For peppers:
- 4 Red bell pepperlarge, halved from stem to base, seeds and membranes removed
- 1 tbsp Olive oilextra virgin , as needed
- Saltfine, to taste
- Black pepperfreshly ground, for sprinkling
For filling and topping:
- ½ cup Brown ricelong-grain or 1 ½ cups cooked rice
- 2 tbsp Olive oilextra virgin
- 1 Yellow onionslarge, chopped
- ½ tsp Saltfine, to taste
- 1 pint (2 cups) Cherry tomatoeshalved or quartered if large
- ½ cup Cilantrochopped fresh, plus more for garnish
- 4 cloves Garlicpressed or minced
- 1 ½ tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Cuminground
- 1 can (1 ½ cups) Pinto beansrinsed and drained
- Black pepperfreshly ground , to taste
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 4 oz (about 1 cup) Vegetarian Mozzarellagrated part-skim
For optional garnishes:
- Pestoa drizzle of cilantro-hemp
- Avocadosliced ripe or guacamole
- Salsa
- vegan Sour cream
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
These Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are so delicious I love to make them as a main dish or as a delicious side, depending on how hungry I am! If you use large peppers, you should have just the right amount of filling in this recipe but if you have extra filling, save it to serve as a side dish.Â
To make these delicious stuffed peppers, I start by roasting pepper halves. Cook rice to make the filling. To prepare the filling, I simply saute onion and add tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, chili powder and cumin. I then remove the pot from the heat and add the rice, beans, lime juice, and about 10 twists of black pepper. I use this mixture to stuff the pepper halves and top with cheese before baking in the oven until heated through and bubbling.Â
To make my Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, you will need the following ingredients:
Steps to make Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
1 | Heat oven | 5 |
Preheat the oven to 425 °F. | ||
2 | Prepare peppers | 3 |
Place the halved peppers in a large 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the peppers and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Rub the oil over both sides of the peppers, and arrange them with the cut sides facing up. | ||
3 | Roast peppers | 20 |
Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender when pierced and blistered and charred around the edges. Remove the peppers and set aside. Leave the oven on. | ||
4 | Cook rice | 30 |
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Rinse ½ cup of rice grains under running water until it runs clear. Add the rice to the boiling water and continue boiling, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Drain any remaining cooking water and return the rice to the pot. Set aside. | ||
5 | Saute onions and tomatoes | 10 |
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and ½ a teaspoon salt. Cook while stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or so. | ||
6 | Add garlic and spices | 1 |
Add ½ a cup of chopped fresh cilantro, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons of chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. Cook for 30 - 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant. | ||
7 | Add rice and beans | 2 |
Remove the pot from the heat and add the cooked rice, 1 can of pinto beans, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and about 10 twists of black pepper. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt and black pepper to taste. | ||
8 | Stuff the peppers | 3 |
Pour off any excess liquid pooled within the pepper halves. Stuff each pepper generously with the rice mixture. Top with the vegetarian mozzarella cheese. | ||
9 | Bake | 12 |
Bake in the oven for 12-13 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden. | ||
10 | Serve | |
Sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and serve with optional garnishes. I like sliced ripe avocado with a drizzle of cilantro-hemp pesto, red salsa and sour cream. | ||
Recipe Reviews
Great recipe! I love stuffed peppers. Thanks!
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