Stuffed Zucchini Boats | Simply Quinoa

These quinoa stuffed zucchini boats are a quick and easy weeknight meal perfect for summertime! With fresh herbs, quinoa, and a bright lemon tahini sauce, it manages to be both light and satisfying.

Quinoa stuffed zucchini boats on plate with bite from end

Quinoa stuffed zucchini boats are a super simple, super delicious, super healthy meal that encapsulates all the wonderfulness of summer in one dish. We start with the lemon herb quinoa, which has tons of fresh herbs, bright citrus flavors, and roasted hazelnuts to round everything out. The lemon tahini sauce is thick, creamy and delicious, and the citrus pops against the toasty quinoa flavors!

Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Zucchini Boats

- A light summer dinner. We all need a few go-to recipes for those hot summer days when we’re craving foods that are a little bit lighter! These stuffed zucchini boats are satisfying without weighing you down. (That’s also true of this 10-minute vegan ginger quinoa bowl and lentil salad!)

- Packed with fresh flavors. From the lemon herb quinoa to the zesty tahini sauce, these zucchini boats are bursting with bright, fresh flavors. They really do taste like summer!

- Easy and quick to make. With just a few simple steps, these zucchini boats come together in no time at all and they’re also meal prep friendly, making them perfect for busy weeknights.

Overhead view of ingredients for stuffed zucchini boats

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Dressing:

Tahini – Give it a good stir before using it; like natural peanut butter, the solids can settle at the bottom, leaving the oil at the top.
Lemon – I like to use a handheld press for juicing lemons since it catches the seeds. Always use fresh juice for the best flavor, not bottled!
Red wine vinegar
Garlic – The garlic mellows thanks to the acid in the lemon and vinegar.
Herbs – Basil, oregano, and thyme. Fresh is best, but dried will do.
Salt and pepper
Water

Quinoa:

Hazelnuts – You can use another nut if you’d like, or a seed like pepitas if you have a nut allergy.
Cooked quinoa – Here’s how to cook quinoa.
Fresh herbs – Parsley, chives, dill, and oregano.
Lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

For Stuffing:

Zucchini – Although I used regular zucchini, you could use round 8-ball zucchini, yellow squash, or another variety. They all have a similar flavor!

How to Make Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Overhead view of ingredients for quinoa filling in bowl

Prep the hazelnuts. Toast the hazelnuts in a skillet; if they still have the skins intact, toast them until they start coming loose and then transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate. Rub to peel off the skins. Otherwise, simply toast until they’re brown and fragrant. Cool and chop.
Make the filling. Stir together the quinoa, herbs, and hazelnuts in a mixing bowl, then stir in the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Prep the zucchini. Chop the ends off the zucchini, then slice them lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place them in a baking dish; divide the filling between them.

Overhead view of ingredients for tahini sauce in blender

Cook. Bake the zucchini for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender and the filling is beginning to brown.
Make the sauce. While the zucchini bakes, add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Finish. Remove the zucchini from the oven and rest for 5 minutes, then add the tahini sauce.

Tips and Variations

Make it ahead. Prepare the quinoa filling and lemon tahini sauce up to a day or two in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to stuff the zucchini.
Try different herbs. Don’t limit yourself to the herbs listed. Fresh mint, cilantro, or even tarragon could work beautifully with the flavors in this stuffed zucchini boat recipe.
Don’t overcook the zucchini. The trick to totally nailing this dish is to not overcook the zucchini. You want it to be soft without getting mushy. For me, that meant baking for about 20 minutes—the zucchini still had a little crunch to it and held up nicely when you sliced into it.

Spooning tahini onto stuffed zucchini boats

What to Serve With Zucchini Boats

These stuffed zucchini boats are a light summer meal on their own, but you can make your dinner a little more filling by serving them alongside Instant Pot whole chicken, balsamic grilled tofu, or pistachio crusted salmon.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the zucchini boats in a baking dish and cover with foil to prevent them from drying out. Warm them in the oven at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. (You can also use the microwave if you’d like, but the oven produces the best results.)

Two quinoa stuffed zucchini boats on plate

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

I don’t recommend freezing this stuffed zucchini boat recipe because I don’t think the zucchini would fare well with freezing, thawing, and reheating.

More Zucchini Recipes

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Lemon Herb Quinoa:

½ cup raw hazelnuts husks removed if possible
2 ½ cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped oregano
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Tahini Dressing:

¼ cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh/dried thyme
Pinch of salt and pepper
3-5 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.
If husks are not removed: add the hazelnuts to a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast until skins have started to brown and are loosening from the nut. Remove pan from heat and transfer nuts to a paper towel lined plate. Rub the hazelnuts between the paper towels to remove the skins. Don’t worry if not all the skins are removed – just as many as you can.
If skins of hazelnuts are removed: add the hazelnuts to a dry skillet over medium. Toast until golden brown and fragrant. Cool slightly, then roughly chop.
In a large mixing bowl, add quinoa and herbs. Add the hazelnuts and stir everything together.
Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Chop the little ends off the zucchini, then slice them lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the insides (seeds, etc.) to form little boats. You should have 8 total.
Place the boats in the baking dish then stuff each with quinoa (the amount will vary depending on the size of your zucchini).
Bake the zucchini for 20 – 25 minutes until the quinoa is starting to brown and the zucchini has softened.
While the zucchini is baking, whip up the tahini sauce. Add all ingredients to a blender, starting with 3 tablespoons of water. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Set aside until you’re ready to serve.
Remove the zucchini from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, drizzle with tahini sauce.