucchini. I used a 9-inch x 13-inch baking tray, and I can fit 8 medium-sized zucchini halves on it.
2. Cover the baking tray with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper with olive oil to prevent the zucchini from sticking to the paper. Set aside.

3. First, wash, and cut the zucchini halfway lengthwise. Keep the skin on, and don’t trim the zucchini ends to encase the zucchini is filling properly.

4. Next, use a teaspoon to scoop out the flesh from the center of the zucchini. Don’t go too deep to avoid breaking the zucchini boats.

5. Finally, place the zucchini boats onto a large baking tray, with the zucchini flesh facing up. 
6. Then, sprinkle salt all over the zucchini and set them aside for 20 minutes to let the zucchini sweat.
7. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

8. In a non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Then, stir fry diced red onion and red bell pepper until soft and fragrant.

9. Then, stir in cooked black beans, corn kernel, and spices and keep cooking for 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Finally, stir in tomato paste, tomato passata, and vegetable broth.
11. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture is thicker and flavorsome. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

12. Now that the zucchini salted for 20 minutes, you should spot some water all over their surface. Use absorbent kitchen paper to pat dry the zucchini boats and remove the excess water.
13. Fill each zucchini with the cooked black beans.
14. Cover the baking sheet with a piece of foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until the zucchini are tender.

Storage Instructions

These stuffed zucchini can be stored for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze the zucchini and thaw them in the fridge before serving. To rewarm your vegan meal, pop the zucchini in the microwave or a non-stick saucepan. Cover with a lid and cook until hot.

Serving Suggestions

This is a great recipe for a low-carb, healthy Mexican dinner. These zucchini boats make excellent party food served as taco shells topped with:

• Diced avocado
• A dollop of vegan coconut yogurt
• Salsa sauce
• More corn kernel 
• Fresh cilantro
• Hot sauce

You can also serve this recipe as a healthy vegan meal with a side like:

• Cooked quinoa – this adds up to your plant-based proteins, so a great option! Learn how to cook quinoa.
• Cooked brown rice
• Stir-fried cauliflower rice for a low-carb dinner.
• Vegan Cornbread Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Meal Recipes

Below I listed more easy vegan meals recipes to try:

Vegan Spaghetti Squash

TVP Taco Meat

Vegan Enchiladas Recipe

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Boats

These easy, stuffed zucchini boats with black beans are perfect for a healthy, low-carb Mexican dinner.

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 zucchini boats

Calories: 116.2 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 4 large Zucchini - cut in halves lengthwise and deseeded
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ ½ small Red Onion - minced
• ▢ ½ small Red Bell Pepper - deseeded, diced
• ▢ 1 can (15oz) Black Beans - rinsed, drained, equivalent 1 1/4 cup cooked black beans
• ▢ ½ cup Corn Kernels - canned or frozen
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Cumin
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Oregano
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ⅓ cup Tomato Paste
• ▢ ⅓ cup Tomato Passata
• ▢ ¼ cup Vegetable Broth

To serve

• ▢ 1 Ripe Avocado - diced
• ▢ ¼ tablespoon Spicy Salsa Sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup Coconut Yogurt
• ▢ ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro
• ▢ ¼ cup Corn Kernels

Instructions

Prepare the zucchini

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray olive oil all over a large baking dish that fits the length of the zucchini. I used a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish that will fit 8 medium zucchini halves.
• Cut the zucchini in halves lengthwise, don't peel, don't cut sides, or the filling runs out when baked later. 
• Use a teaspoon to scoop out the flesh of the zucchini carefully. Don't go too deep, or you can break the zucchini halves. For tips, scroll up in this post to watch my step-by-step pictures.

Prepare the dish

• Place each zucchini half next to each other on the baking dish. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt all over the zucchini halves and set aside 20 minutes to 'sweat' the zucchini.
• Meanwhile, cook the black bean filling. In a large skillet, warm olive oil, add the diced onions and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in diced red bell pepper, and cook for an extra 1-2 minutes until softened.
• Stir in cooked black beans, corn kernel, and spices: garlic powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, chili powder. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
• Stir in tomato passata, vegetable broth, and tomato paste. Simmer for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring until the sauce has thickened.
• Use a spoon to fill the hollowed zucchini boats with the vegan filling.
• Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until the zucchini are cooked through.
• Serve with basmati rice or quinoa on the side and top each zucchini half with diced avocado, cilantro, fresh coconut yogurt.

Equipment

Ceramic Pan

Frying Pan

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Nutrition

Serving: 1zucchini boat | Calories: 116.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.1g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 6.4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.9g | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 737.2mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 7.6g | Vitamin A: 813.2IU | Vitamin C: 43.1mg | Vitamin D: 0.1µg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.4mg | Magnesium: 47.1mg | Phosphorus: 99.3mg | Zinc: 0.9mg