Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers make a protein-rich vegetarian meal even meat lovers will love. Packed full of healthy vegetables, fiber and protein, this dish is only 280 calories a serving. My family just loves quinoa…we can’t get enough of it. So when I saw this recipe a few months ago on Good Life Eats I couldn’t wait to give it a try! To update the classic Stuffed Bell Peppers, I swapped out the rice for nutrient rich quinoa, the ground beef for black beans and veggies for added color, texture and flavor.

The poblano and pepper jack cheese give these stuffed bell peppers a kick by adding just a little heat. If you like it hot, try substituting the poblano pepper for a jalapeno pepper. 😀 This recipe freezes beautifully. Stuff the bell peppers and freeze. When ready to eat, just thaw and bake. It’s that easy! Serve with a side of fresh-baked garlic bread and show your meat loving friends and family that meatless doesn’t have to be boring.

You know one thing I really love about these stuffed peppers is that you can use the “stuffing” to make many different meals. Instead of stuffing all 6 peppers, I only stuffed half and used the rest of the stuffing to make quesadillas the next day. Just place the leftover stuffing in a flour tortilla, add cheese and cook in a non-stick pan or on a panini press. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. 🙂 Anyway you stuff it-these quinoa stuffed bell peppers are sure to be a hit with your family!

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Servings: 8 servings

5 from 1 vote

Review Recipe

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 of a poblano pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 8- oz. package mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced very thin
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 3 large carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 14.5 ounce can low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups grated Pepper Jack cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

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Instructions

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and poblano pepper and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
• Stir in quinoa, carrots and vegetable broth. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and stir in black beans, corn and 1 cup cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour reserved liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
• Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 40 minutes. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 tablespoon of remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

Author: Laura

Source: adapted from Good Life Eats, originally adapted from Vegetarian Times