Description
Mexican-inspired vegetarian stuffed peppers blend hearty quinoa, black beans, and zesty spices into colorful bell pepper vessels. Delicious textures and bold flavors invite global cuisine enthusiasts to savor this nutritious and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large red bell peppers
- 1 cup white rice (uncooked)
- 1 (13.5 oz / 380 g) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese (shredded)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- ½ medium yellow onion (diced)
- 3–4 green onions (chopped)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ⅔ cups (395 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 (13.5 oz / 380 g) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- Cilantro, fresh (minced, optional)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and center the rack for optimal cooking environment.
- Pepper Transformation: Trim bell peppers, remove seeds, dice one pepper, and halve remaining peppers lengthwise to create edible vessels.
- Flavor Foundation: Sauté diced onions in a skillet until translucent, then toast rice to develop a nutty essence, stirring to prevent sticking.
- Flavor Integration: Combine vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, green onions, taco seasoning, and diced bell pepper into the skillet, creating a vibrant mixture that will infuse the rice with complex flavors.
- Rice Development: Simmer the mixture covered, allowing rice to become tender and absorb all seasonings, transforming into a well-integrated base (approximately 25 minutes).
- Ingredient Incorporation: Gently fold black beans and corn into the rice mixture, ensuring even distribution and complete warming.
- Pepper Stuffing: Arrange pepper halves in prepared baking dish, generously fill with rice mixture, and top with shredded pepper jack cheese.
- Final Baking: Bake uncovered until cheese melts into a golden-brown landscape and peppers reach desired tenderness (approximately 40 minutes).
- Garnish: Optional cilantro sprinkle adds a fresh, herbaceous finish to the completed dish.
Notes
- Pepper Prep Pro Tip: Choose bell peppers with flat bottoms to ensure stable standing in the baking dish, preventing tipping and uneven cooking.
- Rice Mastery Technique: Toast rice before adding liquid to enhance its nutty flavor and prevent mushiness, creating a more textured and flavorful base.
- Cheese Melt Magic: Let peppers rest 5-10 minutes after baking to allow cheese to set and flavors to integrate, preventing immediate cheese run-off.
- Flavor Boost Hack: Customize taco seasoning intensity by adjusting amount or using homemade blend for a personalized spice profile that matches your taste preferences.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 640 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg