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These easy vegan stuffed peppers are the perfect meal to add to your “Meatless Monday” rotation. Light and filling, you won’t even miss the meat and cheese in these tasty Italian-style stuffed bell peppers. 

 

 

Besides being super simple to assemble and cook, the other great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can easily add your favorite veggies to the mix or customize your stuffed peppers with various toppings. 

Whether you’re adapting a vegan lifestyle or just want to cut back on the meat you’re eating, this recipe is a great one to have in your repertoire! I’m sure you’ll enjoy this vegan take on classic stuffed peppers with rice! 

 

 

What is in vegan stuffed peppers?

To make these vegan stuffed peppers with rice, you’ll need the following ingredients: 

• Rice – rice makes up a good portion of the filling, like most stuffed pepper recipes! 
• Vegetable broth – cooking the rice in vegetable broth adds a lot of flavor to the tasty filling for your vegan stuffed peppers. 
• Tomato sauce – tomato sauce keeps your filling from drying out and adds the delicious and tangy tomato flavor we often associate with stuffed peppers! By cooking the rice in the tomato sauce, the starches of the rice are released into the filling and help to make the filling’s sauce almost creamy or cheesy in texture.  
• Italian seasoning – Italian seasoning is a quick and easy way to provide a lot of flavor from one simple seasoning. Check out this recipe for DIY Italian seasoning! 
• Onion – diced onion is a wonderful way to add flavor and substance to your vegan stuffed pepper filling. 
• Kidney beans – canned kidney beans provide the protein in place of the meat in this vegan stuffed peppers recipe.
• Corn – for these vegan stuffed bell peppers, we use corn as a part of the filling. You can also add diced summer squash or zucchini, or your favorite vegetable in addition to or in place of the corn included in this recipe! 
• Garlic powder – there’s no easier way to add a bit of garlic flavor to a recipe than with garlic powder. 
• Onion powder – this will help intensify the onion flavor without having to add more onions to your filling, thus freeing up space for other tasty additions to your vegan stuffed pepper filling! 
• Cumin – a native plant to the Mediterranean, cumin can often be found in various cuisines, and is a flavorful and delicious addition to this recipe. 
• Bell peppers – you can use any color, so pick your preference! Red bell peppers are the sweetest, with yellow and orange similarly sweet. Green bell peppers have a bit more bitter flavor. I love the color contrast between the green bell peppers and the red sauce.

 

 

How to make vegan stuffed bell peppers?

Don’t let the number of steps for making these vegan stuffed bell peppers intimidate you. This really is a simple recipe! 

1. Prepare rice and saucy base for your stuffed pepper filling. 
2. Parboil the bell peppers while the rice and sauce are cooking. 
3. Stir in remaining filling ingredients.
4. Spoon filling into peppers. 
5. Bake for 25 minutes, peppers should be nice and tender! 
6. Top with your favorite toppings 
7. Serve! 

 

 

What toppings should I use with vegan stuffed peppers?

You have tons of flexibility with your toppings for these vegan stuffed peppers. If you’d like to keep things in the Italian vein, try some of the following: 

• Fresh basil or pesto 
• Cashew parmesan “cheese”
• Vegan cheese 
• Red pepper flakes for extra kick 
• Hummus
• Fresh sliced tomatoes
• Fresh herbs (oregano, parsley, basil)

We sometimes like to take these tasty vegan stuffed peppers in a more Tex-Mex direction. If you’re feeling in the mood for that, consider the following ideas: 

• Avocados or guacamole
• Sliced green onions
• Black beans
• Salsa
• Vegan sour cream
• Tortilla strips
• Fresh Cilantro
• Jalapenos

Regardless of whether you want more Italian or Mexican inspired stuffed bell peppers, I’m sure you’ll find this recipe easy and delicious and perfectly customizable to your cravings! 

 

 

What do you serve with vegan stuffed peppers?

I love a yummy green or fruit salad and a hearty, crusty bread with our stuffed peppers. Here are some side dish ideas and recipes: 

• Easy Garlic Bread (sub vegan butter)
• Strawberry Pecan Salad
• Winter Fruit Salad
• Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
• Squash Casserole
• Oatmeal Molasses Bread

 

 

How to store vegan stuffed peppers?

Refrigerator: you can store leftover stuffed bell peppers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store in an airtight container. 

To reheat: microwave, covered, on medium power for low bursts of time until heated through. Because these vegan stuffed peppers are meat free, you can also eat them cold if they have been properly stored in the refrigerator. 

 

 

Can you freeze vegan stuffed peppers?

Yes, you can freeze these vegan stuffed peppers! Frozen stuffed peppers make a great freezer meal. Cooked bell peppers better maintain their texture, so you won’t have to worry much about compromising flavor and texture for the convenience of freezing. 

To freeze: prepare vegan stuffed peppers recipe as directed. Once cooked and cooled, wrap peppers individually in plastic wrap and seal in an airtight freezer bag. Stuffed bell peppers can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. 

To reheat: remove from the freezer and defrost in the fridge for 24 hours or Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through. Or you can reheat straight from frozen, but it will take up to 45 minutes. Cover the bell peppers with foil if heating in the oven from frozen. 

You can also reheat thawed stuffed bell peppers in the microwave at medium power for low bursts of time until heated through. 

 

 

More Recipes with Bell Peppers:

• Stuffed Pepper Casserole
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa
• Easy Pepper Steak Recipe
• Instant Pot Spaghetti
• Crock Pot Beef Enchiladas
• Tex Mex Casserole
• No Bake Pizza
• Southwest Casserole
• Pillsbury Breakfast Pizza

Your family is sure to love this vegan stuffed pepper recipe, and you will certainly love how simple and quick it is to put together. With a flavorful filling and versatility of toppings, this meal is sure to be a hit for the whole family! 

 

Originally  Posted: September 14, 2015

Photos & Text Updated: April 9, 2021

 

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