Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Mexican-Style)
These vegetarian stuffed peppers are filled with a Mexican-style rice and beans mixture. This offers a wholesome meal as it contains almost all food groups and delicious meal for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
Servings 4 (1 pepper per person)
Calories 422kcal
Ingredients
- 4 large Bell peppers any color, cut in half vertically, stems and seeds removed
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese for topping
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped, for garnishing
For Stuffing:
- 1 ½ cup Cooked rice ½ cup raw rice makes 1 ½ cups cooked
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 medium White onion or yellow, ~ 1 cup finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup Tomatoes chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 1 (15 oz) can Black beans drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup Sweet corn kernels Fresh or frozen - cooked or use canned
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
Instructions
Make Stuffing:
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. sauté onions until they turn translucent. This will take around 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute until it's fragrant but not browned.
- Next, add tomatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they soften and begin to break down.
- Add cumin powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, remaining salt, and pepper. Mix and cook for a minute.
- Add black beans, sweet corn, cooked rice, and lime juice.
- Stir until everything is combined and heated through.
Assemble & Bake:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- While your oven is warming up, prep the bell peppers by cutting them in half vertically and removing the seeds and membranes, making sure they are empty and clean on the inside. Brush them with a little olive oil on the outside and inside as well.
- Arrange the peppers in a baking dish or tray cut side up and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to blister and the peppers are fork tender..
- Remove the tray from the oven and carefully stuff each one with the prepared stuffing. Fill them almost to the top. Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese on each pepper.
- Return the peppers to the oven and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let them sit for a couple of minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro before serving these vegetarian stuffed peppers.
- Depending on the size of your peppers, you might have some stuffing left over that you can serve on the side by itself.
Notes
- Choose bell peppers that are similar in size for consistent cooking.
- Don’t overcook the peppers otherwise, they turn too soft, mushy, and soggy.
Nutrition
Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 1503mg | Potassium: 1018mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 6234IU | Vitamin C: 226mg | Calcium: 276mg | Iron: 4mg
