Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

You guys! Hi! Did you think I abandoned you? I would never do that, promise :) I'm back after a little blog break with a delicious recipe. This post is short and sweet BUT I have some other cool posts lined up for you this week. 

I really can't say enough good things about this dish. I have tried different stuffed zucchini recipes and this is by far my favorite. Other recipes I have made in the past have just been "meh". This one, however, does not disappoint. We absolutely love them at our house. I have made this recipe with yellow squash as well but to me, the zucchini takes the cake. 

The ingredients are reminiscent of summer, but the dish can be enjoyed any time of year. And trust me, we definitely enjoy it year round! This dish reheats very well so it is one of those meals that I can make a day or two ahead of time during busy weeks. It is a light dish that can be used as a main dish or a side. We typically have it with a big salad and/or some soup.

The flavorful filling and crispy topping prove that there is nothing "meh" about it :)

Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth (I use 2 cups water + 1 no salt added veggetable bouillon cube)
• 3 large zucchinis
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced)
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• pinch of salt (or to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F). 
2. Combine quinoa with 2 cups water + 1 vegetable bouillon cube and cook on the stove top (bring to a boil and then cover and simmer until done). Once done, fluff quinoa with a fork. 
3. While the quinoa cooks, prepare your zucchini boats. Slice each zucchini in half, lengthwise. Using a serrated spoon (a melon baller works great too!), scrape the fleshy part of the zucchini out of each half. Try to get as much as possible to create more space to add the filling to the zucchini. 
4. Set the zucchini flesh aside on a paper towel. This will help absorb the moisture from the zucchini. 
5. Set the zucchini halves face up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a bit of salt. 
6. In a large saute pan, cook the onion over medium heat in a bit of olive oil until translucent. While the onion cooks, dice the zucchini flesh into bite sized pieces. 
7. Add the zucchini and sliced cherry tomatoes into the pan with the onions. 
8. Once the quinoa is cooked, add it to the saute pan, along with the nutritional yeast and herbs. Next, add the tablespoon of vinegar and stir everything to combine. Continue to cook on medium heat. Season with salt as desired.
9. Scoop the quinoa mixture into the zucchini boats. Use a spoon to really pile it up!
10. Once they are full, cover the entire baking sheet with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes (uncovered). You want the quinoa to be golden on top. 
11. We love it topped with some sriracha (optional). Enjoy!

xoxo,

Lauren