These vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers are hearty and filling and the perfect vegetarian option for any day you feel liking being healthy. It doesn’t hurt that they are super tasty as well.
It’s January, which is all about eating healthy! In fact, Food and Wine comes out with a great healthy eating calendar every year! I mean we’ve got to lose some of those pounds we added during the holidays, or at least I do. Unfortunately for me, I battle eating healthy sometimes as I just want to eat what I enjoy. But luckily these vegetarian stuffed bell peppers are not only healthy, but taste great too!
Lauren and I are all about southwest flavors, but most times we’re eating meals loaded with not necessarily the healthiest ingredients so this is a nice change of pace for us. What makes these great, is you can change the flavors around a little just with the spices you use. You could even use some salsa, instead of diced green chilis. I know for us, we can’t handle too much heat, but if you need more heat just add some cayenne pepper. So if you are like us and need to be on the healthier side these days, then give these quinoa stuffed bell peppers a try.
What Ingredients are in Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffed Peppers?
- Produce – bell peppers, corn, cherry tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, lime
- Quinoa
- Green chilis
- Black beans
- Pepper jack cheese
- Spices – cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt
How to make Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- Slice peppers in half and remove seeds.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, green chilis, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese and spices.
- Spoon filling to the top of each cavity of the pepper. Top with remaining cheese.
- Place stuffed peppers in 9×13 baking dish and fill with a small amount of water.
- Cover with and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Can I Make this Vegan?
Yes you can. There are plenty of vegan cheese options out there that will work with these stuffed peppers. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can make your own vegan pepper jack cheese. Check out Baked-In’s post on how she made it.
Other Mexican Inspired Vegetarian Recipes
- Sweet Potato Tacos
- Green Chili Veggie Burgers
- Spiralized Sweet Potato Enchilada Skillet
- Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
- Sweet Potato Black Been Burrito
Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 (4 oz cans) diced green chilis
- 1 (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 bell peppers - tops cut, stemmed and seeded
- avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, green chilis, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.
- Spoon the filling to the top of each cavity of the pepper. Top with remaining pepper jack cheese. Place the peppers in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with your desired toppings.
Looks like a great healthy recipe!