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Plate of black bean and quinoa stuffed peppers with a fork

Veggie Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

Colorful stuffed peppers made with beans, quinoa, and vegetables. Fun to make and filled with plant-based nutrients!
AuthorKaitlin - The Garden Grazer
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 45 minutes
CourseMain Dish
CuisineGluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan
Servings8 pepper halves

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 4 large bell peppers* (I use one of each color)
  • 4 oz. fresh baby spinach
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted)
  • 15 oz. can black beans
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cumin (or other seasoning)

Optional:

  • 1 cup vegan cheese shreds (or nutritional yeast to taste)
  • Guacamole/avocado, cilantro, salsa for serving

Instructions

  • Cook quinoa: Place 1/2 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained) in a small saucepan with 3/4 cup water or vegetable broth. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare veggies: Dice onion, mince garlic, and grate/shred carrots.
  • Drain canned tomatoes, adding the tomato liquid to the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Set remaining diced tomatoes aside.
  • In an extra-large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion for 6-7 minutes. (I use 3 tablespoons water/broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
  • Add minced garlic and cumin. Stir and sauté 1 minute.
  • Add spinach (roughly chopped) and drained tomatoes. Stir.
  • When spinach is wilted, add black beans (rinsed and drained), cooked quinoa, and grated carrot. Stir and heat for 2 minutes. Salt/pepper if desired. (Optional: stir in 2/3 cup vegan cheese shreds to quinoa mixture, or nutritional yeast to taste.)
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove stems, seeds, and inner ribs. Fill each pepper half with a heaping amount of quinoa mixture. Pack it down well with a spoon to fill all the crevices*. Place filled peppers in baking dish on top of the tomato liquid.
  • Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 75 minutes. (To add cheese: After 1 hour of baking, remove foil and sprinkle peppers with remaining 1/3 cup cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered 15 minutes.)
  • Drizzle with pan juices before serving. Serve with guacamole/avocado, salsa, nutritional yeast, etc. if desired.

Notes

*Peppers: If you can't find large bell peppers, use 5-6 small/medium peppers. You may have a little leftover quinoa mixture. It's great in a burrito or simply as a salad.
Nutrition: Estimated nutritional content is for each pepper half (without the optional cheese and toppings).
Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Calories: 140 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Protein: 7 g | Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Potassium: 703 mg | Fiber: 8 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 5869 IU | Vitamin C: 93 mg | Calcium: 90 mg | Iron: 4 mg