Need a simple yet nutritious recipe for dinner? Look no further than these super easy and delicious stuffed peppers. They are not only vegan but gluten free aswell. When I first went vegan I had a hard time thinking of dinner ideas and recipes that weren’t overly complicated, but my mother used to make stuffed peppers with meat, rice and seasonings. This recipe stemmed from her dish, but I replaced the meat with beans for protein as well as other vegetables that channel a south of the border flavor.

I began by making some brown rice. If you don’t cook with brown rice often, or use the instant, the rice takes twice as long to cook compared to a white rice because it needs more time to absorb all the water. If you want to had a little extra flavor to your rice, you can substitute out the water for vegetable broth. When I made this recipe I did half and half with a pinch of salt.

Next, I sauteed the onion, garlic and jalapeno in some grapeseed oil. You can use any neutral flavored oil you like though. I only used half a jalapeno for a mild kick, but I love spicy food so I will use a whole jalapeno next time. By adding the seasonings to the sauteed vegetables, you marinate all the flavors together and the oil takes up all the taste that will carry through the mixture once combined.

 

 

My vegetables of choice were tomato, corn, jalapeno and onion because it pairs with the black beans and the brown rice for a delicious southern stuffed bell pepper. Beans and rice are a classic combination that’s jam-packed with protein, perfect for a vegan or vegetarian diet.

When it comes to stuffing the peppers, I prefer to use the peppers in halves. It makes it easier to eat them and portion them out as well as add more stuffing. If you wish to go for a more traditional stuffed pepper look, you can slice the top off and stuff the peppers fully and it adds a cute top to put on the peppers if you are aiming for looks.

These are great for reheating and a favorite in my house. These peppers are easy, flavorful and full of nutrients. With 10g of protein for every half pepper, the stuffed peppers make a perfect entree. If you end up trying my stuffed pepper recipe, please comment below on how it went or if you made some changes to fit them to your liking.

 

 

Stuffed Peppers

Makes 8 Servings (Serving Size: 1/2 Pepper)       /      VEGAN     /      GLUTEN FREE

Ingredients:

•        4 large bell peppers
•        1 c. brown rice (uncooked)
•        2 c. water
•        2 small garlic cloves
•       1/2 purple onion
•        1/2 jalapeno (can use more for extra spice)
•        1/4 tsp. cumin
•        1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
•        1/2 tsp. black pepper
•        1 tsp. salt
•        1-2 Tbsp. neutral flavored oil (olive, grapeseed, etc.)
•        1/2 c. corn
•        2 medium tomatoes
•        1 1/2 c. black beans (15 oz can)
•        breadcrumbs (optional, omit for gluten free)
•        chopped parsley (garnish)

Instructions:

• Start by adding the brown rice, water (or vegetable broth) and a pinch of salt to a pot and bring to a boil on a high temperature. Once boiling, reduce to low temperature and cover for 35-40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• While the rice cooks, roughly chop garlic, purple onion and jalapeno. Add to a pan over medium heat with oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Sautee for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
• Combine sauteed vegetables with cooked rice, corn, tomatoes, black beans and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.
• Slice bell peppers in half and remove the seeds from the insides. You can also keep the peppers whole by slicing off the top and removing the seeds through the opening.
• Take the rice mixture and stuff the peppers until they are full. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of the peppers (omit this step if you are making this recipe gluten free).
• Place peppers on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 35-50 minutes. The cooking time here depends on how tender you want the peppers to be.
• Remove the peppers from the oven, garnish with chopped parsley and serve!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): 235 Calories / 10g Protein / 8.3g Total Fat / 4.5g Dietary Fiber