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    You are Here: Masala Herb Β» Recipes Β» RECIPES

    Vegetarian Zucchini Boats Recipe

    Dec 20, 2022 by Helene Dsouza

    6.1K shares
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    Helene Dsouza
    A meatless, veg easy recipe for zucchini boats with just a handful of ingredients. Stuffed and baked, this summer will be your zucchini season!
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    4 boats
    RECIPE
    easy boats with squash

    Zucchini Boats are a great family dinner meal and that's how my mum would get us kids to eat our veggies.

    The stuffing is completely vegetarian, skinny, healthy, and includes cheese.

    zucchini boats stuffed bird view
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    Jump to:
    • πŸ”ͺ How to make Zucchini boats?
    • πŸ“œ Flavor variations
    • πŸ“• What zucchini to get?
    • πŸ₯£ Serving suggestions
    • 🍱 Storage
    • πŸ‘οΈ More Zucchini Recipe Ideas
    • πŸ“– Recipe
    • πŸ’¬ Comments

    Preparing baked stuffed zucchini boats for dinner is the best way to use up this amazing vegetable!

    For that, I share an easy vegetarian meatless Meditteranean zucchini boat version with tomato and cheese.

    Zucchini boats were a summer staple in our home, as were meals such as the classic quiche lorraine.

    πŸ”ͺ How to make Zucchini boats?

    Zucchini Boats are easily prepared from scratch!

    These are quick instructions to help you decide if you want to make this tonight.

    The complete recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

    Step 1

    Rinse your zucchini, cut it into half lengthwise.

    Place Zucchini into a baking dish, scrape out the flesh to create "boats".

    cut zucchini lengthwise and hollow out

    Step 2

    Collect zucchini flesh with the other stuffing ingredients in a bowl and combine.

    prepare zucchini boat stuffing by mixing ingredients together in a bowl

    Step 3

    Place stuffing into the zucchini. Sprinkle some cheese over that and olive oil

    Bake until cooked through and golden.

    stuff hollow zucchini boats

    πŸ“œ Flavor variations

    You can choose your seasoning in this vegetarian recipe.

    I recommend adding Italian seasoning, herb de Provence or something like a Mediterranean seasoning.

    You can use oregano too and/ or basil and make it spicy add taco seasoning or cayenne pepper.

    You can add the following ingredients to these zucchini boats. These are vegetarian meatless recommendations (sticking to the theme).

    • jalapenos - for extra heat and a Mexican touch
    • mushrooms - sliced
    • parmesan - for Italian flavors
    • ricotta cheese - for a creamy stuffing
    • cooked quinoa or rice - if you have leftovers to use
    zucchini boats close up baked

    πŸ“• What zucchini to get?

    The perfect zucchini length is 10 inches/26 centimeters. This length is easier to turn into boats.

    Smaller zucchini have softer skin and the flesh tends to be tender as well. The squash will cook faster and better through.

    Remember to pick only organic untreated/unwaxed Zucchini if you buy them from a store because you will be using unpeeled zucchini.

    If you have grown big-sized Zucchini, you can use those as well.

    But you will need to peel large zucchini because the bigger the zucchini the more bitter and fibrous the skin gets.

    My mum would always prepare zucchini boats with large zucchinis, so she would peel them, quarter, or cut even smaller if necessary and hollow out as good as possible.

    Then she would stuff the zucchinis just the way I am about to show you.

    πŸ₯£ Serving suggestions

    Serve up with cooked plain rice or aromatic rice.

    Other side dishes such as couscous, wheat berries, and polenta (grits) are also great with these stuffed zucchinis.

    A simple green lettuce salad with a vinaigrette is another great addition.

    🍱 Storage

    How to store and warm up leftovers?

    Place your leftovers into a fridge-friendly container. Keep the container on a shelf in your fridge. Take out and warm up in an oven-proof dish in your oven, in a skillet over the stovetop, or in a microwave dish in the microwave.

    Can you freeze your boats?

    You can freeze your uncooked stuffed zucchini by placing them on a tray and keeping the tray in the freezer. When frozen hard, take them out and store them in a freezer-friendly container or similar.

    How to prepare frozen zucchini boats?

    Place the frozen stuffed zucchini boats on a parchment laid-out sheet pan and keep your oven preheated. Don't thaw your zucchini, just bake it a little more than the recommended time in the recipe until cooked through and golden on top.

    πŸ‘οΈ More Zucchini Recipe Ideas

    • Meat Stuffed Zucchini Boats
    • Zucchini and Eggs Skillet
    • Baked Zucchini Casserole
    • Garlic Onion Sauteed Zucchini
    zucchini boat casserole pin

    πŸ“– Recipe

    easy boats with squash

    Easy Zucchini Boats Recipe [Vegetarian]

    A meatless, veg easy recipe for zucchini boats with just a handful of ingredients. Stuffed and baked, this summer will be your zucchini season!
    4.31 from 23 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, French
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 boats
    Calories: 157kcal
    Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

    Ingredients

    • 2 Zucchini *see Notes
    • Β½ Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground
    • 1 Teaspoon Salt
    • 1 Onion chopped
    • 2 Pieces Garlic Cloves chopped
    • Β½ Cup Tomato Sauce
    • Β½ Cup Cheese grated *see Notes
    • 1 Tablespoon Dried Herb Blend Herb de Provence or Italian seasoning, *see Notes
    • 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    US - Metric

    Instructions

    • Wash your Zucchinis well. Then cut lengthwise into half.
    • Spoon out the flesh and hollow out the zucchini so that you are left with the "boats".
    • Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit/180 Celsius.
    • The soft center of the zucchini can be cut roughly smaller. Collect flesh in a mixing bowl.
    • Add to the zucchini filling the black pepper, salt, chopped onion, garlic, tomato sauce, cheese (reserve a β…“ of your cheese) and herb seasoning of your choice. Mix everything well.
    • Stuff your zucchini boats with the prepared filling and sprinkle the β…“ of reserved grated cheese, which you didn't mix into the filling, over the stuffed vegetable boats.
    • Sprinkle some olive oil over the stuffed squash.
    • Bake the Zucchini for about 20-25 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit/180 Celsius. Golden brown or until done.

    Notes

    1. Smaller Zucchinis are better (see post for an explanation why). about 10 inches/25 centimeters
    2. Use a vegetarian cheese to make this vegan. Not all cheese is vegetarian if it contains rennet. Pick a vegetarian grated Mozzarella or Emmentaler cheese. They mention if it's vegetarian or not on the packaging, except if it's from the farmer's market. In that case ask the person at the farmer's market.
    3. Choose your seasoning herb blend. I like to use herb de Provence or Italian seasoning. You can use pizza seasoning too or simply dried oregano.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Zucchini Boats Recipe [Vegetarian]
    Amount Per Serving (380 g)
    Calories 157 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 4g20%
    Cholesterol 15mg5%
    Sodium 839mg35%
    Potassium 411mg12%
    Carbohydrates 8g3%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 470IU9%
    Vitamin C 22mg27%
    Calcium 131mg13%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    6.1K shares
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    I am Helene, and I created Masala Herb in 2011. Here you will learn to cook with spices and herbs. I share from scratch, international food recipes and my mission is to teach you to cook flavorful food at home. Read More…

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    Comments

      4.31 from 23 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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    1. Donna says

      August 31, 2023 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was delicious! I used store bought tomato pasta sauce (rather than just canned tomato sauce) and added about a cup and a half. I used no oil but topped the boats with provolone cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Baked 30 minutes. Perfect. Thank you for a great recipe that I could tweak.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        August 31, 2023 at 10:16 pm

        Thanks for sharing your version with us, Donna. It sounds delicious. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Greg says

      August 11, 2023 at 12:34 am

      2 stars
      This was not what I expected. I followed all the instructions, except i did one zucchiniand one summer squash. Took way longer to cook, and after 50 minutes I gave up and served it, onions only part cooked. I used Italian seasoning, which was too heavy and could have gone with half. The summer squash was less mushy and more flavorful than the zucchini, but not that great either. Waste of time and ingredients.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        August 12, 2023 at 2:17 pm

        Hi Greg, I'm sorry to hear that your zucchini boats didn't turn out as expected.

        Did you use the same oven heat as per the instructions? Did you use bottom heat, bottom and top heat or fan heat? Moreover, Fahrenheit and Celsius shouldn't be confused.

        You mentioned that your onions got only part cooked, and after 50 minutes that shouldn't be the case at all.

        Unfortunately, also, not all ovens are built the same way and Zucchini can vary in sizes. I still feel that you should check your oven and the settings.

        About the Italian seasoning, I'll point out in the recipe that this is a flavorful dish. It's not a bland dish, especially since Zucchini can be a bit bland on its own.

        Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback, nonetheless. I appreciate it, and I hope someone else will find this info useful in some way.

        Reply
    3. Mike says

      July 05, 2023 at 9:40 pm

      4 stars
      Melon baller worked great. The pulp was cooked in sim fashion.
      Pretty good dish. Will lead to other options.

      Reply
    4. Stephanie Barker says

      February 02, 2022 at 2:43 am

      5 stars
      Amazing vegetarian recipe!!! I used sun-dried tomato paste because that's what I had on hand and added about a half can of well-drained black beans. The herbs de Provence gave it a unique flavor - and I can't wait to eat the rest!
      Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        February 03, 2022 at 2:21 pm

        Awesome, glad you liked the dish. Thanks for sharing your version, Stephanie. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    5. Monica says

      October 21, 2020 at 2:57 am

      Can you use can diced tomatoes instead of sauce?

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        October 21, 2020 at 2:40 pm

        Yes you can use can diced tomatoes

        Reply
    6. Ryana says

      June 13, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      2 stars
      Cheese is NOT vegetarian. We don't consume ANY animal products.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        June 15, 2020 at 12:12 pm

        Cheese is vegetarian. Cheese is not vegan. The recipe is vegetarian but it doesn't claim to be vegan. Please check online or in books for the difference between vegetarian and vegan. And please don't rate the recipe if you haven't tried it.

        Reply
        • Stephanie says

          July 10, 2022 at 9:17 pm

          Some cheese is vegetarian. Some cheeses not vegetarian. You have to read the label.

          Reply
          • Helene Dsouza says

            July 13, 2022 at 3:52 pm

            Hi Stephanie, thanks for pointing this out. I see where I was wrong, and I can see now where what you guys said makes sense. If rennet is added during the cheese making process, then the cheese isn't vegetarian. But not all cheese is made that way. You can use soft Mozzarella to make this recipe vegetarian.

            Reply
    7. Sarah says

      July 18, 2018 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for a friend who just had a baby. She is vegetarian and this recipe was a big hit with her and her family!. Thanks so much.

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        July 19, 2018 at 5:17 pm

        Hi Sarah glad to hear that the Zucchini Boats were appreciated and that you guys enjoy the recipe as much as I do. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    8. Jenni says

      July 18, 2018 at 11:34 am

      I LOVE zucchini and all ways to use them! This is so fun and creative to use them as a boat stuffed with all kinds of goodies! Totally trying this soon!

      Reply
    9. ANTARA ROY says

      July 05, 2018 at 5:41 pm

      Mouthwatering Pictures. Great. Thank you

      Reply

    Welcome

    Hi there! I'm Helene and here you will learn how to cook with spices and herbs. Discover global food and learn to season your food like a pro. Read more about my work and mission or head over to my food ingredient space, Unknownbite.com, and our travel space, Paulmarina.com!

    More About Me ->








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