Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Tender zucchini boats stuffed with a hearty mixture of quinoa, white beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and crumbled feta, topped with melted mozzarella and cottage cheese mixed into the filling. Mediterranean comfort food with 30g protein.
Stuffed zucchini is one of those dishes that looks fancy but is actually dead simple. You scoop out the middle, fill it with good stuff, bake it until bubbly, and you've got a meal that looks like it came from a Mediterranean restaurant. I started making these when I had a ridiculous amount of zucchini from a friend's garden and needed to use them up fast.
Most stuffed zucchini recipes are heavy on breadcrumbs and light on protein. I went the opposite direction. Quinoa gives you a complete protein base, white beans add bulk and protein without changing the flavor, crumbled feta brings salt and tang, cottage cheese mixed into the filling adds invisible creaminess, and a layer of melted mozzarella on top ties everything together. The sun-dried tomatoes are the flavor MVP here. They add this intense, sweet-savory punch that makes the whole filling come alive.
I love serving these at dinner parties because they look impressive and everyone can eat two boats as a serving. They're also great for meal prep. Assemble them ahead of time and bake fresh when you're ready to eat. The filling even works as a standalone grain bowl if you skip the zucchini entirely.
The Protein Upgrade
Standard stuffed zucchini relies on breadcrumbs and a sprinkling of cheese, delivering about 10-12g protein per serving. We rebuilt the filling around quinoa and white beans for a protein-dense base, mixed in cottage cheese for invisible protein, used a generous 4oz of feta and 6oz of mozzarella, and skipped the breadcrumbs entirely. From 10g to 30g protein per serving.
Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini (halved lengthwise)
- 2 cups quinoa (cooked (about 1 cup dry)) 4g protein
- 1 can (15oz) white beans (cannellini or navy, drained and rinsed) 9g protein
- 4 oz feta cheese (crumbled) 4g protein
- 6 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded) 11g protein
- ½ cup cottage cheese (mixed into filling) 4g protein
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
- ¼ cup kalamata olives (sliced)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Halve each zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the centers, leaving about a quarter-inch shell. Roughly chop the scooped-out flesh and set aside.
- Place the zucchini boats cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
- While zucchini pre-bakes, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped zucchini flesh and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add the chopped spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, drained white beans, cottage cheese, sautéed vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, crumbled feta, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Mix well until the cottage cheese is distributed throughout.
- Remove the pre-baked zucchini boats from the oven. Fill each boat generously with the quinoa-bean mixture, mounding the filling slightly.
- Top each boat with shredded mozzarella, pressing it gently into the filling.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and golden brown and the zucchini is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve two boats per person.
Boost Your Protein
- Add 2oz of crumbled halloumi to the filling for an extra 3-4g protein per serving.
- Serve with a side of hummus for an extra 8g protein.
- Use 6oz each of feta and mozzarella for an extra 5-6g protein per serving.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No quinoa? Use couscous or bulgur wheat for a similar grain base.
- No white beans? Use chickpeas for a similar protein and texture.
- No feta? Use goat cheese or ricotta salata for a similar salty tang.
- No zucchini? Use large bell peppers, halved and seeded, for stuffed pepper boats.
