Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Stuffed zucchini boats are halved zucchini, scooped into hollow shells, filled with a savoury onion-garlic-mushroom stuffing, and baked until tender. This vegan version uses oyster mushrooms and creamy coconut milk for a comfort meal that looks impressive but comes together with just a handful of ingredients and one frying pan.
These and my stuffed eggplants are two of my favourite easy recipes for whenever I have hungry, unexpected guests dropping by. The result makes everyone believe you spent hours in the kitchen, when in fact most of the work is over in about 15 minutes of hands-on time. The oven does the rest while you set the table.
For making the stuffing a little creamier, I used coconut cream. This is entirely optional, but I do recommend trying it. It rounds out the earthiness of the mushrooms and keeps the filling from drying out in the oven, which is the trade-off you always face when you bake a vegetable boat uncovered.
Key ingredients
Zucchini is the boat itself, so pick ones that are firm and medium-sized. Smaller zucchini have fewer seeds and a denser flesh that holds its shape, while very large ones turn watery and tend to sag in the oven. Three zucchini, halved lengthwise, give you six boats.
Oyster mushrooms are my pick here because they have a meatier texture than button mushrooms and tear into ribbons that read like shredded meat in the filling. Look for clusters that are dry to the touch and pale, with no slimy or darkening edges. You can use other mushrooms too, but oyster mushrooms give the stuffing real body.
Coconut milk, full-fat and chilled overnight, is what makes the stuffing creamy. Chilling the can lets the thick cream separate and rise to the top, so you can spoon off that dense layer and stir it in. The fat carries flavour and binds the diced mushrooms and onion into a cohesive filling rather than a loose mix.
Vegan cheese, grated and broiled on top at the end, adds the golden finish. Any kind works, so use the one that melts best for you. If you eat dairy, regular cheese stands in directly, which is the one swap that turns this into a vegetarian dish instead of a vegan one.
Oregano and thyme are the spices I reach for in this combo, because I think they taste great with mushrooms. If you ever make the same filling with eggplant instead of zucchini, I recommend basil instead.
Tips for getting it right
- Scoop, but leave a wall. When you spoon out the insides, leave a shell about a quarter-inch thick. Scoop too deep and the boat collapses; leave too much and there is no room for the stuffing.
- Cook the onion before the mushrooms. Soften the onion until fragrant first, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Mushrooms release a lot of water, so give them a full 10 minutes on low until that liquid cooks off, otherwise the filling steams instead of concentrating.
- Add the spices off the heat. Take the pan off the burner before stirring in the oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Dried herbs hold their aroma better when they are not scorched in a hot pan.
- Do not overbake. You know the boats are ready when the zucchini is tender but still holds its shape. Push past 40 minutes and the zucchini starts to sag and weep, which is the most common mistake with any baked vegetable boat.
- Save the cheese for the end. Sprinkle the cheese and bell pepper on only in the last couple of minutes under the broiler, so it melts and colours without drying out the whole dish.
Variations and swaps
This is a base recipe, so once you have the method down you can build on it with whatever is in the fridge. I find that tomatoes and olives go hand in hand and can be combined with either parsley or basil if you want to be creative with the stuffing. Bell peppers, grated carrots, and even greens all fold into the mushroom filling without throwing off the texture.
The same stuffing works beyond zucchini. Spoon it into stuffed peppers or portobello mushroom caps, and if you love this style of dish, browse my other oyster mushroom recipes for more ways to use them.
Storage and make-ahead
The mushroom stuffing is the part you can make ahead. Cook it through, let it cool, and keep it covered in the fridge for up to three days, then fill and bake the zucchini fresh when you are ready to serve. This is what makes the boats such a fast meal for unexpected guests.
Baked boats keep in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days. They are best reheated in the oven or an air fryer so the shells firm up again, since the microwave tends to make the zucchini watery. I would not freeze them, because zucchini holds so much water that it turns mushy once thawed.
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Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 3 zucchinis
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups oyster mushrooms diced
- 1 cup coconut milk full fat, unsweetened, chilled overnight
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegan cheese grated
- ⅓ green onion chopped
- ½ cup bell red pepper diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Rinse the zucchinis and cut them lengthwise into 2 halves. Cut the edges of each half.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the insides of the halves until the zucchini.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook it until fragrant for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook on low until done, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the full-fat coconut cream and mix to incorporate.
- Remove from heat and mix in dry oregano, thyme, salt, pepper.
- Fill in each zucchini boat and press in the stuffing.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes uncovered. Try not to overcook them, otherwise, the zucchini will start to sag.
- As soon as they’re almost ready, sprinkle them with chopped bell pepper and grated cheddar and let them broil for 2 more minutes. Serve these zucchini boats with chopped green onion and fresh oregano on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Halve zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the insides to make hollow shells. Saute diced onion, garlic, and oyster mushrooms in olive oil until the liquid cooks off, stir in chilled full-fat coconut cream and dried oregano and thyme off the heat, then fill the boats. Bake uncovered at 400F for 35 to 40 minutes, top with bell pepper and grated cheese, and broil two more minutes.
This version is vegan. The filling is bound with full-fat coconut milk instead of dairy, and the topping uses grated vegan cheese. If you eat dairy, you can swap in regular cheese, which makes the dish vegetarian rather than vegan.
No, leave the skin on. The peel holds the boat together and keeps the zucchini from collapsing in the oven, plus it adds colour and nutrients. Just rinse the zucchini well, halve them lengthwise, and trim the edges of each half before scooping.
Zucchini holds a lot of water, so two things help. Use firm, medium-sized zucchini rather than oversized ones, and do not overbake; past 40 minutes the shells start to sag and release liquid. Cooking the mushroom liquid off in the pan before filling also keeps the stuffing from going soggy.
Yes. Oyster mushrooms are preferred here for their meatier texture, but any mushroom works. Button, cremini, or portobello all do the job; just dice them and cook them until their water releases and cooks off so the filling stays concentrated.
Yes. The mushroom stuffing can be cooked, cooled, and refrigerated for up to three days, then used to fill and bake the zucchini fresh. Fully baked boats keep two to three days in the fridge and reheat best in the oven or air fryer so the shells firm up again.
Loved these! Made both zucchini and eggplant boats with the same stuffing. Great recipe!
Awesome! Will try these with eggplants too. 😀