Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers With Quinoa
Packed with nourishing vegetarian proteins like quinoa, black beans, and cheese, these vegetarian stuffed peppers are the perfect filling and nourishing dinner for you and your family.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 240kcal
Equipment
- Box Grater (if using block cheese)
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup dry quinoa (white, or tri-colored blend)
- 1.5 Cups water
- 4 medium bell peppers, stem and seeds removed, cut into halves (any color)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 1 Cup fresh spinach, cut into ribbons
- 5-6 ounces cheese, shredded (pepper jack or other spicy cheese, cheddar, colby jack, etc.)
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa with the water per package directions.
- While the quinoa cooks, preheat the oven to 400°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rub the outside of the peppers with the olive oil and place onto the baking sheet.
- Mix together the cooked quinoa, black beans, taco seasoning, spinach, and 4-5 ounces of the shredded cheese.
- Divide the filling between the peppers, gently pushing the filling in,
- Bake the filled peppers for 20 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the oven and turn on the broiler.
- Top the peppers with an additional 1-2 ounces of cheese, and then broil the cheese-topped peppers for a few minutes (keeping a close eye on them) until the cheese is nice and melty.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Serving Suggestions: These are great as-is, but if f desired you can add a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a dash of hot sauce, or a scoop of your favorite salsa when serving.
Storage and Reheating: Place fully cooled peppers into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat leftover stuffed peppers in the microwave (I like to cut mine up prior to re-heating) or in a baking dish in the oven at 350°F until your desired temperature is reached.
Variation Ideas:
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- Use a different grain. I've made this recipe with brown rice and white rice too if you do not have quinoa on hand. Both work great!
- Replace the water for cooking the quinoa 1-to-1 with veggie broth or stock. This adds more depth of flavor.
- Add diced tomatoes to your filling. Drain and add a can of your favorite diced tomatoes to your filling for more veggies.
- Add onion if preferred. We're keeping things easy in our base recipe, but adding sautéed onion to your filling is a great option.
- Mix cooked corn into your filling. You can use canned corn, or fresh sweet corn that's been cooked and cut from the cob.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 439mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2730IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 2mg
