I have been craving an old recipe of mine that I no longer can have due to my tomato allergies, but created this one as a substitute. There a ton of variations to this recipe which is great because you’ll never tire of it. You can either keep it vegan or add meat, cheese, etc. You can use traditional shaped zucchini or round ones if you can get a hold of some. The one I used in the photo below is from my garden.
Print
Vegan and Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
51
Yield: Serves 3
A wonderful gluten free and vegan / vegetarian stuffed zucchini recipe. Perfect for serving guests or to make for an everyday meal.
Parmesan and/or Romano cheese for topping or Gluten Free Seasoned Bread Crumbs or if dairy-free use Follow Your Heart or Daiya cheese (optional)
For Optional Add-ins
Spaghetti sauce versus oil
Prosciutto, chopped
Bacon, chopped
Ground beef, browned and scrambled
Instructions:
Make the rice and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut the ends off of the zucchini.
If using traditional shaped zucchini, cut them in half length-wise. Also shave a little off the bottom so that they will stand straight without rolling once placed on the baking pan and plate. A potato peeler may do the trick; just one or two scrapes off of the bottom.
Add zucchini to a pot of water and bring to a boil.
Boil regular zucchini for about 5 minutes and 4 inch round ones for about 7 - 8 minutes or until tender.
Scoop out the inside, leaving a shell about 1/4" - 1/3 inch thick and set aside.
Chop the zucchini meat finely, or pulsate in a food processor.
Add the chopped or pureed zucchini to the rice and stir.
Add the vegan basil rice pilaf to the hallow zucchini shells.
Top with cheese or gluten-free bread crumbs.
Spray the top with olive oil. If you don't have a spritzer or spray can drizzle a tiny bit on top.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
If the tops are not brown enough you can place them under the broiler for a minute or so.
Tips
The longer you boil the zucchini, the less you will need to bake them.
If you are on a dairy free or casein free diet, skip the cheese in the bread crumbs, if using.
If you end up using the broiler to brown them, keep a close eye to not overcook them, as I just did. Tasted great anyway!