Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers – Vegan Richa
For an easy vegan comfort food dinner make my Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers filled with rice, chickpea mushroom spaghetti sauce and topped with crispy breadcrumbs and melty cheese.
These vegan stuffed bell peppers are filled with rice, chickpeas, mushrooms and leftover marinara or spaghetti sauce, which makes this is a great recipe for using up leftover pasta sauce. The recipe is so simple yet super delicious and also wholesome and healthy. So, if you’re looking for a new go-to, easy and delicious lunch or weeknight dinner option, this recipe just might be the one for you. Plus, the leftovers reheat well, so you can pack them for lunch the next day!
When it comes to dinner time, I find that keeping things simple is key.What I love about this stuffed bell peppers recipe, is that is uses simple ingredients that are packed with flavor, which brings me to the topping! Bread crumbs and shredded cheese! Crispy, cheesy, YUM! The bell peppers are baked until tender and the filling is just pure yummy… the rice mixed with cheese and marinara sauce. Everything is just so well-balanced.
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Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
For an easy vegan comfort food dinner make my Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers filled with rice, chickpea mushroom spaghetti sauce and topped with crispy breadcrumbs and melty cheese. Gluten-free option.
Servings: 4
Calories: 466kcal
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 1/2 cup (240 g) cooked white rice (3/4 cup uncooked will make about 1.5 cups cooked)
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet white onion or red onion chopped
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 3 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt depends on salt content in sauce
- 1 very ripe diced tomato
- 2-3 tsp Italian seasonings basil, oregano, thyme
- 1 cup thinly sliced mushroom
- 2 cups (710 ml) spaghetti or marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3/4 Cup cooked chickpeas (Half of 15 oz jar drained) or use 1/2 cup veggie crumbles or omit
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup (80 g) breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup (120 g) shredded vegan cheese I use a mix of vegan mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F (206 c)
Start by cutting off the tops of your green peppers and remove all seeds, until cavity is completely hollow.
Bake the peppers: Sprinkle inside with a dash of salt and pepper. Place in any oven safe bake ware, that will allow peppers to stay in place w/open tops facing upright.
Bake for aprox 20 mins, or until almost tender
While baking, cook rice if you haven’t already (3/4 cup dry will make about 1.5 cups cooked. Wash the rice and soak for 15 minutes. The drain, combine with 1.5 cups water and cook in a saucepan over low heat partially covered for 20 minutes)
While peppers and rice are cooking, mince garlic, and finely chop the onion, mushrooms,coarsely chop tomato.
Make the sauce: Preheat olive oil in a fairly large deep skillet pan on medium-high heat, add onion, and a pinch of salt. cook for about 3-4 mins. You can also add 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper here for variation.
Add garlic, cook until almost golden. Add tomato, salt, pepper, mushrooms. Mix well, cook until tomato breaks down a bit.
Now add your sauce, chickpeas, brown sugar, seasonings. Mix well
Simmer on medium low for 10-15 mins. Taste and adjust salt and flavor of this spaghetti sauce.
Remove peppers from oven set aside to cool. Mix rice into your ‘spaghetti sauce’ with half of the cheese, let rest.
When cool enough to handle, spoon sauce/rice mixture into the peppers. Leave enough room for your topping
Now take another portion of cheese, the breadcrumbs, garlic powder and olive oil, mix well and top each pepper generously.
Return the stuffed peppers into oven and bake for about 20 min or until topping is nicely browned and fork easily penetrates through the walls of the peppers. Serve with breadsticks or french bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to add veggie crumbles or vegan meat crumbles to the filling
- cooked lentils make another great addition to the filling
- omit the mushrooms if you don’t like them
- Use Glutenfree breadcrumbs or a mix of almond flour and coarsely crushed oats for Glutenfree
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 466
Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 780mg34%
Potassium 1134mg32%
Carbohydrates 72g24%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 2945IU59%
Vitamin C 97mg118%
Calcium 145mg15%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients:
- bell peppers – any color you like
- vegan cheese shreds – vegan mozzarella is best
- cooked white rice – use leftover rice or cook some fresh rice
- onion and garlic are sauteed for the base of the sauce
- mushrooms and chickpeas add volume
- marinara sauce – or any leftover spaghetti sauce
- we up the flavor by adding some Italian seasoning to the sauce
- a bit of browns sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes
Tips:
- Feel free to add veggie crumbles or vegan meat crumbles to the filling
- cooked lentils make another great addition to the filling
Preheat oven to 400°. Start by cutting off the tops of your green peppers and removing all seeds, until the cavity is completely hollow. Sprinkle inside w/dash of salt and pepper. Place in any oven-safe bakeware, that will allow peppers to stay in place with open tops facing upright.
Bake for approximately 20 mins, or until almost tender
While baking, cook rice if you haven’t already (3/4 cup dry will make about 1.5 cups cooked )
While peppers and rice are cooking, mince garlic, and finely chop the onion (coarsely chop the tomato, if using fresh)
Preheat olive oil in a fairly large deep skillet pan on medium-high heat, add onion, cook for about 3-4 mins.
Add garlic, cook until almost golden. Add tomato, mushroom, salt, pepper. Mix well, cook until tomato breaks down a bit. Now add your sauce, chickpeas, brown sugar, seasonings. Simmer on med/low for 10-15 mins. Remove the peppers from the oven and set them aside to cool. Mix rice into your ‘spaghetti sauce’ with half of the cheese, let rest.
When cool enough to handle, spoon sauce/rice mixture into the peppers. Leave enough room for your topping.
Now take another portion of cheese, the breadcrumbs, garlic powder and olive oil, mix well and top each pepper generously.
Return the stuffed peppers into oven and cook for about 20 min or until topping is nicely browned and a fork easily penetrates through the walls of the peppers.
Serve with breadsticks or french bread- Enjoy!
Storage:
These bell peppers will keep nicely for up to 3 days in airtight sealed container
