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!
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
- 6 medium bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed [about 1 1/2 cups cooked])
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion (diced, [about 1 cup])
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (cut from the tops of your bell peppers)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 15 ounces black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed, 1 1/2 cups)
- 14 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes (1 can, undrained)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 4 ounces diced green chiles (1 small can)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack)
Topping ideas
- cilantro
- sliced avocado
- guacamole
- sliced scallions
- sour cream
- salsa
- taco sauce
- pico de gallo
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and set the tops aside. Remove the inside membranes and seeds and discard. Arrange the peppers cut-side up in a rectangular 9×13 baking dish.
- Cook the quinoa. Rinse it well under cold water, then place in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until fluffy and the water is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Dice the onion and the bell pepper from the tops of the peppers. Set a large saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender and the onion is a bit browned, 6-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cooked quinoa, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Divide the mixture between the bell peppers. Carefully add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the baking dish and cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake until the bell peppers are fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted, 5-10 more minutes.
- Serve with assorted toppings.
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 Facts
Originally published October 5, 2015.
Hi! I’m Karen – I’m a real person with real, vetted recipes – over 900 of them! Since 2009, every recipe on Kitchen Treaty is thoroughly tested and loved before I hit “publish.” I’m a home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore, and my goal is to coexist deliciously.
So what do you do with the quinoa
Ack, thank you for asking this! It was missing from the directions; the quinoa gets added to the filling to along with everything else. I’ve fixed the recipe. Thanks again.