Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
These Hearty Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are made with sweet tender bell peppers filled with black beans, veggies, corn, and quinoa, then topped with cheese until melty and perfect.
Top with a dollop of sour cream, dice some avocados over the top, or just add a few drops of taco sauce – however you garnish them, these vegetarian stuffed peppers are bound to be good!
Table of Contents
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The Story Behind the Recipe
How in the heck is it that I don’t have a recipe for stuffed peppers here on this blog already?! Okay, so I do have this recipe, which is divine. But I mean baked stuffed peppers, dinner style. Filled with rice (or, in this case, quinoa), protein (in this case, black beans) and tons of flavor (in this case, yes).
I love the mix of flavors and textures in this stuffed peppers recipe. I tried to keep it as simple as possible, because stuffed pepper recipes can get kind of labor-intensive before you even get them into the oven. Cook the rice (or quinoa), saute the onions for the filling, blanch the peppers … I tried to do away with the those last two. As far as sauteing onions goes, I tried to leave onions out entirely, and no bueno. The filling just didn’t have enough flavor. And you’ve gotta saute the bad boys for maximum flavor (and decent texture). So I do include the step of sauteing onion, some chopped bell pepper, and oregano together.
Now, blanching the peppers – this is something that a lot of people suggest so that the pepper has the right texture when done baking. But I found that following Real Simple’s method of cooking the peppers in a water bath worked remarkably well. So there’s one less step!
Really, these do come together pretty quickly, all told. Making the quinoa ahead of time helps (or you could actually make the entire filling ahead of time if you like). Then stuff and bake!
Why You’ll Love Them
Hearty vegetarian weeknight dinner. Just add some roasted cauliflower or kale salad and you have a wonderful dinner situation on your hands.
Easily customizable. Each vegetarian stuffed pepper is a serving, so you can mix it up however you need.
Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Recipe Ingredients
Bell peppers – I like to use yellow, orange, or red, or a combo of all three.
Quinoa – About 1/2 cup, cooked until tender. I like how quinoa adds a bit more protein to the equation. If you prefer rice, that’s totally fine! You’ll use the same quantities.
Olive oil – For sauteing the veggies.
Onion – I like to use yellow onion, but if you only have red or white, that’s fine too.
Oregano – I prefer dried oregano. I like to saute my oregano with my veggies to help it to “bloom,” contributing max flavor.
Black beans – One can, or about 1 1/2 cups. Drian and rinse them.
Diced tomatoes – I really like using fire-roasted canned tomatoes for an added dose of smoky flavor.
Corn – Frozen corn kernels are perfect in these vegetarian stuffed peppers.
Green chiles – One little can for lots of flavor.
Chili powder – A little adds a lot of flavor.
Cumin – For earthy, slightly smoky flavor.
Salt & pepper
Cheese – For topping your vegetarian stuffed peppers. I like cheddar or Jack.
Toppings – Diced scallions, cilantro, pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, sky’s the limit!
Adaptations/Variations
Stuffed bell peppers are the perfect dinner for us in our multivore home. Can anyone say “individual servings?” Oh man, I love individual servings. That means that each one can be tailored to preferences or diets without hardly having to lift any additional fingers. And everyone’s happy.
In the case of these Southwestern Black Bean & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, they can be made a myriad of ways. Vegetarian, of course. Vegan, yes – just omit the cheese, or sub vegan cheese, and maybe even add some avocado to the top when serving for some added creaminess. Meaty, you bet. Mix in some chicken and the carnivores are good to go. (Note that most traditional stuffed pepper recipes call for ground beef, but we opt for something a little healthier. Ground beef is also totally doable, though!) Gluten-free? Well, they already are! So, perfect!
How to Make Them
Prep by preheating your oven and cooking the quinoa.
Cut off the top of the bell peppers and arrange them in a baking dish. Dice the bell pepper from the tops.
Saute the onion, diced bell pepper, and oregano. Stir in the cooked quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, corn, green chiles, and remaining seasonings.
Fill the peppers with the mixture and add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish.
Cover and bake until the bell peppers are fork-tender.
Top with cheese and bake until melted.
Serve with assorted toppings.
One of the best parts is topping these Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers. Once they’re all baked, drizzle a little sour cream or vegan sour cream over the top, serve with salsa, some avocado, maybe a little extra cheese for the dairy-inclined … perfect weeknight dinner. Sold.
I hope these Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are as big a hit with you and your family are they are for us!
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
Topping ideas
cilantrosliced avocadoguacamolesliced scallionssour creamsalsataco saucepico de gallo
Instructions
Notes
Meat option:
Add cooked, diced chicken to the mix – about a scant 1/4 cup per pepper.
*Vegan/dairy-free option:
Omit cheese or use vegan cheese.
Note:
The recipe is written so that you’ll have ample filling for just about any size bell pepper, so there’s a chance you’ll have some left over.
Nutrition
Originally published October 5, 2015.
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