BBQ Tempeh Stuffed Zucchini Boats

These vegetarian zucchini boats are stuffed with a flavorful BBQ tempeh and rice filling. They're ready in just under an hour and great for weeknight dinners.

Nothing says summer quite like zucchini and barbecue, so why not put them together? These vegetarian stuffed zucchini boats feature BBQ seasoned rice, sautéed tempeh, and a handful of nutritious summer ingredients.

If your garden is overflowing with zucchini this summer and you're tired of making zucchini bread and zucchini corn fritters, this is a great way to use it up. Large zucchini work especially well here because they can be stuffed with a lot of filling.

Ingredients

• Zucchini: This recipe makes enough filling for 4 large zucchinis or 6 medium.
• Rice: I'm using brown rice here, but really any type of grain will work. Try farro, white rice, quinoa, etc. One cup of dry brown rice yields 2 cups cooked.
• Tempeh: If you're new to tempeh, this is a good place to use it because it's diced finely and disappears into the filling. If you're not a fan of tempeh, I recommend replacing it with a can of (drained and rinsed) chickpeas or diced tofu.
• BBQ sauce: I like Kinder's Honey Hot BBQ sauce, but I recommend choosing your favorite barbecue sauce.

How to make zucchini boats

Making zucchini boats is surprisingly easy. Here's how to do it:

1. Rinse each zucchini. Dry with a clean dish towel. Slice the top stem and bottom from the zucchini.
2. Use a sharp knife to slice the zucchini in half lengthwise.
3. Use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon would work well here) to scoop out the seeds to make a hollow "boat". The zucchini boat should be deep enough that it can be filled with the BBQ tempeh filling.
4. Toss each zucchini half with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Roast cut-side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 400F until golden/blackened on the part touching the pan.

How to make the filling

1. To a large skillet over medium heat, add a drizle of oil. Once hot, add the crumbled tempeh. Sauté until golden, about 4-6 minutes.
2. Add in the sweet corn, garlic, pepper, and chopped up zucchini that you scooped out earlier. Sauté until no longer wet. The corn should start to turn golden.
3. Stir in the BBQ sauce, cooking another 1-2 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and sticky. Fold in the cooked rice and crushed tomatoes.
4. Pile this filling into the roasted zucchini boats and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven to bake until the cheese is melted, just a few minutes.