Bity
These vegan stuffed peppers are the dinner I make when I want something colourful, filling and completely plant-based without any fuss. Sweet bell peppers are packed with quinoa, black beans, zucchini, corn and tomatoes, seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder, then baked until soft and juicy.
In short, these stuffed peppers are bell peppers filled with a skillet mix of quinoa, black beans, zucchini, corn and tomatoes, baked at 375°F (190°C) under foil for 30 minutes and then uncovered until tender. They take 65 minutes in total, serve 6 and come to about 255 calories and 11 g fibre per pepper.
I started making them for a friend who eats no meat or dairy, and I assumed I would miss the cheese and mince. In fact, I did not. The smoky filling is so hearty that the meat eaters at the table went back for seconds, and now this is simply how I make stuffed peppers.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Stuffed Peppers
- Hearty without meat. Quinoa and black beans together make a filling that is properly satisfying.
- One pan for the filling. Everything is cooked in a single skillet in about 15 minutes, then spooned straight into the peppers.
- Naturally gluten free. There are no breadcrumbs and no flour, so it suits a mixed table.
- Great for meal prep. They reheat well and freeze well, which makes weekday lunches easy.
- Easy to adapt. Because the filling is so forgiving, you can swap the grain, the beans or the vegetables for what you have.
Ingredient Notes
- Bell peppers. 6 large, any colour. Choose ones with flat bottoms so they stand upright in the dish.
- Olive oil. 1 tablespoon, for softening the vegetables.
- Yellow onion. 1 small, diced.
- Garlic. 3 cloves, minced.
- Zucchini. 1, diced small. It melts into the filling and keeps it moist.
- Mushrooms. 1 cup, diced (optional). They add a savoury, almost meaty depth.
- Black beans. 1 can (15 ounces / 425 g), drained and rinsed. Medical News Today lists a cup of cooked black beans at around 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fibre, which is why the filling keeps you full.
- Cooked quinoa. 1 1/2 cups. That is about 1/2 cup of dry quinoa cooked in 1 cup of water.
- Diced tomatoes. 1 can (14.5 ounces / 411 g), drained so the filling is not watery.
- Corn kernels. 1 cup, fresh or frozen. There is no need to thaw frozen corn first.
- Spices. 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder, plus 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.
- Vegan shredded cheese. 1/2 cup (optional), for a melted top.
- Fresh cilantro or parsley. 2 tablespoons, chopped, to finish.
Why Quinoa and Black Beans Work So Well
Many vegan stuffed peppers lean on rice alone and end up a little flat. Here, the quinoa stays light and slightly nutty, while the beans add creaminess and bite, so the filling has real texture.
There is a nutritional bonus too. Harvard’s Nutrition Source explains that quinoa is a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, which is unusual for a plant food. Paired with the beans, it turns a vegetable side into a proper main course.
Which Colour Pepper Is Best?
Red bell peppers are the best for stuffing if you want the sweetest flavour and the softest bite. Green peppers have the firmest walls and are usually the cheapest, while orange and yellow sit in between.
| Colour | Flavour | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Sweetest and fruitiest | Softens fastest, my first choice |
| Orange and yellow | Sweet and mild | Hold their colour beautifully |
| Green | Grassy, slightly bitter | Firmest walls, usually the cheapest |
I like a mix, partly for the look and partly so everyone can pick a favourite.
How To Make Vegan Stuffed Peppers
1. Prepare the peppers. First, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the tops off the peppers and pull out the seeds and white membranes. Stand them upright in a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
2. Soften the onion. Next, warm the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.
3. Add the vegetables. Then stir in the garlic, zucchini and mushrooms, if you are using them. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
4. Build the filling. Add the black beans, cooked quinoa, drained tomatoes, corn, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until everything is hot. Taste it now and adjust the salt.
5. Fill the peppers. After that, spoon the quinoa mixture evenly into the peppers, pressing down gently so each one is well packed.
6. Bake covered. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. The foil traps steam, which softens the peppers without drying out the filling.
7. Uncover and finish. Remove the foil and sprinkle the tops with the vegan cheese, if using. Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese has melted.
8. Garnish and serve. Finally, scatter with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve hot.
Common Problems and Fixes
- The peppers are still crunchy. Thick walled peppers need longer. Keep them covered for an extra 10 minutes before you uncover, or pour 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of the dish to create more steam.
- The filling is watery. The tomatoes were not drained, or the zucchini was not cooked long enough to give up its moisture. Let the filling bubble for a few more minutes in the pan.
- The filling is dry. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the tomato juice you drained off, or a splash of salsa.
- The peppers tip over. Shave a thin slice off the base to level it, taking care not to cut a hole. A snug dish helps them prop each other up.
- It tastes bland. Canned beans and quinoa soak up a lot of seasoning. Add a pinch more salt and a squeeze of lime at the end.
Tips for the Best Vegan Stuffed Peppers
- Cook the quinoa ahead, or use a pouch of ready cooked quinoa. Day old, slightly dry quinoa is ideal because it soaks up flavour.
- Dice the vegetables small. Large chunks leave gaps, and the filling falls apart when you cut in.
- Keep the pepper tops. Dice the flesh around the stalk and cook it with the onion so nothing is wasted.
- Prefer shorter cooking? Halve the peppers lengthways instead. They sit flat, hold plenty of filling and are tender about 10 minutes sooner.
- Choose a vegan cheese that says it melts. Some brands stay stubbornly firm, so covering the dish for the last few minutes helps.
Storage and Reheating
- Make ahead. The filling keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also stuff the raw peppers, cover and chill them for up to 24 hours, then add about 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
- Fridge. Store baked vegan stuffed peppers in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Cool completely, wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. Warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave a single pepper for 2 to 3 minutes until hot through.
Variations and Substitutions
- Rice instead of quinoa. Use the same amount of cooked brown or white rice.
- Different beans. Pinto beans, kidney beans, chickpeas or cooked green lentils all work.
- Taco style. Replace the three spices with 1 tablespoon of my homemade taco seasoning and serve with salsa and avocado.
- Italian style. Swap the cumin and chili powder for dried oregano and basil, and spoon marinara sauce over the top before baking.
- No vegan cheese. Leave it off, or finish with sliced avocado, a spoonful of dairy-free yogurt or a dusting of nutritional yeast.
- Not strictly vegan? Regular shredded cheese melts well here. If you are unsure where the line sits, my guide to vegan vs vegetarian explains it.
What to Serve With Them
One of these vegan stuffed peppers with a crisp green salad is a complete dinner. For a bigger spread, start with a bowl of hummus and warm flatbread, or serve a cup of slow cooker minestrone soup alongside.
If you are planning a week of plant-based dinners, put these on the list with my coconut chickpea curry. For more ideas, my round up of high protein vegetarian meals is a good place to look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients and Method
Do you need to precook bell peppers before stuffing and baking them?
No. Because they bake covered with foil for 30 minutes at 375°F (190°C), the steam softens them fully. Pre-cooking only matters if you like them very soft; in that case, bake the empty peppers for 10 minutes first.
Do you have to cook the quinoa before stuffing peppers?
Yes. The filling does not hold enough liquid to cook dry quinoa inside the peppers. Simmer 1/2 cup of dry quinoa in 1 cup of water for about 15 minutes to get the 1 1/2 cups you need.
Are vegan stuffed peppers gluten free?
Yes, this version is, as quinoa, beans and vegetables contain no gluten. However, check the labels on your spices and vegan cheese if you cook for someone with coeliac disease.
Can you make quinoa stuffed peppers without mushrooms?
Yes. The 1 cup of diced mushrooms is optional. Add a little extra zucchini or corn instead so the peppers are still full.
Storage and Serving
Can I freeze vegan stuffed peppers?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze them baked and cooled, then thaw in the fridge and reheat covered in the oven. The peppers will be softer, but the flavour holds up well.
How long do vegan stuffed peppers last in the fridge?
Up to 4 days in airtight containers, and the uncooked filling alone keeps for 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave one pepper for 2 to 3 minutes until hot through.
How many calories are in a quinoa and black bean stuffed pepper?
About 255 calories per pepper, including the optional vegan cheese, with roughly 10 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 11 g fibre and 6 g fat. These figures are estimates and vary with pepper size and brand of cheese.
How many stuffed peppers should you serve per person?
One large pepper is a generous serving for most adults. With soup, salad or bread on the side, six peppers comfortably feed six.
What can you do with leftover quinoa and black bean filling?
Spoon it into a wrap or over a baked sweet potato, or eat it straight from the pan with tortilla chips. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, so make extra if you like.
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers any color
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 cup mushrooms diced (optional)
- 1 can black beans (15 ounces / 425 g), drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces / 411 g), drained
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish.
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic, zucchini and mushrooms, if using. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, until the vegetables start to soften.
- Stir in the black beans, cooked quinoa, drained tomatoes, corn, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until heated through.
- Divide the filling evenly between the peppers, pressing it in gently.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Take off the foil and top with the vegan cheese, if you like. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese has melted.
- Scatter with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve.
