Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

These Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers are loaded with vegetables, Mexican flavors, and hearty with black beans and couscous. They can easily be vegan using vegan cheese or omitting the cheese.

This vegetarian stuffed bell peppers recipe has become a regular thing in my household. They're vegetarian and can easily be vegan by using vegan cheese or omitting the cheese. An easy meal that's loaded with vegetables, Mexican flavors, and hearty with black beans and couscous. Everytime we make these, we are amazed with how easy, tasty, filling, and healthy this meal is! I love making these as a weeknight meal. Takes about 15 minutes to prep, and 25 minutes in the oven.

📋 Ingredients:

• Couscous. This is the key ingredient that makes this dish so EASY. Couscous is a great and quick alternative to rice! It's slightly lower in carbs than white and brown rice. It also has about 1-2 grams more protein than both brown and white rice as well. The biggest win for me is that it's MUCH faster than both types of rice. You can always use white or brown rice, or quinoa in place of couscous. Cooking times for these alternatives will vary from couscous.
• Black beans. A great source of protein and fiber. I used canned, drained, low sodium or no salt added. Fresh is always a better option but for the ease of convenience, I use canned.
• Veggies. Any seasonal vegetables work great with this dish. In mine, I used zucchini, onions, mushrooms.
• Enchilada Sauce. I use any canned enchilada sauce for these. The recipe calls for one cup, however, if you like it more saucy, you can use a whole 10 oz can.

📖 Instructions:

• Cook the couscous according to the package instructions and set aside.
• Cook the garlic and veggies in oil. Add the black beans, cooked couscous, cumin, and taco seasoning and mix. Add the enchilada sauce and combine well.
• Cut the bell pepper in half and remove the seeds and add the mixture to the bell pepper halves. Top with cheese.
• Add about ¼ cup water at the bottom of the casserole dish.
• Place the stuffed bell peppers in the casserole dish. Grease a sheet of foil with cooking spray and cover the tray with foil, greased side down. Bake until bell peppers are well-cooked.
• Topping options include scallions, cilantro, sour cream, or avocados.

💭Tips:

1. Cover with foil. This helps the dish cook thoroughly without the cheese burning on top.
2. Add water to the baking dish. This gets the bell peppers perfectly tender without burning them. If you like cooked bell peppers with a slight crunch, cook for 20-25 minutes. If you like a soft bell pepper, cook for about 25-30 minutes.
3. Broil at the end. I love my cheese bubbly and brown so this give you that goodness at the end!

Other recipes you may enjoy:

• Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
• Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
• Black Bean and Mango Salad with Lime Dressing
• Crumbled Tempeh Quesadillas

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