Vegan stuffed peppers

Name: Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: East European, Italian, Mediterranean, Romanian
Ingredients: 6 large bell peppers; 3/4 cups quinoa; 5 chestnut mushrooms, chopped; 1 medium red onion, chopped; 3 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 medium courgette (zucchini in USA), chopped; 1 cup tomato sauce; 1 tbsp olive oil + more to drizzle; 1 tbsp agave syrup; 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp, ground oregano; salt and pepper to taste

Delicious vegan stuffed peppers made with a mix of healthy vegetables and high protein quinoa

by Cory Varga

Updated 15 November 2024

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Our delicious Vegan Stuffed Peppers are filled with vegetables and quinoa for a healthy and delicious meal. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed during lunch, dinner or for a super fun BBQ with family and friends.

Meet the easiest and most versatile recipe ever: vegan stuffed peppers filled with mushrooms, courgette, onion, garlic and quinoa. So not only they are packed with vegetables but they are protein-rich too, thanks to the quinoa. They are super delicious and nutritious and everyone in the family will love eating them.

This recipe is super easy to make and doesn't have any fancy ingredients or complicated steps. It's as easy as chopping veggies, mixing them with quinoa, adding sauce and herbs for extra taste and packing the bell peppers with the mixture. You will find all the veggies in this recipe in your local supermarket.

Stuffed peppers are known to be great comfort food but can also be eaten during a summer BBQ, alongside vegan sausages or vegan steak. Essentially it's ideal for everyday dinners but also fun occasions and celebrations with family and friends. We sometimes make them for birthday parties and of course, during the winter holidays!

Our recipe is gluten-free and soy-free so you can serve it to everyone in your circle of friends, irrespective of their diet.

You are going to love this recipe as much as we do, and given how simple and easy it is to make, you will want to eat it all the time. As a tip, you can make it ahead of time as it stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Baked vegan stuffed peppers with vegetables and quinoa

Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers

You will need simple ingredients you can find at your local shop.

Bell Peppers: You can pick any colour bell peppers but I recommend the red ones. Red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers are all the same just at different stages of ripeness. Green peppers are unripe, whereas red peppers are fully ripe. Orange or yellow peppers are somewhere in-between. The taste changes as the peppers begin to ripe and their health benefits vary as well.

Quinoa: I love quinoa and when cooked properly, quinoa is a fantastic vegan grain. It's high in protein and it has a lovely sweet and nutty flavour. It's also a little lighter than rice, in my opinion so I prefer eating it. A common problem with cooking quinoa is the bitter taste. However, I'm here to tell you that it can be easily fixed. Simply rinse the quinoa under cold water for a few minutes. That's it. Easy!

stuffed bell pepper with quinoa mixture

Vegetables: You will need courgette, mushrooms, onion and garlic. I mean this is such an Italian combination, that works so well when combined with the bell pepper.

Tomato Sauce: I use passata from a can because it's easiest. If you want to enjoy fresh tomato sauce, simply remove the skin from your fresh tomatoes, add them to a blender and whizz until you get the desired consistency. Tomato sauce is essential for the recipe because it will bring a bit of juiciness to the mixture while adding that delicious sweet-acidic taste.

Herbs: I use just oregano because that works so well with the aforementioned ingredients. You can also add basil if you prefer.

Pantry Staples: Agave Syrup, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. You can replace the agave syrup with maple syrup if you prefer and white balsamic pepper can be replaced with any white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

Vegan Parmesan (Optional): If you want to add a little more Italian taste to your stuffed peppers, feel free to sprinkle the mixture with a little vegan parmesan. This will make the peppers taste a bit nuttier, something I truly adore about this recipe.

Ready vegan stuffed peppers

How to make vegan stuffed peppers

You're going to love making this super easy and delicious recipe. Start by preheating the oven to 200C/395F.

Make the quinoa according to pack instructions and don't forget to rinse it first a few times to get rid of the bitter taste. When ready, drain and set aside.

In the meantime, it's time to make the mixture. Heat up a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the onion. Cook until translucent for a few minutes, mixing often. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Now add the mushrooms and the courgette and fry for another 5 minutes, mixing often.

It's now time to add the quinoa, tomato sauce, agave syrup, vinegar, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, mixing often to ensure the mixture doesn't stick.

Slice off the top of each of your bell peppers. Carefully scoop out all the seeds. Now add the bell peppers to a baking tray. Fill each pepper with the mixture and make sure to stuff them well. Place the tops back on and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the skin of the bell pepper starts to soften and blacken a little in parts.

stuffed bell pepper with quinoa mixture

How to store your stuffed peppers

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave. During the summer, you can take the peppers out of the fridge and let them warm up at room temperature. They are refreshing and delightful when eaten at room temperature during hot, sunny days.

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.