Vegan Stuffed Courgette Boats

These vegan stuffed courgette boats make such a hearty, super flavoursome and healthy dish full of nutrients. If you’re looking for an easy low carb meal which you can make in big batches, this recipe is for you. There are many ways to cook courgettes, however these vegan stuffed courgette boats make one of our favourite mains. 

Did you know that courgettes are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and are rich in antioxidants? We‘ve been spending more time at home recently which also means more creativity in the kitchen and experimenting with new recipes! For this dish, we tried two different stuffings and honestly can’t decide which one was more yummmm! We made a chickpea and pepper stuffing with homemade nut-free cheese sauce and a vegan lentil bolognese filling with carrots and soya mince. Which one is going to be your favourite?

Our top tips for stuffed courgette boats

When buying courgettes, choose some that are relatively large, so that they can hold a lot of the stuffing once they’re hollowed out.

Get creative with the stuffing! We love to top them with our vegan lentil bolognese or chickpea and pepper stuffing. However, you can also try your favourite pasta sauce or taco filling.  

We love topping the courgette boats with vegan mozzarella. You can also use homemade cashew cheese for extra creaminess.

Ingredients:

Total cooking time: 45 minutes | Serves: 2 | Easy

• 4 courgettes, halved
• 100g vegan cheese

For the lentil bolognese stuffing:

• 100g tinned lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 125ml vegetable stock
• 100g chopped tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the cheesy chickpea and pepper stuffing:

• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 200g chickpeas, cooked
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 50ml almond milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 

2. Use a spoon to carefully scoop the flesh out of the courgette halves. Leave a 1 cm thick border around the skin. Keep about ⅔ of the courgette flesh for the chickpea and pepper stuffing. Set aside.

3. Next, make the lentil bolognese stuffing. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. 

4. Stir in the carrots, lentils, tomato paste, cumin, oregano and smoked paprika and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, close with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

5. While the sauce is cooking, make the second stuffing. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add courgette flesh, chickpeas, oregano, cumin, tomato paste and almond milk. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes. 

6. Once both stuffings are cooked, spoon the lentil bolognese mixture evenly into four of the courgette boats, then top with vegan cheese. Use the chickpea and pepper stuffing for the other four courgette boats and also top with vegan cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the courgette boats are tender and cheese is melted.

PS: We absolutely love seeing your takes on our recipes! If you make our vegan stuffed courgette boats, tag us on Instagram as @weareveano. Also let us know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments!