Vegan zucchini boats with quinoa

Vegan zucchini boats with quinoa

vegan zucchini boats macro

Today’s recipe is a bit of a fusion dish – a result of chronic indecision, which has plagued me ever since I was a child 😉 . As our weather is definitely on the summery side these days, our local veg store has started carrying piles of beautiful, young zucchinis. As soon as I saw them, I had to buy some.

My initial idea was to prepare a twist on Mediterranean-style, stuffed zucchinis involving things like tomato sauce, capers, parsley, lemon rind etc. but then I really fancied some Asian flavours… I was torn.

Finally, I decided to throw caution to the wind and marry the two ideas together. I also had lots of cooked quinoa that I completely forgot about at the back of the fridge and, as soon as I discovered it, I knew it would fall prey to my zucchini experiment.

So this dish is an oven baked zucchini, stuffed with quinoa, flavoured with chilli, garlic, ginger and a hint of Chinese five spice and served with a drizzle of soy-sesame glaze and some fresh coriander.

I’ll be honest, I was a bit apprehensive at first, but we both really enjoyed this creation. I’m hoping you’ll be down with it too!

vegan zucchini boats preparation

vegan zucchini boats soy sesame glaze

vegan zucchini boats with qunioa

serves
4 as starter
PREP
30 min
COOKING
40 min
serves
4 as starter
PREPARATION
30 min
COOKING
40 min
INGREDIENTS
STUFFED ZUCCHINIS

  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 2 cups cooked (2/3 cup dry) quinoa
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½-1 hot red chilli, finely chopped (adjust amount to taste)
  • small knob of ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp lime juice or rice vinegar
  • 4 tsp soy sauce (or tamari for GF option)
  • ¼ tsp Chinese five spice
  • a handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • sesame seeds, dry-roasted on a pan

SOY-SESAME GLAZE

METHOD
  1. Set the oven to 180° C / 355° F and line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper.
  2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, scoop some of the inside using a melon baller or a sharp spoon to make space for the filling. Brush prepared zucchini with a little oil, season with salt and pepper.
  3. Pop zucchini halves onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes until soft and lightly browned in places.
  4. Meanwhile, place glaze ingredients into a very small pot. Bring them to a simmer and then simmer gently (I used setting 1 out of 6) until the glaze thickens and turns into a thick syrup. It will take about 25-30 minutes of simmering. Be aware that once the glaze cools down it will thicken further, so be careful not to over reduce. If you do that, you can bring the glaze back by adding a few drops of water.
  5. Heat up 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pan, on low-medium heat.
  6. Add sliced spring onions, chopped garlic, ginger and red chilli and fry for about 3-4 minutes – until softened and fragrant – stirring frequently.
  7. Mix in Chinese five spice and fry off gently for about a minute.
  8. Add in cooked quinoa and mix well. Season with soy sauce and rice vinegar.
  9. Place warmed-up quinoa mix on top of the cooked zucchini boats. Serve drizzled with soy-sesame glaze, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped coriander.
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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
274
14%
sugars
11 g
12%
fats
13 g
19%
saturates
2 g
9%
proteins
7 g
14%
carbs
34 g
13%
*per serving
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4.7
3 reviews, 7 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Anne:
Once there were two little sad zucchini's. they thought the live outside the fridge wasnt ment for them. becoming more and more wrinkled, the zucchini's thought they would die of old age without making a trip to the kitchen before their end. On one day they overheard a discussion outside the fridge: 'but what about the zucchini salad with olives and dukkah?'. 'Nah, its not the right type of weather' the other replied. 'But we don't have the ingredients for the double Zucchini recipe with tofu' the person responded back.
The zucchini's tried to overhear the rest of the conversation, but the refrigerator made to many noises. All of a sudden the door opened and there was light. 'Hurray, the kitchen' the zucchini's shouted of joy. In the kitchen they found their new friends; quinoa, Sesame goodness and others. After shared moments that felt like a lifetime, they were eaten up and appreciated.
thanks again Ania for th inspiration!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hahaha, brilliant! This is by far the most creative recipe review I've had in the last 8 years :) . Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed this recipe and your zucchinis enjoyed the ride too. x Ania
Mary:
I made these It was delicious. I added petite diced tomatoes and a handful of garbanzo beans. With the extra filling I topped some spinach for lunch the next day and ate it as a cold salad. So good and the flavors were even better the second day.
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm so glad to hear that, Mary! Ania
Joana:
These little boats are looking so amazing :) Thank you for posting a gluten free option, I like that.
Have a nice day
Joana
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Joana! :) Ania
Jamz:
Hi Ania,
Love your blog, you are a star.
Do you think aubergine will work in this recipe instead of zucchini?
Thank you
    Ania
    Ania:
    ha ha, a star? - hardly! :) but thanks so much for kind words! Yes, I'm sure it would, but rather than scooping the flesh (which will be hard to do), I recommend making a criss cross (as deep as you can without damaging the skin) pattern once you cut it in half and possibly bake for about 5-10 minutes longer! Good luck :) Ania
Patricia Bone:
Love this one Ania.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much! :)
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