Vegan Minced Meat Stuffed Zucchini Boats
As you might have noticed by now: We LOVE carbs! So it's a small miracle that we love stuffed zucchinis, a low-carb classic. It might be because they remind us of our beloved spaghetti bolognese. We recommend serving the stuffed zucchini with rice to compensate for the missing carbs. It tastes great and will leave everyone happy (and satisfied).
For the stuffing, we stick to the probably most popular version: minced beef (which we, of course, substitute with a plant-based alternative). You can use soy granulate if you can't find vegan minced meat. It tastes great but takes a little more time to prepare. You could also use lentil bolognese or just veggies. Finally, the (vegan) cheese crust is a must. Mix your plant-based cheese with a bit of water and oil before baking to make it melt better. And just like that, you have a fantastic, easy meal!
And for those who don't like zucchini that much, we also have stuffed eggplant with vegan lentil-walnut mince or vegan stuffed bell peppers with red rice on offer. Of course, you could also substitute the zucchini in this recipe with eggplants, peppers, or mushrooms.
Vegan Minced Meat Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 100 g (3.5 oz) fresh tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 200 g (7 oz) plant-based minced meat (or 50 g/1.75 oz soy granulate)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 100 ml (0.5 cup) strained tomatoes
- 50 g (1.75 oz) plant-based grated cheese
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt
- pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Wash and halve zucchinis. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of them. Place the zucchini flesh in a fine sieve and squeeze out the liquid with the help of a spoon. Chop and set aside.
Peel and finely chop onion, carrot, and garlic clove. Wash and quarter tomatoes.
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic with dried thyme and oregano until the onions are translucent. Then add the vegan minced meat, zucchini flesh, tomatoes, and diced carrots. Sauté for about another 10 minutes, or until the vegan minced meat is lightly browned.
Tipp: If you can't find vegan minced meat, you can also use soy granulate. Before frying it, just soak 50 g/1.75 oz soy granulate in hot vegetable broth and drain once it’s soft. The easiest way is to add the granules to a sieve and squeeze out the liquid with the help of a bowl that is pressed into the sieve.
Add tomato paste and fry for about 2 minutes until it is lightly toasted and darkened. Also add agave syrup and soy sauce and stir to combine Then gradually add the strained tomatoes. The filling should be quite thick, so you should be able to portion it easily with a tablespoon later. Let the filling simmer for a few minutes - season to taste with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and thyme.
Add the plant-based shredded cheese to a bowl and mix with water and vegetable oil. This will help with melting in the oven.
Place the zucchini boats on a lined baking sheet, fill them with plant-based minced meat and sprinkle the plant-based shredded cheese on top.
Bake at 180°C/350°F (top/bottom heat) for approx. 30 minutes, until the zucchini is softened and the plant-based cheese crust is golden brown.
