Vegan Stuffed Peppers
This easy vegan stuffed peppers recipe features large roasted bell peppers stuffed to the max with a delicious plant-based filling, topped with cheese, and baked to perfection. It’s a favorite dinner recipe that delivers lots of leftovers!
Not only are bell peppers healthy, but they’re also flavorful too. That must be why we love to fill them with good stuff and call it dinner! These vegan stuffed bell peppers are easy to make and creates a dinner you’ll want to make on repeat.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Using orange, yellow or red bell peppers delivers a more mild bell pepper flavor. It’s true many vegan bell peppers recipes call for green bell peppers, but I think you’ll like the flavor better of this recipe.
- Oven roasting the peppers creates tender peppers but keeps them firm enough for easy stuffing.
- Topping with vegan cheddar shreds adds a cheesy flavor and vibrant color for a delightful finishing touch.
Have you heard of vegan stuffed capsicum? If not, don’t worry! Because capsicum is the scientific name for bell peppers. However, you pronounce them, it’s a delicious and nutritious vegetable sure to please.
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Lemon — We’ll use both the zest and the juice of the lemon.
- Oats — I used rolled oats for this recipe, but you can substitute instant oats.
- Chia — We’ll add some ground chia seeds to create a thicker texture. You can use whole chia seeds; I just prefer ground because it creates a smoother finished texture.
- Syrup — I used maple syrup, but you can substitute agave nectar.
- Milk — We’ll use almond milk for the best overnight oats! Substitute your favorite plant-based milk.
- Yogurt — I love adding some plant-based yogurt (plain, unsweetened) for an even more tangy flavor.
- Protein Powder — I add some vanilla protein powder for increased flavor and nutrients. If your protein powder is not sweetened, you may want to add an extra teaspoon or two of sweetener.
- Cornstarch — We’ll use cornstarch to thicken the lemon curd topping.
- Turmeric — A pinch of turmeric makes that lemon curd sunny yellow.
- Bell peppers — You’ll need 6 bell peppers. Select peppers that are big, with plenty of room for stuffing, and with a relatively flat bottom (so they’ll sit upright).
- Olive oil
- Onions — I prefer a yellow onion, but you can substitute a white onion.
- Garlic — you’ll need 2 cloves of fresh garlic.
- Veggie crumbles — There are many crumbles to choose from, including Gardein Beyond Beef and many plant-based meat substitutes, like Impossible Burger and Pure Farmland. For a whole foods plant-based option, you can use an equal amount of cooked brown lentils.
- Black beans — Use a 15-ounce can of black beans, or you can substitute 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans.
- Diced tomatoes — I recommend petite diced tomatoes.
- Cooked brown rice — I prefer brown rice, but you can substitute other grains such as quinoa.
- Spices — I prefer Italian spices, like dried basil and dried oregano.
- Optional: Add 3 tablespoons of vegan cream cheese for a creamy sauce.
- Vegan cheddar shreds
Best Peppers for Stuffed Peppers
Large bell peppers — otherwise referred to as capsicum — are best for stuffed peppers. Look for peppers with a flat base. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are best because they are sweeter and milder than green peppers. I like picking similarly-sized peppers.
How to Make Vegan Stuffed Peppers
- Prepare the peppers by cutting off the tops and scooping out the seeds and membranes.
- Place pepper cups in a baking dish and brush the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake peppers for about 15 minutes, so that they’re just becoming tender.
- Cook the chopped onions in a skillet with oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the veggie crumbles and cook until heated through.
- Stir in the black beans, tomatoes, rice, basil, and oregano, and add vegan cream cheese, if using.
- Spoon the filling into the bell peppers.
- Top the stuffed peppers with vegan cheese. Then cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Use tongs to remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the peppers are golden around the edges.
If you’re using a plant-based meat substitute, it may need to be pre-cooked before adding it to the skillet with the onions.
These vegan stuffed peppers with rice are so easy to make. Here’s a more detailed step-by-step guide:
Step One: Prepare the Peppers
- Turn the peppers on their sides and cut the tops off, reserving the tops.
- Scoop out the seeds and membranes.
- Place pepper cups in a baking dish.
- Brush the insides with half of the olive oil.
- Then sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, so that they’re just becoming tender. Remove from oven and then set aside.
Step Two: Cook Onions and Crumbles
- In a skillet, heat the remaining oil, then add the chopped onions, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Finally, add the vegan crumbles and cook until heated through.
Step Three: Make the Filling
- Stir in the black beans, tomatoes, and rice.
- Add the basil and oregano.
- Optional — stir in vegan cream cheese to the filling to make it extra creamy.
Step Four: Fill the Peppers & Bake
- Spoon the filling into the bell peppers.
- Top the stuffed peppers with vegan cheese.
- Spray the bottom of a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Then cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the peppers are golden around the edges.
Storage Tips
Transfer any leftover stuffed peppers to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions
Serve vegan stuffed peppers with any of the following delicious side dishes:
Marly’s Tips
- Make Mexican vegan quinoa stuffed peppers by substituting Spanish quinoa for the rice and changing out the Italian spices for this homemade taco spice blend.
- Make vegan stuffed green peppers by using green bell peppers in place of the red, yellow, or orange bell peppers.
Vegan Main Meal Recipes
These plant-based stuffed peppers are so good, they’ll have you craving even more plant-based main meal recipes. Here are some to inspire your meal planning:
That’s it for these vegan stuffed peppers. Enjoy!
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Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 medium bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
- 2 cups veggie crumbles (see note)
- 1 15 oz can black beans
- 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (see note)
- Optional: Add 3 tablespoons of vegan cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Turn the peppers on their sides and cut the tops off, reserving the tops. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place pepper cups in a baking dish. Brush the insides with half of the olive oil. Then sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, so that they're just becoming tender. Remove from oven and then set aside.
- In a skillet, heat the remaining oil, then add the chopped onions, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Finally, add the vegan crumbles and cook until heated through. (See note if using plant-based meat substitute)
- Stir in the black beans, tomatoes, rice, basil, and oregano. Spoon this mixture into the bell peppers. Optional: Stir in vegan cream cheese to the filling to make it extra creamy.
- Top the stuffed peppers with vegan cheese. Spray the bottom of a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Then cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Use tongs to remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the peppers are golden around the edges.
- Allow peppers to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2020 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
What are veggie crumbles
Hi Anni. Veggie crumbles are made of different ingredients, but the results are the same — it’s a vegetarian meat substitute you can add to dishes.
I made these for my family and everyone loved them!