Mexican Stuffed Round Zucchini
Mexican stuffed round zucchini, or 8-ball zucchini, is a hearty vegan dinner made with rice, black beans, salsa, and savory spices. A fun twist on classic stuffed zucchini boats!
Servings: 2 servings or more
Calories: 445kcal
Ingredients
- 2 medium round zucchini
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ small onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a casserole dish that will fit your round zucchini and set aside.
- Slice round zucchini in half from top to bottom. Using a spoon, carefully scape out some of the flesh from each zucchini half and discard (or save for another recipe). Leave about ¼" of flesh attached to the skin around the edges and bottom. Optionally, turn each boat over and slice a small section off the bottom, creating a flat surface for stability.
- Place into prepared casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add diced onion and jalapeno and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add black beans, salsa, rice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Spoon prepared filling into your zucchini. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until zucchini can easily be pierced through with a fork.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- For zucchini bowls - Cut diagonal slices around the stem of each round zucchini, then pop the stem off. Use a metal spoon or melon baller to scoop the zucchini flesh out and discard (or save for another recipe). Leave about ¼" of flesh attached to the skin around the edges and bottom.
- To use regular zucchini - Cut the stems off three medium zucchini, then slice in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scape out some of the flesh from each zucchini half and discard (or save for another recipe). Then, continue as written above.
- To use bell peppers - Slice three bell peppers in half and scoop out seeds and innards. When par-baking in step 3, bake for 20 minutes instead of the listed 10 minutes). Then, continue as written above.
- The listed filling may fill more than two round zucchini - this depends entirely on the size of the zucchini you have on hand.
Nutrition Estimate
Serving: 1zucchini | Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1995mg | Potassium: 1613mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1409IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 6mg