Is there anything more festive than these cheery, plant-based bell peppers, stuffed with a hearty, zesty filling of black beans, quinoa, corn, and tomatoes, and topped with avocado slices and creamy vegan ranch dressing? These feisty Southwestern Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Quinoa are a meal in one—and one of my favorite dinners for easy weeknights or weekend dinner parties. You can use any type of vegetable suitable for stuffing for these southwestern stuffed peppers, too, such as round summer squash, acorn or butternut squashes, large tomatoes, and small eggplants.

Watch me make this recipe on Instagram here.

Southwest Bell Peppers Stuffed with Black Beans and Quinoa

(6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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5 from 6 reviews

• Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings
• Diet: Vegan

Description

These plant-based, gluten-free stuffed peppers are filled with the goodness of quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices. Top them with a fresh vegan ranch dressing before serving.

Ingredients

Black Bean Quinoa Filling:

• ½ cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 4 green onions, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 small jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ½ cup mild or medium salsa
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Peppers, Toppings:

• 4 large bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, green, or purple)
• 1 avocado, sliced into 8 slices
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

Vegan Ranch Dressing:

• ½ cup vegan light mayonnaise (make your own vegan mayo here)
• 1/3 cup plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened (i.e., soy, oat, almond)
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons assorted freshly chopped herbs (i.e., dill, basil, oregano, chives, parsley, cilantro, tarragon)
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• Pinch salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa and place in a small pot with broth, cover, and simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until just tender.

   Drain any leftover broth.

2. While quinoa is cooking, combine black beans, corn, green onions, tomato, jalapeno, garlic, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, salsa, and chili powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add cooked quinoa, and mix well.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
4. Prepare bell peppers by slicing them in half vertically to create two shells per pepper (8 total). Fill each pepper half with one-eighth of the filling (about 1/2 cup each).
5. Place stuffed bell peppers in a 9 x 13 inch pan filled with 1/2-inch water. Place uncovered in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until peppers are just tender, but still firm.
6. While peppers are baking, make Vegan Ranch Dressing: Mix all Vegan Ranch ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
7. Remove peppers from oven and top each stuffed pepper with 1 slice avocado, 2 tablespoons vegan ranch dressing, and 1 teaspoon of fresh cilantro.

   Serve immediately.

Notes

*Learn how to make homemade vegan mayonnaise here.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Entree
• Cuisine: American, Southwestern

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 281
• Sugar: 4 g
• Sodium: 531 mg
• Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Carbohydrates: 29 g
• Fiber: 7 g
• Protein: 8 g

Keywords: vegan stuffed peppers, stuffed bell pepper recipe, vegetarian stuffed bell peppers

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sharonpalmerrd on Instagram

For other healthy, plant-based entrees, check out:

Penne with White Beans and Greens
Spaghetti Squash with Ratatouille
Easy Mediterranean Artichoke Chickpea Bake

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