Part yummy side dish, part fun activity, these vegan zucchini pizza boats are the perfect way to enjoy late-summer zucchini.

I discovered these “boats” from In Sonnet’s Kitchen when my fellow Physicians Committee dietitian Karen featured them on Good Morning Washington. They looked so good, I couldn’t wait to try them.

And when I did, wow! They were as easy as they were delicious. Just slice a zucchini in half, scoop out the insides, add sauce and toppings, and bake.

Kitchen fun for kids of all ages

Better yet, kids (and kids at heart) will love “decorating” their boats with their favorite pizza toppings.

Having just spent a week at the beach with my nephew and nieces, I relearned the lesson that kids are way more likely to eat food they help make. And making these boats is a lot of fun!

Now, when I made these boats, I used the topping suggestions from In Sonnet’s Kitchen: cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, and fresh basil. So good! Jeff and I handily polished off two boats each.

If tomatoes and olives aren’t your thing, though, here are other tasty topping ideas:

Colorful bell pepper strips
Beyond Meat crumbles
Plant-based mozzarella shreds
Soy sausage
Button mushrooms
Artichoke hearts
Sun-dried tomatoes
Pine nuts

Make ’em a meal

For a fast and easy meal, serve zucchini boats with any of the following:

Bread sticks or pita dipped in red pepper hummus (recipe for gluten-free & vegan bread sticks here)
Pizza pasta salad
Spaghetti with marinara sauce
Easy bean salad

Hope you love these plant-powered zucchini pizza boats as much as we do!