Do you love wedding soup? How about zucchini boats? With this recipe, you can have both! These Italian Wedding Soup Zucchini Boats combine the flavors of wedding soup with the textures of zucchini boats. The boats are topped with a luxurious cheesy bean sauce that takes this cozy weeknight meal over the top!
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The flavors of traditional Italian wedding soup come alive in this roasted zucchini dish! Wedding soup typically contains carrots, green vegetables, a protein of some sort and sometimes pasta. All of these ingredients are combined in a hearty chicken broth and the result is heartwarming. With this recipe, I utilized all of the traditional ingredients but combined them in a new and unique way. Carrots, onions and garlic are cooked in Italian sausage fat along with kale and quinoa. Chicken broth is added to cook the quinoa and the result is a thickened version of Italian wedding soup.
This quinoa mixture is then added to the roasted zucchini boats with cooked sausage, a homemade cheesy bean sauce, pesto and panko for some crunch. The cheesy bean sauce gives this dish that Italian beans and greens vibe and it really brings the whole dish together.
Ingredients for Italian Wedding Soup Zucchini Boats
This recipe calls for a slew of fresh and healthy ingredients. I love going to my local farmer’s market for fresh carrots and zucchinis because the difference in quality is quite noticeable. The zucchini boat filling is essentially a thickened version of Italian wedding soup. At the end, I top the zucchini boats with a quick and simple cheesy bean sauce to add some creaminess and heartiness to the dish.
- Italian sausage, hot or mild – see notes below for vegan/vegetarian substitute.
- white onion
- large carrot
- garlic cloves
- dried oregano
- kale
- salt and pepper
- quinoa
- chicken or vegetable broth
- zucchinis
- pesto, homemade or store-bought – optional.
- panko
- olive oil
Cheesy Bean Sauce
- cannellini beans
- garlic clove
- chicken or vegetable broth
- lemon juice
- Parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- milk of your choice – vegans can use dairy-free milk (see notes below).
- nutmeg
Here’s what else you’ll need:
- large pot or Dutch oven with lid
- slotted spoon
- cutting board and knife
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- stirring spoon
- blender or food processor
- measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup Zucchini Boats
This recipe takes just 1 hour from start to finish. If you want to make this recipe during the week but are worried about the time consuming task of chopping vegetables, you can do that ahead of time and keep the chopped veggies in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.
- Cook the sausage then transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
- Cook onion and carrot in sausage fat. Next, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add kale then season with oregano, salt and pepper.
- Add quinoa and allow to toast for a few minutes before pouring in the broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Remove from heat once cooked.
- Create the zucchini boats by cutting each zucchini in half and scooping out the insides. Drizzle with olive oil then roast.
Cheesy Bean Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
- Assemble the zucchini boats.
- Bake!
More Weeknight Dinners
- Weeknight Bolognese
- Harvest Gnocchi
- Creamy Spicy Gochujang Vodka Noodles
- Sheet Pan Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa
- One Pan Za’atar Chicken with Whipped Feta Yogurt
View all weeknight recipes here
Please let me know how your Italian Wedding Soup Zucchini Boats turn out in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Make sure to checkout the Spotify playlists I’ve paired with this recipe below!
Italian Wedding Soup Zucchini Boats
Do you love wedding soup? How about zucchini boats? With this recipe, you can have both! These Italian Wedding Soup Zucchini Boats combine the flavors of wedding soup with the textures of zucchini boats. The boats are topped with a luxurious cheesy bean sauce that takes this cozy weeknight meal over the top!
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking apart, until sausage is no longer pink (about 5 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate. Set aside.
Add a tablespoons of oil into the pot with the sausage fat. Next, add the onion and carrot and cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the kale then season with oregano, salt and pepper.
Add the quinoa and stir to combine with the vegetables. Allow the quinoa to toast for about 2 minutes, then pour the broth into the pot. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for 20 Minutes. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, cut each zucchini in half then scoop out the center using a spoon. Leave about 1/4 inch thickness on all sides to create the boats. Place the boats in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the zucchini boats with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 Minutes then set aside until the quinoa and cheesy bean sauce are ready.
Make the cheesy bean sauce by combining all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Next, assemble the zucchini boats: Place a large spoonful of the quinoa mixture into the bottom of the boats. Next, top each boat with the cooked sausage crumbles. Pour the cheesy bean sauce evenly over the boats then drizzle with pesto and a sprinkle of panko.
Bake the boats in the oven for 10 Minutes or until the zucchini boats are tender. Serve warm and enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking apart, until sausage is no longer pink (about 5 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate. Set aside.
Add a tablespoons of oil into the pot with the sausage fat. Next, add the onion and carrot and cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the kale then season with oregano, salt and pepper.
Add the quinoa and stir to combine with the vegetables. Allow the quinoa to toast for about 2 minutes, then pour the broth into the pot. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for 20 Minutes. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, cut each zucchini in half then scoop out the center using a spoon. Leave about 1/4 inch thickness on all sides to create the boats. Place the boats in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the zucchini boats with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 Minutes then set aside until the quinoa and cheesy bean sauce are ready.
Make the cheesy bean sauce by combining all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Next, assemble the zucchini boats: Place a large spoonful of the quinoa mixture into the bottom of the boats. Next, top each boat with the cooked sausage crumbles. Pour the cheesy bean sauce evenly over the boats then drizzle with pesto and a sprinkle of panko.
Bake the boats in the oven for 10 Minutes or until the zucchini boats are tender. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Notes
MAKE IT VEGAN: To make this recipe completely vegan, make the following substituttions:
- Italian sausage – substitute with plant-based sausage.
- Milk – substitute with unsweetened non-dairy milk like almond milk or oat milk.
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