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).
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!
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!
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.
More stuffed pepper recipes from around the web
- Southwestern Stuffed Peppers from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers from Our Best Bites
- Black Bean, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Stuffed Peppers from Ambitious Kitchen