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These peppers have been a favorite meal in our household for years.
The filling is warm and hearty, and when stuffed into tender bell peppers, the presentation is pretty enough to serve to company– without too much additional effort.
As you may know, quinoa is a gluten-free “pseudograin” that is loaded with all of the essential amino acids the body needs, making it a complete source of protein. Paired with sauteed vegetables, beans, and a rich marinara sauce, it makes for a warm and filling meal during these cold winter months. In case you have allergy concerns, it’s also nut-free and dairy-free!
This recipe is easily adaptable, so feel free to use any seasonable vegetables you have on hand. You can taste and adjust the seasoning as you go, so it’s practically fool-proof!
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Quiona Stuffed Peppers (Vegan)
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
4 bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds and white pith removed
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
1 zucchini, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can white cannellini beans (about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
1 cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving
Sea salt and black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat, cooking until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Place the bell peppers cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake them for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In the meantime, melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute the onion until it starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, mushrooms and zucchini, and saute until all of the vegetables are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add in the cooked quinoa, beans, and marinara sauce, and stir well to combine and adjust the seasoning to taste. Arrange the cooked bell peppers cut-side-up and spoon the filling into each pepper. It should generously fill 4 bell peppers. Spoon additional marinara sauce over each pepper to help prevent them from drying out, then bake for 30 minutes at 350F, until the peppers are very tender. Serve warm, with additional marinara sauce, if you like.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 4 bell peppers , sliced in half lengthwise, seeds and white pith removed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- 1 zucchini , chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can white cannellini beans (about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
- 1 cup marinara sauce , plus more for serving
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the quinoa and water in a small saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat, cooking until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Place the bell peppers cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake them for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In the meantime, melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute the onion until it starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, mushrooms and zucchini, and saute until all of the vegetables are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add in the cooked quiona, beans, and marinara sauce, and stir well to combine and adjust the seasoning to taste. Arrange the cooked bell peppers cut-side-up and spoon the filling into each pepper. It should generously fill 4 bell peppers. Spoon additional marinara sauce over each pepper to help prevent them from drying out, then bake for 30 minutes at 350, until the peppers are very tender. Serve warm, with additional marinara sauce, if you like.
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 199, Fat: 5g, Carbohydrates: 32g, Fiber: 7g, Protein: 7g
Notes:
- This filling can easily be enjoyed on its own, without stuffing the peppers. Or, you can fill your favorite winter squash or zucchini, too!
- To keep this recipe sugar-free, make sure you use a marinara sauce that is free of added sugar. (Amy’s Organic Pasta Sauce is sugar-free.)
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite dish to make when company comes over?
So easy and so good! Even my meat-eating dad loved it!
This one is a crowd pleaser and looks great on the table when hosting guests. I skip the initial 10 minute cook time for the peppers alone. 30 minutes at the end does the job. I also, unfortunately, skip the mushrooms because my husband doesn’t like them. Instead I add some of Trader Joe’s’ umami mushroom seasoning to the mixture.
After years and years, these stuffed peppers still make it into our lunch or dinner rotation at least once a month. They are pretty quick as far as hands-on work goes and so yummy! I can’t believe I’ve never reviewed them before, but they definitely deserve a place on your plate.
Delicious! Had everything on hand and a ton of peppers – this was perfect!
Forgot to rate it!
I made these for supper, last night and they were delicious. I was a little skeptical about the white beans, but they were actually really good and complimented the dish nicely. Yum!
I have made these at least six or so times now. They are absolutely delicious! My boyfriend doesn’t even miss the meat in these. I have also made them with lentils, but I prefer the quinoa. We use a mix of peppers. It always makes enough for us to stuff six peppers. We usually just put some extra filling on the side. This last time we froze the extra filling. We also like to shred a little bit of cheese on top sometimes.
These turned out amazingly good! I don’t particularly like mushrooms, so I left them out and added a second zucchini. Delicious!!