My family has always loved stuffed peppers, and this quinoa version is absolutely fantastic, filled with quinoa, brown rice, and lots of veggies. I like to use a rainbow of colored peppers, orange, red, and yellow, to add color and sweet pepper flavors.
| Prep Time: 90 mins | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins |
Recipe Type: Entree; Vegan
Tools: Large baking dish
Serving: 6 to 8 servings
Pan Prep: Lightly oiled
Storage: Cover and refrigerate
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Ingredients:
- 2 to 4 tablespoons oil
(Tip: I like to use olive oil. However, coconut or vegetable oils are also good to use.) - 1 cup dry quinoa (makes about 3 cups cooked)
- 2 cups vegetable broth, optional, to use when preparing quinoa in place of water
- 1 cup dry whole grain brown rice (makes about 3 cups cooked)
(Tip: it’s ok to substitute 2 cups of dry instant whole grain brown rice, which will make about 2⅔ cups of cooked rice.) - 6 large bell peppers
(Tip: use any color peppers you prefer. I like to use a combination of red, yellow, and orange peppers.) - 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium-sized zucchini, diced
- 10 small Cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can of Mexican-style recipe tomatoes, diced
- 1 29-ounce can of tomato sauce, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bunch of cilantro, mainly the leaves, roughly chopped
How to Make Quinoa Stuffed Peppers:
- Prepare one large baking dish with sides, such as a 12x17x1 inch Jelly Roll pan or a 9×13 inch pan. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil over the bottom of the pan.
(Tip: line pan with foil and drizzle oil over foil if desired for easy clean-up after baking. Tip: You may need to use more than one baking dish to fit all the peppers.) - Quinoa and Brown Rice: Cook quinoa and brown rice according to package directions. When cooked, set aside while preparing the rest of the filling.
(Tip: I like using vegetable broth instead of water when cooking quinoa to provide extra flavor.) - Peppers: Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Arrange peppers in a prepared baking dish and set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Filling: Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed cooking skillet, then add the onions and garlic. Cook and stir onions and garlic with a spatula or wooden spoon until partially cooked, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and sauté 3 to 5 minutes more or until the zucchini and mushrooms are partially tender.
(Tip: it’s better to keep the veggies still crisp-tender as they will continue cooking in the oven.) - Add the black beans, tomatoes, about ½ a can of tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir and heat until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Fill the prepared peppers with the filling.
(Tip: you will probably have an extra filling that can be refrigerated and eaten later as an excellent snack or lunch.) - Pour the remaining ½ can of tomato sauce over the filled peppers.
- Bake: Cover the peppers with foil and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the peppers are tender but still a bit crisp.
