These saucy, stuffed zucchini are filled with canned lentils, kalamata olives and jarred marinara sauce for a healthy plant-based dinner with minimal hands on time that’s equal parts filling (22g protein!) and cozy!
So cozy + filling, these lentil stuffed zucchini are the perfect plant-based dinner!
I feel like all of a sudden, life with the kids (how are they ten and fifteen?!?) has ramped up a THOUSAND notches. With all the different activities and social commitments, hubs and I are just trying to keep up.
Like yesterday, I found myself driving my kid to two different universities for activities. A 9AM drop off at one and a 9PM pick up from another. On opposite ends of the city. It’s A LOT.
And the more life accelerates, the more I look forward to a really good dinner. It’s how I ground myself at the end of the day. The trouble is, I don’t always have a lot of effort left in me to produce it (anyone else?!?)
So recipes that include double cooking aren’t really my thing. I’d been eyeing some stuffed zucchini recipes online and thought to myself: I’ve gotta do one that’s just mix and bake so I might actually do this on a Tuesday. And this is what I came up with!
Perpetual laziness efficiency aside, I think one of the other things that really makes my recipes different is that I never really turn off my dietitian brain. Like, if you want a vegan or vegetarian main, it’s GOT to have some protein, or you’re gonna be hungry 30 minutes later.
Which is why I stuffed the zucchini not with bread crumbs but with saucy lentils – they’re packed with fibre and plant-based protein! Each serving contains about 22 grams of plant-based protein and 13 grams of fibre…that magic combo for feeling full and keeping your blood sugars balanced!
Our current dinner mantra: we’re keeping it simple. We’re using canned lentils and sauce. And it’s super freaking delicious. All your favourite pasta flavours but with more veg.
These stuffed zucchini boats are a comforting light dinner all on their own..but you could also serve them with some garlic bread or maybe a side salad for an extra dose of greens (maybe my cucumber and fennel salad??).
Looking for more minimal effort, maximum flavour plant-based recipes? Grab a copy of my latest cookbook Plant Magic!
Hungry? Let’s make these yummy vegan zucchini boats
This is actually such a simple recipe, I don’t need to prep you much. But I’ll say this: the key to actually stuffing the zucchini is to have WIDE zucchini. You want them about 2 – 2.5 inches wide and 10 inches long so there is room to scoop them out and fill.
Make this recipe your own: I’m vegan, so we’re using plant-based cheese shreds and nutritional yeast for umami. Of course, if what you have in your fridge is dairy shreds and parmesan, that’s gonna work too.
No big zucchini in the store? You could also transform this into layers. Spread half the lentil sauce in a small baking dish, slice and add your zucchini, spread the other half of the sauce and then top with cheese and bake!
You can scoop with a spoon or a melon baller!My chopper tool makes VERY quick work of finely chopping the zucchini.
Heads up: we’re also not going to use all of the zucchini we scoop – it won’t fit – so here’s a tip: freeze it for use in smoothies and pasta sauces another night! Zero waste here, my friends.
You want the mixture saucy. If it’s looking dry, add a little more marinara!Get in there with your hands and really mound the lentils onto the zucchini.
More yummy recipes to help you eat more zucchini:
White Bean Skillet with Speedy Herb Sauce
30 Minute Zucchini Orzo
Baked Zucchini Fritters with Chickpea Flour
Chopped Summer Vegetable Salad with Zucchini
15 Minute, Fork Tender Grilled Zucchini
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Saucy Lentil-stuffed Zucchini Boats
These saucy stuffed zucchini are filled with canned lentils, kalamata olives and jarred marinara sauce for a healthy plant-based dinner with minimal hands on time that’s equal parts filling and cozy!
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword high protein vegetarian dinner, lentils, vegan mains, Zucchini
2mediumzucchiniabout 2 inches wide and 10 inches long OR 4 x 6-8 inch zucchini
214 oz canslentilsrinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked
2cupsmarinara sauce
⅓cuppitted kalamata olivesdiced
2clovesgarlicmicro grated or minced
¼cupnutritional yeast
1teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoonsalt
1cupcheese shreds
Imperial – Metric
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450℉ (230℃). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out the flesh, leaving about ¼ inch thick zucchini boat. Measure out 1 1/2 cups scooped zucchini, finely chop and add to a large bowl.
Add the drained lentils, marinara sauce, olives, nutritional yeast, oregano and salt to the bowl and mix well.
Stuff the zucchini, really mound it on top as much as you can! Top with cheese shreds and bake until zucchini is al dente and sauce is bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
Let cool for a few minutes, then carefully transfer the zucchini boats to your plate and enjoy!
Notes
Take that leftover zucchini and freeze it for use in smoothies, soup and sauces later on!
If using 4 smaller zucchini, do not increase the amount of diced zucchini you add!
These cozy, saucy lentil-stuffed zucchini are a filling plant-based dinner with 22g protein and 13g fibre per serving!
The post Saucy Lentil-stuffed Zucchini Boats appeared first on Desiree Nielsen.
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