Name: Vegan Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat couscous (or sub quinoa for gluten-free); 4 bell peppers; 1 small onion; 3 cloves garlic; 15 oz. can black beans; 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted); 1 cup vegan shredded cheese (I like Follow Your Heart brand); 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin; 1/2 tsp. chili powder; Avocado, cilantro, guacamole, salsa, green onions, etc.

Easy, 9-ingredient Couscous Stuffed Peppers! Beautiful peppers with fluffy couscous, black beans, tomatoes, and delicious fiesta-style flavors.

Vegan black bean couscous stuffed pepper

Beautiful stuffed peppers with a Mexican-inspired flare! I was originally planning to use a rice mixture for the stuffing (which is a bit more conventional). But a box of couscous was staring back at me from the pantry and convinced me to try that instead.

We found it to be a fun and great change of pace, and really enjoyed the texture.

colorful bell pepper halves sitting open faced on a pan

This is a super easy recipe to assemble. While the couscous is cooking, you can prepare the flavorful black bean mixture and get your peppers ready to go. Then just stuff them and and let the oven work it's magic.

Quick note: couscous is a gluten grain made from crushed durum wheat, but you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by subbing in quinoa instead. It's lovely both ways, and hope you enjoy it as well.

Pan of couscous stuffed bell peppers with black beans

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5 from 2 votes

Vegan Couscous Stuffed Peppers

Easy, 9-ingredient Couscous Stuffed Peppers! Beautiful peppers stuffed with fluffy couscous, black beans, tomatoes, and fiesta flavors.

AuthorKaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

CategoryMain Dish

CuisineMexican, Vegan

Servings8 pepper halves

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

1 cup whole wheat couscous (or sub quinoa for gluten-free)
4 bell peppers
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
15 oz. can black beans
15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted)
1 cup vegan shredded cheese (I like Follow Your Heart brand)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Toppings (optional):

Avocado, cilantro, guacamole, salsa, green onions, etc.

Instructions

Cook couscous: boil 1 cup salted water in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add couscous, stir, and cover. Let sit 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff.
Meanwhile, dice onion and mince garlic.
In a skillet over med-high heat, saute onion for 7-8 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/veggie broth for no-oil saute method.)
When onions are soft, add minced garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir and saute 1-2 more minutes.
Add black beans (rinsed and drained) and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and heat for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl (or your skillet if it's large enough), combine the black bean mixture with cooked couscous and vegan cheese. Stir.
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Remove stem and clean out inner ribs with a spoon.
Fill each pepper half, lightly packing down, and place in a 9×13 baking dish.
Add a little water to the bottom of the pan and cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove foil, add a sprinkle of additional cheese on top if desired, and bake for 5-10 more minutes. Garnish with any desired toppings before serving.

Notes

For a gluten-free version, simply use quinoa instead of couscous.

Feel free to change it up with the spices you love. Smoked paprika or a touch of ground chipotle is a lovely, smoky addition!

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Calories: 241 kcalCarbohydrates: 45 gProtein: 9 gFat: 4 gSaturated Fat: 1 gPotassium: 436 mgFiber: 9 gSugar: 5 gVitamin A: 2028 IUVitamin C: 84 mgCalcium: 73 mgIron: 4 mg

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