These Vegan Stuffed Peppers are packed full of hearty flavors combined with a subtle hint of sweetness. Perfect for a simple weeknight meal.
The wonderful thing about this recipe is that the flavors can change throughout the course of the year. It really all depends on if the pepper is sweet or not - and as we know, the beauty of vegetables is that they're all unique in their flavor.
Just make certain to stuff the peppers full of other delicious ingredients listed below as you're going to love how filling and delicious the taste is. The combination of rice, mushrooms, carrots, and onion gives this dish an amazing texture that goes perfectly with the sweetness of the pepper.
Video Tutorial
What you'll need
- Bell Peppers. Use any color you like (keep in mind that green peppers are less sweet).
- Rice. Short grain rice is best here.
- Oil. To saute the veggies. If you are following oil-free diet, just use veggie broth instead.
- Onion.
- Carrots. Two medium-sized or one large.
- Mushrooms. Any kind of mushroom can be used in this recipe.
- Garlic.
- Veggie Broth. If you use low-sodium broth, you may need to add some extra salt. Mine is fully seasoned, so I did not add any extra salt. I used Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base to make my broth.
- Spices. Oregano, salt, and pepper.
How to make Vegan Stuffed Peppers
1. Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the membranes and seeds. Reserve the bell pepper tops. Place the peppers cut-side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them upright. (My tray is 10x7 and it fits 6 peppers perfectly).
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
3. After that, add the bell pepper and mushrooms, and saute for 10 minutes.
4. At this point add the oregano, salt, pepper, rice, and veggie broth. Stir everything well and bring to a boil. Now, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight lid and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the broth is completely absorbed. Add in the garlic and mix everything well.
5. Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and top each with the reserved bell pepper tops. Add about ⅓ cup of water to the baking dish and cover with a foil nicely. Bake at 400F for about 40 minutes.
6. After that remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes, allowing the peppers to brown nicely. Serve.
Pro tips
Save the tops, they keep the moisture. This is such a great tip because if you cook them without the tops, the rice will dry out and not be as good.
Have the peppers the same size. Making the peppers be similar in size is great for a couple of reasons. First, it means that everyone will be able to eat without feeling as though they're missing out on something and secondly, the peppers will fit quite nicely in the oven pan when they're all the same size.
Find the peppers that can stand upright. Flatter bottoms do exist on peppers so if you can find them, this means that you won't have any spills when you pop them in the oven to finish baking.
Adjust the salt and seasoning before stuffing. This is a simple but easy step that can really affect the taste and flavor.
How to store and reheat
If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, you just need to make certain that you store them in the fridge. They'll need to be placed in an airtight container with a lid and will be able to be stored for up to 5 days. However, if you decide that 5 days isn't long enough, you can put them in your freezer for up to 2 months as well.
Once you're ready to reheat and eat, you can put the frozen peppers in the oven and bake them for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. And if you don't want to turn on your oven, you can also pop them in the microwave and reheat for about 3-4 minutes.
There is the option to thaw them in the fridge overnight but this will take longer to do. If you do thaw them overnight, it will cut down on your reheating time by a couple of minutes once you're ready to enjoy them again.
Stuffing variations
The beauty of this recipe is that you can stuff your peppers with just about anything! Here are a few tasty combinations to toss into your weekly meal rotation:
- Swap mushrooms for beans. Skip the mushrooms and use one can of cooked beans instead.
- Add herbs. Add fresh parsley, dill, and or basil.
- Tex-Mex flavors. Use black beans, corn, taco seasoning, and cilantro.
- Rice alternatives. Quinoa, millet, and bulgur make a great alternative to rice.
If you’re looking to meet a few dietary needs, try these substitutions.
- Oil-free. You can skip the oil and saute the veggies in ¼ cup of broth instead.
- Keto. Use chickpea "rice" such as Banza or RightRice.
See how simple this Vegan Stuffed Pepper recipe is? There's a reason that it's one of my favorite dishes to make. When you're craving a nice little meal that knocks it out of the park in presentation and flavor, you simply can't go wrong with this!
More Delicious Dinner Recipes
- Creamy Broccoli Soup
- Creamy Lemon Spaghetti
- Garlic Roasted Okra
- Potatoes and Green Beans
- Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 medium bell peppers
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced
- 6 medium crimini mushrooms, diced (about 8 oz.)
- 1 ½ cup short-grain rice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
- ½ tsp. pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the membranes and seeds. Reserve the bell pepper tops. Place the peppers cut-side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them upright. (My tray is 10x7 and it fits 6 peppers perfectly).
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- After that, add the bell pepper and mushrooms, and saute for 10 minutes.
- At this point add the oregano, salt, pepper, rice, and veggie broth. Stir everything well and bring to a boil. Now, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight lid and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the broth is completely absorbed. Add in the garlic and mix everything well.
- Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and top each with the reserved bell pepper tops. Add about ⅓ cup of water to the baking dish and cover with a foil nicely. Bake at 400F for about 40 minutes.
- After that remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes, allowing the peppers to brown nicely. Serve.
Jessica says
Consistently great recipe
Tania Sheff says
Thank you so much, Jessica!
Lorena Waterfield says
Do you have a cook book?
Tania Sheff says
Hi Lorena! Thank you for the interest. I do have an e-book. You can find it here: bit.ly/SimpleVeganCookbook Happy cooking!