Description
A nutritious and flavorful vegetarian dish featuring bell peppers stuffed with a hearty quinoa mixture, black beans, corn, and melted cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Prep and Preheat: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook Quinoa: Combine quinoa with 2 cups water or vegetable broth in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover until liquid absorbs (15 minutes).
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent. Add corn and black beans; cook until warmed through.
- Combine Filling: Mix cooked quinoa, sautéed vegetables, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper in large bowl.
- Prepare Peppers: Cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds. Fill each pepper with quinoa mixture and place upright in baking dish.
- Bake: Top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes; remove foil and bake 5 minutes until cheese bubbles.
Notes
- Choose peppers with flat bottoms so they stand upright without tipping during baking
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove bitter saponins that affect taste
- Save pepper tops and dice them to add to the filling for zero waste cooking
- Let quinoa cool slightly before mixing to prevent cheese from melting prematurely
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-3 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 385 calories
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: quinoa stuffed peppers, vegetarian, healthy, bell peppers, quinoa recipe, stuffed vegetables