Name: Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4-6 bell peppers; ((see notes)); ½ cup couscous; 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 clove garlic (minced); ½ zucchini (chopped); 1 onion (chopped); 1 cup chopped mushrooms; 1 cup enchilada sauce; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon taco seasoning; salt; (to taste); cheese for topping; (I use Kirkland's Mexican Blend)

These Vegetarian Stuffed 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.

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bell peppers with couscous, black beans, cheese, and seasonal vegetables

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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.

vegetarian stuffed bell peppers with couscous, black beans, cheese, and seasonal vegetables

This healthy stuffed peppers recipe has become a regular thing in my household. This recipe is for vegetarian stuffed peppers but can easily be made into vegan stuffed peppers 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. Every time 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. I love that this recipe is a stuffed pepper recipe without rice. Couscous is the key ingredient that makes this dish so EASY. It's 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 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:

Cover with foil. This helps the dish cook thoroughly without the cheese burning on top.
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.
Broil at the end. I love my cheese bubbly and brown so this give you that goodness at the end!

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