My friend Barbara Connolly made these Zucchini Canoes for a gathering recently and we all asked her for the recipe. You know something is good when that happens.
I’ve played with the stuffing ingredients. Not because I didn’t like what she served. I just wanted to use what I had on hand instead of running out to the store. I was enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon.
I’ll give you options in the recipe’s ingredient list so you too can play around with the specifics. For example, if I had used some corn niblets and black beans, the dish could have been a celebration of the three sisters—squash, corn and beans. You could also add ground meat or vegan mince and chili spicing to make chili-stuffed Zucchini Canoes. That would be tasty.
Zucchini, summer’s bountiful squash, might gain the respect it deserves. After all, it’s mild flavour provides a platform for you to play with and have fun.
I loved that this recipe gave me a great way to use up the very last of my zucchini from my garden. We are deep into fall now but summer is always hard to let go of. These Zucchini Canoes provided a proper send off. It’s onwards to the winter squash family now until next season.
I’m grateful this recipe really helped me savour that last zucchini and in doing so it helped me Savour it All.
PrintZucchini Canoes
These Zucchini Canoes are stuffed with a warming mix of lentils, pumpkin seeds, sweet potato, wild rice, onions, leeks, carrots, celery and herbs. This dish takes zucchini from a light summer squash to a hearty fall supper. Enjoy with salad and a crusty piece of bread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Category: Vegetables
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients
1½ cup cooked rice (I used wild rice that I had on hand. My friend Barb used a chewy red rice that was delicious)
2 zucchini (mine were about 12 inches long and 5-6 inches in diameter)
1 – 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups diced onion (I used a combo of onion and leeks. Red onion or shallots would be nice)
1 diced carrot
1 diced celery rib
1 diced sweet potato (you could sub a 1 cup of corn kernels and give this a Three Sisters vibe)
1 cup diced mushrooms
1 teaspoon garlic paste (the recipe called for 6 cloves but I didn’t want that much. Go for it if you like)
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed (I added this for protein – you could add ground beef or vegan mince)
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
½ teaspoon summer savoury
½ teaspoon thyme
(instead of these three herbs, you could use 1 – 2 teaspoons of chili powder if you use ground meat or mince)
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (use lime if going the chili route)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1½ cups chopped, slivered almonds (I used pepitas but pine nuts would also be great)
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used swiss but gruyere or gouda would also be good)
Instructions
- If you don’t have leftover rice, prepare some so that you have 1½ cups for this recipe.
- Cut your zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds leaving a canoe shape with about a ¼ inch shell.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and add the onions, carrot, celery, sweet potato and mushrooms and cook and stir over medium heat until soft; about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils followed by the garlic, rosemary, savoury, thyme, and lemon juice.
- Taste and season with the salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Place the 4 zucchini canoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and split the filling between them.
- Top with the cheese and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Keywords: Zucchini Canoes
Note: In the photos above, one of my Zucchini Canoes has no cheese because I had a guest who prefers a vegan diet coming to dinner. She really like it.
