My favourite thing about summer is the fresh summer produce that you can pick up at the farmer's market. It makes it the perfect season for fresh salads and vegetable dishes. With so many veggies to choose from, I left with a basket of homegrown bell peppers. And let me tell you something, nothing beats a homegrown bell pepper at the peak of the season (which starts now)! So today, let's indulge in some easy vegan stuffed bell peppers. YES.
These bell peppers are stuffed with rice and veggies, which makes them super delicious and incredibly healthy. So, if you're looking for a go-to, easy and delicious week-night dinner option, this just might be the perfect recipe for you. Plus, the leftovers reheat well, so you can pack them for lunch the next day! Win-win!
This recipe was something that came as a result of some trial-and-error – and a really good one, I must say! I knew I wanted to keep these vegan or vegetarian and skip any meat or cheese, but wasn't sure on the seasoning I was going to use. Well, now I am sure, I am very sure! I love how it turned out!!
The flavour is really intense! The peppers are tender on the outside and the filling is just pure yummy... the onions mellow as they sauté and provide a backbone for the veggies, the mushrooms add their earthy flavour, and the carrots provide some sweetness. Everything is well-balanced. I personally think that keeping things simple is the magic of this recipe.
How to Make the Best Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
I love serving these stuffed peppers with some fresh cilantro or parsley on top and sometimes with a light salad on a side. Plus, if you are a meat lover, you can "unveganize" this recipe and add some chicken, turkey, or chorizo. Have fun and enjoy!
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Easy Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Fresh, homegrown bell peppers baked with an assortment of veggies and brown rice is what these easy vegan stuffed bell peppers are all about!! Ready in under an hour, serve this at your next fancy dinner party or make it for an easy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole grain brown rice, uncooked
- 6 medium bell peppers, any colour (red, yellow, or green)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small onions, diced
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 small carrots, sliced
- 1 small zucchini, cubed
- ¾ cup fresh parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
- ¾ cup tomato purée
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- a pinch of chilli
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
- In a small pan bring a salted water to a boil over medium heat and cook the rice according to the package instructions. Drain on a colander and set aside.
- Cut off the tops of the bell peppers ("lids") and set aside. Scoop out the inside and discard the seeds. Wash the peppers carefully and set aside.
- In a large pan heat olive oil, add onion and fry for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 5-8 minutes. Add carrots and zucchini, fry, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add cooked rice, ⅓ cup parsley, tomato purée, and stir until well combined. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of chilli.
- Divide the mixture between the peppers and place the "lids” on top.
- Place the stuffed peppers in a greased baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly brown on the edges.
- Sprinkle remaining parsley on top and serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: easy vegan stuffed bell peppers, vegan stuffed peppers, vegetarian stuffed peppers, vegan stuffed bell peppers,
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Eva says
Lovely, but how do you get the bell peppers to stand? Mine have a pointy end and would only go sidewards.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Mine just did. You could cook in a smaller dish and pack them together so they stay upright, or even cut a lttle bit off the bottom to make it flat.
Michele Wedewer says
This recipe looks amazing! I have been searching for new lunch ideas so I can't wait to make this! Can I freeze these?
Nora Scott says
Hello, I loved this recipe! They’re cooking in the oven right now. Because I repeat cooked bell peppers I microwave them first. 7 minutes for big bell peppers taking the stems out at 3 minutes, and 5 minutes for smaller bell peppers. I shredded the carrots in a medium size. I added dairy free Parmesan cheese in the mix. No chili for us but Mr Dash and pepper as seasoning. I also stuffed a few zucchinis with this mix adding the inside of the zucchini, same process than the bell peppers, microwaved for about 5 minutes. Taking the water content with a small colander. My husband loves meat stuffed bell peppers and first he didn’t want this mix in his bell peppers because he dislikes cremini mushrooms. I insisted that try it just a bit, and he liked a lot and make me added to his mix. Lol I cooked stuffed bell peppers in several versions, vegan or not. I think your recipe must be one of most delicious out there. Thank you for sharing! New subscriber here. Because of my health I had to completely change my lifestyle and source of food. I become a vegan in a cold turkey way, and I won’t go back. This was too suddenly and my life unfortunately just now is a bit in risk. So, I have to do what I have to do, and that’s it. At first I was a bit lost because I have to be in the most pure vegan form, no just any kind of animal product but also gluten free, milk free, soy free, etc, etc,. So, thank you very much to share this kind of recipes that make life more easy.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much for sharing your tweaks, Nora! Glad you liked the recipe!
Leola says
Absolutely delicious, healthy, colorful meal made with normal ingredients! To make it a bit easier, no need to put the cooked rice through a colander, and no need to grease the pan (just use a high walled oven safe baking thing and put a bit of water in the bottom). I didn't have zucchini , so I used the brussels sprouts (quartered) that I had instead. I used cilantro instead of parsley (oops, it tasted great anyway) and I used leftover tomato sauce instead of tomato puree. For the pinch of chili, I sprinkled chili powder. Wonderful versatile recipe, thanks Sam!
★★★★★
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Leola! So happy you liked the recipe. And thank you for sharing what you did differently.
Margaret says
Your recipes are wonderful thank you, but oh so many ads!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you! Will see what I can do.
Eileen Kelly says
Yum, what a great vegan dinner. I love these stuffed peppers and They are also easy to swap the veggies I have in the fridge. A perfect meatless meal!
★★★★★