Stuffed zucchini boats with bell pepper, chickpeas, and vegan cheese! This is a simple vegetarian weeknight dinner, side dish or entrée which contains healthy wholesome ingredients. The recipe is meat-free, plant-based, relatively low-carb, and easy to make! You can use your favorite veggies and sub chickpeas for other beans or lentils.
Chickpea Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Do you like zucchini? I really do, because zucchini can be used in so many ways. Either baked or grilled or you can make zoodles (spiralized zucchini noodles) instead of spaghetti. I often also add zucchini to my green smoothies because they are packed with many nutrients.
These vegan zucchini boats are stuffed with hearty chickpeas, which add healthy plant-based protein.
I love this recipe because it is:
- A great vegan side dish, weeknight dinner or entrée
- Hearty, cheesy, flavorful, spicy
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
How To Make Vegan Stuffed Zucchini?
Check the following step-by-step instruction photos below:
- Cut the zucchini in half (lengthwise), scoop out some flesh, leaving a border around the skin.
- Chop the scooped-out flesh with a knife and set aside.
- Prepare the filling in a skillet and stuff each zucchini half with the filling.
- Add vegan cheese sauce (or store-bought vegan cheese) and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
Health Benefits Of Zucchini
Did you know that zucchini have many health benefits? They are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and are rich in antioxidants. I found an amazing article with 9 great facts about zucchini! I am going to share some facts with you:
1.) Improves digestion
Zucchini is high in water. It also contains significant amounts of fiber, electrolytes, and other nutrients that are necessary for a healthy digestive system…
2.) Slows down aging
Zucchini is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, which help rid the body of free radicals and excess inflammation…
3.) Lowers blood sugar levels
By including zucchini in your diet, you increase the intake of fiber… Studies show that including at least 30 grams of fiber in your daily diet lowers your risk of getting diabetes significantly…
4.) Supports healthy circulation and a healthy heart
Zucchini is low in fat and sodium, but high in fiber and potassium. These properties help to maintain healthy blood circulation…
5.) Improves eye health
Zucchini is a good source of health-protecting antioxidants and phytonutrients, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese, zeaxanthin, and lutein…
6.) Boosts energy
Because zucchini is a rich source of B-vitamins, especially folate, riboflavin, and B6, it can help to boost energy production in the body. This reduces fatigue and improves moods…
7.) Weight loss
Because zucchini is low in calories and high in water and fiber, it is a great food for those wishing to reduce their body weight…
Check out this link to find out more incredible facts about zucchini.
Healthy Ingredients
As mentioned before, these zucchini boats are stuffed with a savory chickpea mixture, bell pepper, and vegan cheese. I also used the zucchini flesh because if you prepare it with different seasonings it actually turns out to be tasty and flavorful!
If you don’t like chickpeas, you can, of course, use beans (kidney beans, white beans, pinto beans, black beans…), refried beans, or lentils instead. You can either cook the chickpeas from dry or use canned chickpeas.
This Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Recipe is:
- Meat-free, dairy-free
- Relatively low-carb
- Gluten-free
- Hearty
- Satisfying
- Flavorful
- Comforting
- A great weeknight dinner or side dish
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
Should you recreate these vegan stuffed zucchini boats, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂
If you like stuffed dishes, definitely also check out the following vegan recipes:
- Stuffed Eggplant With Lentils
- Cheesy Stuffed Potato Cakes
- Stuffed Potato Skins
- Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers (Capsicum)
- Vegan Lasagna Roll Ups
- Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos
Vegan Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil or water, if oil-free
- 1 small/medium onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 small bell pepper chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
- 1 heaped tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp hot sauce or more to taste
- 4-6 tbsp plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Sea salt, ground pepper, and chili powder to taste
- Fresh herbs to garnish
- 1 batch vegan cheese sauce or 7 oz (200 g) store-bought vegan cheese
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini in half (lengthwise) and scoop out about 2/3 of the flesh leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick border around the skin. Check the step-by-step photos above in the blog post.
- Chop the scooped out zucchini with a large knife and set aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic, bell pepper, zucchini flesh, all spices, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tomato paste, hot sauce, and plant-based milk. Put a lid on the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegan cheese sauce or use store-bought vegan cheese.
- At the same time, preheat oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210 degrees Celsius) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add chickpeas to the skillet and cook for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more salt/pepper/spices to taste.
- Stuff each zucchini half with the chickpea mixture.
- Add vegan cheese on top and bake for 20-25 minutes in the oven. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Please check the step-by-step photos above in the blog post.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving made with my vegan cheese sauce.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Hi there! Just wondering if this can be made ahead of time. It looks amazing!
Hi! You could make the filling ahead and store it in the fridge. Or you could already bake the zucchinis with the filling and later reheat them in the oven until warmed through. 🙂
We’re a family of 4, 2 of us are vegans. My husband and son who are not couldn’t get over how flavourful they were. My daughter and I (the vegans) adored them.
My son actually asked if his friend could come over for dinner as long as I cooked these. His friends reply was “ I didn’t know vegan food could be so tasty “. A huge success in our home. Thank you Ela ❤️
Yay, that’s really amazing, Tracie! I am happy you all loved them. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
My husband really raved about this recipe. He thought it was fantastic. He asked me several times to make sure I saved the recipe. It has so much flavor and just the perfect amount of heat. It was super easy to make as well though the filling took some chopping and some time. The cheese sauce seemed mucousy and I was skeptical until it melted into the filling. Then I wished I’d have had more on each zucchini boat. LOL. I think the cheese sauce was absolutely perfect for this dish. and I think it would be wonderful on pizza, baked potatoes, etc but I didn’t really enjoy it as much as a dip for nacho chips because of the consistency but I’m going to bake it on the nachos next time and see how that works. I love that it’s made with kitchen staples and easy to find ingredients. The filling was enough for a third zucchini. If you decide to make the 3rd zucchini you will need more cheese sauce so make 1 ½ batches of the cheese sauce. My husband thanks you 🙂
Aww, thanks so much for your lovely feedback, Joan! I am so glad you and your husband loved this dish. 🙂
It was okay. I ended up with way too much filling for the amount of zucchini. Also I wish you would have included some kind of directions regarding how much water should have been in the pan and what should have evaporated before filling the zucchini.
Hi David, I didn’t add any water to the pan, just the veggies, plant-based milk, and condiments. Will upload a video soon.
First let me start with how much I am enjoying your recipes, the best.????
Fortune to have my little garden and this year plenty of zucchini ….amazing flavour and now it’s time for zucchini chocolate desert….
Yay, homegrown zucchinis are the best! I am so glad you like my recipes. Thanks for your sweet feedback. 🙂
So much flavor!! My husband, a non-vegan went on and on how insanely delicious these were. My 19 year old who always complains that he’s not a vegan yet is somewhat forced to be one wasn’t going to eat it. We told him to try one and he polished it off and admitted it was indeed good (that’s a big deal). The cheese sauce was incredible! All the other vegan cheese sauces I’ve made are somewhat sweet due to the cashews, but not this one! Your cheese is savory as it should be. Could the cheese sauce be used for Mac and cheese????
Hi Trish, I am so glad you and your family loved the recipe! 🙂
Yes, I sometimes use my simple vegan cheese sauce for Mac and Cheese. 🙂
This was good. Already thinking of other flavor profiles to adapt to the original recipe- Mexican with a green enchilada sauce for filling comes to mind.
Glad you liked it, Karen! The Mexican version sounds amazing. 🙂
Or Guajillo!!! omg!
Oh my gosh! These were so delicious!! The only thing I had to do different was I used pinto beans and I left out the salt and soy sauce for health reasons. They had SO much flavor! I will definetely be making these regularly now! Thank you!!
That’s awesome, Angela! I am so glad they turned out flavorful! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
This was so yummy! I was almost out of red pepper so added a diced tomato and it worked well. I will definitely make this again!
I am so glad you liked the recipe, Jo. 🙂
Real delish!
Glad you liked the recipe, Ronay. 🙂
Thank you, Michaela. Delicious and easy for a bear-of-little-brain like me. 😉
Good to hear it turned out great! Thanks for your feedback, Howard! 🙂
Oh my! We’ve tried a few of your recipes a few times each and they have all turned out sooo fantastic! (snickers bars, green bean casserole, and the zucchini boats). It’s so hard to find recipes that ACTUALLY taste good (and are not just pretty photos). Thank you for all your tasty recipes! 🙂
Aww, that’s wonderful, Kate! I am so happy they all turned out great. Thanks so much for your feedback! 🙂
Nice easy recipe.
My family loved it!
I glad your family loved it, Brigitte! 🙂
Excellent recipe!!
I am so happy you liked it, Stephanie! 🙂
Really enjoyed these! Did the 2x recipe and used 2 425g cans of chickpeas which is about 2 1/2 cups. Added 1/4 cup dried red lentils and used notmal tasty cheese. Might reduce the sauce a bit next time.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am glad it turned out delicious, Sarah! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
These are super easy and delicious. The cheese sauce will be a favorite from now on.
Awesome! I am glad you love the recipe, Kristin! 🙂
That was DIVINE! Thank you for continually creating absolutely delicious recipes. In this one, I ended up using way more zucchinis (about 5) so mine must have been smaller. Also ran out of bell pepper and threw in some roasted pumpkin as I had that on hand. So good. Looking forward to making it again and with the bell pepper next time.
Sounds so delicious with pumpkin! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Looks yummy ? I’m planing to do it. … what side dishes do you recommend . I’m going to have some friends for diner on Saturday
Maybe mashed potatoes? Think it would be pretty yummy as a side dish. 🙂
These stuffed zucchini with healthy vegetable filling look so delicious! ? I totally love anything that is stuffed, haha! I‘m very sure it’ll be also super yummy when using other veggies like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash or eggplants. There are so many vegan options which veggie you can use for the „boat“ and which you can use for the stuffing ? Great recipe, Ela! ❤️
Thank you, Bianca! I agree, there are lots of delicious options. 🙂
Very nice recipe, thank you Ela ?
I am glad you like it Hakan. 🙂
Ela! Another brilliant delicious easy recipe! I would love a boat or two! Dee xx
Thanks so much, Dee! I wish I could send you one boat or two. 😀