greek roasted chickpea and rice zucchini boats
Finger food that’s fun to eat AND fun to play with.
Total aside here, but the sun is damn annoying this time of morning (around 7:30 am) since it assaults me from behind and strikes my laptop screen with furious glare. I honestly have no clue what I’m typing half the time and hope I’m not making a morbid typo of any kind.
Summer appetizer season is nigh and these loaded zucchini boats are a unique, fresh, lively dish to serve up at your next gathering or normal dinner. I say “gathering” as if I myself have a lot of those, but really my company is usually J and my two tabletop basil companions…So for me, this shit is cooked for a normal-ass dinner. Nothing wrong with that.
Crispy Greek-seasoned chickpeas, a pile of rice (if you have leftover rice, primo! That’s perfect here), creamy Gouda cheese, and poppin’ marinated cherry tomatoes star in this quick and bright dish. Serve it for lunch, dinner, or cut up as a small bite appetizer. Who knew zucchini could have so much character?
I did. That’s why I created this recipe, nerds.
Double Take
A particularly dope aspect of this recipe is that you can roast the chickpeas and zucchini together. Keep a closer eye on the chickpeas, though, for if you leave them too long they might burn. Crisp? Yes. Char? Not so cute.
I start with the marinated tomatoes since they can hang out in their balsamic ocean for awhile, really infusing the little guys with a ton of flavor. The mix is simply olive oil, balsamic, and an array of whatever fresh herbs you have and prefer. Basil is a must, and I usually do mint and chives as well.
To make filling the zucchini a bit easier, I like to use a melon baller or spoon to scoop out a few holes in the flesh. Season the halves with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and set on a line baking sheet.
On another sheet, toss the chickpeas with lots of dried herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the two sheets together for 15-20 minutes. Again, check up on the chickpeas. They might need you sooner than you think. Can be clingy.
Fill the Boat
But don’t puncture it. That would suck.
Grab a bowl of leftover rice (or make some fresh, just know that’ll add a bit of prep time) and plop onto each zucchini boat. I had some gouda lying around so I dusted that on top – and besides, I’m on a gouda kick with the Smoked Gouda Potato Tart coming in hot last week. Return the zucchini to the oven for a few more minutes to melt the cheese.
To serve, divide the chickpeas and tomatoes among the boats. They’ll sort of tumble around the boats on each plate. That’s okay. The colors lend enough beauty, the shaggy arrangement is part of the charm. You can knife and fork these guys if you’re a fancy British teaparty-goer, or shove them down with your hands. I don’t judge either way.
If you’re keeping leftovers, store the boats separate from the tomatoes and the chickpeas. Keep the chickpeas sealed at room temperature to preserve some of the crisp, and the other two in the fridge.
Gouda is not the end-all-be-all here, so if you have mozzarella or Monterey jack or another melty white cheese, use that. Hell, a bit of feta wouldn’t hurt anyone either. It won’t melt like the others, so I’d just add some after everything is roasted up and near-ready to serve.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
greek roasted chickpea and rice zucchini boats
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini, halved
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
- 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup mixed fresh herbs (I like basil, mint, and chives)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- Toss the tomatoes with the oil, balsamic, herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Carefully scoop a few wells in the center of each zucchini boat (see photos for reference). Rub both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on one of the baking sheets cut-side up.
- In a bowl, toss the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, dill, garlic, onion, oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on the second baking sheet.
- Roast the zucchini and chickpeas for 15-20 minutes, tossing the chickpeas halfway through cooking time.
- Divide the rice among the zucchini boats and sprinkle each with Gouda. Return to the oven for 5-8 more minutes until the cheese melts.
- Top each boat with chickpeas and marinated tomatoes. Serve warm.
