These vegan stuffed peppers are stuffed with a hearty, protein-packed filling of quinoa, veggies and vegan meat or beans, then topped with vegan cheese that melts and turns crusty when baked.
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Easy and healthy stuffed peppers
These vegan stuffed bell peppers look as good as they taste. When the peppers roast in the oven their flavor intensifies. Paired with the savory, delicious filling and the topping of vegan cheese, it's a feast for the tastebuds.
This is a simple recipe with three easy steps:
- Make the filling. This goes by quickly because none of the ingredients need to be sautéed long. The quinoa is precooked.
- Stuff the bell peppers. The fun part is spooning the tasty filling into the cut bell pepper halves.
- Bake. The peppers need an hour in the oven and you will need to tent them with aluminum foil for the first 40 minutes. Giving them 20 minutes at the end without the foil on allows the peppers to brown just slightly and helps the cheese melt.
The recipe is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free and kids will love the savory filling and the cheese. There is a good serving of veggies in the filling, including celery, carrots and onions, and oregano adds rich, wholesome flavor.
You can serve these peppers as a side dish, but I like serving them as the main meal. All the nutrients you might get from a healthy dinner are in this single dish: protein, carbs and veggies! There are 466 calories in each serving of two bell pepper halves, and you get a whopping 20 grams of protein and 11 grams of dietary fiber. The dish is also loaded with vitamins A and C and calcium.
What color bell peppers to use?
Bell peppers are not all created equal when it comes to flavor. Green bell peppers are savory, while orange and yellow bell peppers are sweeter and red bell peppers are the sweetest. I like using a mix because the dish looks gorgeous with the rainbow of colors and gives different tastebuds in the family a chance to pick their favorite color and flavor!
Do I need to cook peppers before stuffing them?
Some recipes ask you to roast the bell peppers first and then again with the filling. You don't need to do that for this recipe. The juices from the bell peppers released during roasting will flavor the filling even more. We will also roast the peppers uncovered in the last 20 minutes of baking to give them a bit of a char and add more flavor.
Cutting bell peppers
I like cutting the peppers lengthwise so I have two large halves for stuffing, and cutting them this way also exposes more of the filling to the heat of the oven, which intensifies the flavors.
Protein for filling
I used a meat substitute this time to bump up the protein in these vegan stuffed peppers, but I've also made this dish with black beans, kidney beans and lentils, with great results. Use 14 oz of beans or lentils. Using quinoa adds more protein and fiber to the dish. You can substitute it with brown rice or white rice.
Store stuffed peppers
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the stuffed peppers in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Freeze: These stuffed bell peppers freeze well. Store in a single layer in a freezer-safe container.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat the bell peppers in a 400-degree Fahrenheit/205-degree Celsius oven until warmed through.
Recipe card
Vegan stuffed peppers recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil or grape seed oil)
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 2 stalks celery (finely diced)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced or crushed through a garlic press)
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoon dried oregano)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or use cayenne. Adjust the quantity up or down depending on how spicy you want this dish to be.)
- 12-14 oz vegan ground beef (or use a 14-oz can of black beans or lentils. Drain before using)
- ¾ cup cooked quinoa
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 large bell peppers (any color. See note above.)
- 4 oz vegan mozzarella shreds
- ¾ cup vegetable stock (or mushroom stock)
- Juice of 1 lemon or lime
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and saute for a minute.
- Add the tomato paste and mix it in. Stir in the parsley and ground cumin followed by the paprika and cayenne/red pepper flakes.
- Stir in the vegan beef substitute and mix it well. Let it cook 2-3 minutes until it has browned a bit. Add the quinoa and mix it in. Warm the stuffing through. Stir in the parsley, check for salt, and turn off heat.
- Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs. You can add the ribs to the stuffing, they are perfectly edible and they will add more flavor and nutrition. Stuff the cut peppers with the filling, then sprinkle on some vegan mozzarella cheese shreds.
- Mix vegetable stock with lemon juice or lime juice and pour it into the baking dish. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit/205 degree Celsius oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20 more minutes until the cheese has melted and the tops are crusty.
Notes
- Substitute vegan mozzarella with ½ cup panko bread crumbs mixed with 1 teaspoon dried oregano, salt, ground black pepper and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
- Meal prep: Cook the filling up to three days in advance and refrigerate. About 1 ½ hours before serving, cut bell peppers, stuff and bake them in time for dinner!
- Serve: Serve the bell peppers on their own, or with a delicious vegan Caesar salad, or with a side of vegan garlic butter beets or roasted golden beets.
Nutrition Information
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Tricia Sutton says
What brand of cheese is good?
Vaishali says
I use whatever I have on hand, usually the Aldi vegan mozzarella or Daiya.
Sheela says
Hello Vaishali, Hope all well on your side. Long time since i dropped a line. Although, I have been visiting your virtual kitchen on and off. Just that work life has become crazy with too many organizational changes and deadlines.Nevertheless, I tried your stuffed bell pepper for today's dinner. just tasted a bite and messaging you. It is so yummy. I have no words....Simple and elegant too.
Many thanks for sharing.
A big hug!
Sheela
Shani says
I make these at home with an Indian spiced potato, pea and brown rice mixture . I need to try this too:) roasted capsicums are so delicious!
Vaishali says
Hi Shani, I sometimes stuff them with brown rice and veggies too. Yours sound delicious. And absolutely agree-- roasted capsicums, especially the green ones, are amazing!
JoanC says
Are coriander leaves the same as cilantro leaves? Vaishali, I must thank you again for this blog. I have used so many of your recipes and every single one has been outstanding. They've really upped my veg cooking game.
Vaishali says
Hi Joan, yes, cilantro and coriander are the same! You can also try mint or even dill leaves for a delicious variation. And thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words about the blog-- I appreciate it! A happy Fourth to you. 🙂
Shannon says
These stuffed peppers are perfection! The filling looks really satisfying, and I love the flavor profile that you used.
Vaishali says
Thanks, Shannon. 🙂