Enjoy these fresh vegan zucchini roll ups topped with a no-cook raw marinara sauce. Perfect as an appetizer, this easy recipe is made with just a handful of simple ingredients.
Zucchini is everywhere this time of year. I know I certainly always seem to have an abundance of it in my fridge. It’s such a versatile vegetable, equally at home in soups, salads, sides and more; delicious both cooked and raw and so easy to find.
These zucchini roll ups are another great way to put the handy vegetable to good use this season.
Fresh and light, these vegan zucchini roll ups are especially good in the warmer months since they require no cooking. Rolled with a creamy herb filling and topped with a no-cook marinara, they make a terrific snack or appetizer delivered in a perfect bite-sized package. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Sun-dried Tomatoes – Choose sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil for the best flavor.
- Olives – Choose kalamata olives for the best flavor.
- Garlic – You’ll need 1 small clove of garlic.
- Tomatoes – You’ll need 2 vine tomatoes.
- Herbs – You’ll need dried oregano, fresh parsley, fresh basil and fresh chives.
- Olive Oil – Use your favorite extra virgin olive oil.
- Zucchini – Choose medium-sized zucchini for these roll ups.
- Vegan Cream Cheese Spread – Use either dairy-free almond or cashew cream cheese spread.
Recipe Tips:
While at first glance zucchini roll-ups may seem a bit fussy, these roll ups actually come together quite quickly and easily. The key is a mandolin and choosing the right size zucchini.
- A good sharp mandolin will make quick work of creating even and bendable slices of zucchini for your roll ups. You want slices that are sturdy enough to hold up to the filling but thin enough to easily bend and roll.
- Choosing straight, medium-sized zucchini will also help ensure the slices have a good shape and are wide enough to hold the filling. Don’t be tempted to purchase the biggest zucchini you see or you’ll likely end up with a spongy and seed-filled specimen that won’t be up to the task.
How to Make Vegan Zucchini Roll Ups:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Start by creating strips of zucchini with a mandolin, discarding the outermost slices of skin and inner most seeded slices and set those aside.
- In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, fresh parsley, basil, chives, and salt to make the filling.
- Spread 1 – 2 teaspoons of the herb spread on each zucchini slice. Roll up and place seam down on a platter. (You can use a small cocktail skewer to hold them together.) Repeat with the rest of the zucchini slices. The good news is you can prepare the roll ups up to a day ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.
- The raw marinara is equally as easy. Just a quick chop of the tomatoes (fresh and dried), garlic and olives in the food processor is all you need to create a delicious marinara that can be dolloped on top or served on the side. (It also happens to be great with zucchini noodles as well if you so choose.)
Fresh and full of flavor, these zucchini roll ups are like little bites of summer.
More Zucchini Recipes:
Vegan Zucchini Roll Ups
Rolled with a creamy herb filled spread, then topped with simple raw tomato sauce these zucchini roll ups with raw marinara make a great bite-sized snack or appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 sundried tomatoes
- 4-5 pitted kalamata olives
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 vine tomatoes, seeded
- ⅛th teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛th teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- ½ Tablespoon/7ml extra virgin olive oil
For the zucchini roll ups:
- 2 medium zucchini cut lengthwise into ⅛th-inch thick slices on a mandoline (discarding outermost slices of skin and inner most seeded slices)
- 4 oz. dairy-free almond or cashew cream cheese spread
- ½ oz fresh parsley
- ½ oz fresh basil leaves
- ½ oz fresh chives
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
To make the raw marinara:
- Place the sundried tomatoes, olive and garlic in the bowl of a small food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and pepper and pulse again until you have a chunky sauce. Stir in olive oil and set aside in the fridge for at least an hour to chill.
To make the zucchini roll ups:
- In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, parsley, basil, chives, and salt.
- Spread 1 – 2 teaspoons of the herb spread on each zucchini slice. Roll up and place seam down on a platter. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini slices.
- Serve with raw marinara.
Notes
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 405mgCarbohydrates: 9gSugar: 6gProtein: 2g
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Veronica says
This looks so good. Thank you for the nice recipe! This will be a big hit in any party.
Kari says
Hi Sylvia, I haven’t been over here since I left Dubai and moved to Aruba. Somehow everything got disrupted with my blog friends and I am just finding you again. This is absolutely wonderful and I am in love with this raw, vegan dish and your use of cashews!