Vegan Stuffed Peppers

The Main Ingredients You’ll Need

Don’t worry, I’ve included a full list of ingredients and their measurements in the recipe card below. I just want to quickly highlight the key ingredients you’ll need and share why they’re so important.

• Onion + garlic: Adds a tremendous flavor base to the bean filling. Don’t omit!
• Jalapeño: This is an optional ingredient, but I love adding half of a finely chopped jalapeño for even more depth of flavor and a kick of heat.  
• Herbs: I used a blend of dried and fresh herbs, including cumin, smoked paprika (for warmth), oregano, and fresh cilantro.
• Tomato paste: Used for its concentrated tomato flavor and beautiful color. 
• Small white beans: Use something like navy beans or cannellini beans. I love their delicate and creamy texture. They are high in fiber (11 grams per cup!) and high in protein, making this dish super filling. 
• Sweet bell peppers: Use any color you like! Red bell peppers are the sweetest, while yellow and orange peppers have a milder flavor. Green bell peppers are slightly bitter, but you can reduce the bitterness if you blanch the peppers before filling.
• Cornstarch: Helps thicken the filling.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers Without Meat, Cheese, or Rice

Here are some step-by-step photos showing how to make these easy vegan stuffed peppers at home. You will love how this simple dish can become a show-stopping main meal in just a few minutes!

Step 1: Prepare the Filling

You’ll first want to sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño in olive oil. They don’t need to develop much color, but you do want the aromatics to soften.

Then, add in the herbs (cumin, oregano, smoked paprika) and tomato paste. Adding the herbs to the hot oil “blooms” them, which is a fancy way of saying their flavors really wake up.

Finally, make a slurry of water and cornstarch and add to the filling. Add white beans, cilantro, and salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 1-2 minutes

Step 2: Cut the Peppers

There is no right or wrong way to cut the peppers! We chose to cut the peppers crosswise for the video, but we could just as well have cut them lengthwise.

The important thing to remember is to carve out enough room for the filling by removing as much of the core, seed, and stem as possible.

• Lengthwise = Easier to eat, easier to prepare
• Crosswise = Prettier, provides a deeper pocket for the filling

Step 3: Assemble and Bake

For this quick and easy recipe, it’s not necessary to pre-bake or blanch the peppers before filling. I prefer my stuffed peppers a little crunchy!

Some people prefer to blanch the peppers before baking to soften them. If that’s you, you can blanch your peppers before filling.

Chef Tip: To blanch your peppers, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the prepared peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes. Immediately transfer the blanched peppers to a bowl of ice water to stop them from over-cooking.

Step 4: Pile on the Toppings!

You can serve your cheese- and meat-free stuffed peppers as is, or you can load up on Mexican-inspired toppings such as:

• Cubed or sliced avocado 
• Minced fresh cilantro  
• Sliced green onions
• Sliced or minced jalapeño
• Vegan avocado cilantro dressing or vegan ranch dressing (my personal favorite!)

Recipe Variations to Try

• Change up the filling: Replace the white beans with black beans, pinto beans, cooked rice either white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, cooked lentils, veggie crumbles, cooked quinoa, or a combination.
• Add vegan cheese: Consider adding some vegan cheese on top before baking or add some nutritional yeast flakes to the filling for a cheesier taste
• Use another variety of peppers: Experiment with different pepper varieties. Sweet peppers, sweet bell peppers, poblano peppers, or even mini peppers will work beautifully in this easy vegan stuffed peppers recipe. 
• Italian-inspired: Make a filling with white beans, chopped tomatoes, basil, tomato sauce, artichokes, pine nuts, red pepper flakes, capers, and olives.
• Indian-inspired: Use cumin, curry, cilantro, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and lentils for the filling.
• Middle Eastern-inspired: Add lemon, dill, lentils, za’atar, olives, cumin, coriander, sesame, and couscous to your peppers.
• Chinese-inspired: Use ingredients like cabbage, garlic, ginger, scallion, peanuts, sesame oil, tofu, soy sauce, or Braggs Liquid Aminos.

What to Serve on the Side

• Bread: Serve these beautiful stuffed peppers with a slice of vegan cornbread, homemade corn tortillas, or vegan dinner rolls.
• Salad: Even made without rice, these stuffed bell peppers are very hearty and filling so I like to serve them with a lighter side salad like this citrus salad, corn salad, or apple walnut salad.
• Veggies: Pair your peppers with your favorite in-season vegetable, like roasted Brussels sprouts, honeynut squash, or asparagus.