Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Vegan stuffed peppers are one of our favorite weeknight meals! Most stuffed bell pepper recipes have meat in them so I wanted to create a vegetarian version that’s still filling and JUST as tasty! My whole family seriously loved how this meal turned out and I kind of want to eat them on a daily basis.

These vegan stuffed bell peppers are pretty easy to throw together, especially if you go the extra lazy route and use pre-cooked lentils and rice. They’re fully vegan and vegetarian since I really wanted to create a good meat free version. Mission accomplished!

As an added plus, they’re also really versatile. You can swap out the veggies if you want, use quinoa or brown rice in place of the white rice, and even swap the lentils for chickpeas or something like that. I’m always a fan of easily adaptable recipes, so that you can use what you have on hand and what you prefer best.

Ingredients you’ll need

Let’s do a quick run down of the ingredients in this vegan stuffed peppers recipe. Again feel free to make substitutions as you see fit!

• Bell peppers: Use whatever color you prefer or have available. I always love a mixture of colors for presentation.
• Rice: I pretty much always use basmati rice because it’s what I like best and we buy it in bulk, so I always have it on hand. Here is my recipe for instant pot basmati rice. But again, you could swap this for quinoa, brown rice, etc.
• Lentils: I wanted to bulk this up a bit and add in a good source of plant based protein, hence the lentils! ONCE again, you could swap this for something else or even leave it out, if you’d prefer. I most often buy pre-cooked lentils when making a recipe like this.
• Veggies: I used onion, mushrooms, and zucchini in this recipe but those could really be swapped for any other similar veggies!
• Tomato sauce: To give these a bit of an Italian stuffed peppers taste, we’re adding Italian seasoning and tomato sauce.

How to make this recipe

Vegan stuffed peppers are really quite easy! They’re perfect for meal planning and great to pack in work lunches throughout the week! Here’s how they come together:

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a medium casserole dish.
2. Cook the lentils and rice: If you haven’t already done so, go ahead and cook the lentils and rice.
3. Sauté vegetables: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in the onion, garlic, and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
4. Simmer with seasonings and tomato sauce: Add in the zucchini, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and 3/4 of the tomato sauce (setting the rest aside for topping later). Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 additional minutes and then remove from the heat.
5. Add rice and lentils: Mix in the cooked rice and lentils until fully combined.
6. Stuff peppers: Remove the seeds and white bits from your bell peppers and place them in your greased baking dish. Stuff the peppers evenly with the veggie/rice mixture and top evenly with the remaining tomato sauce.
7. Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Helpful tips

• Size of bell peppers: It’s best to use bell peppers that are about the same size to ensure even cooking.
• Time-saving tip: To save time and effort, use precooked lentils and rice.
• Serving: These are great served on their own, but I love to pair them with a side of veggies or a salad. Try my air fryer asparagus, easy sautéed Brussels sprouts or this kale and Brussels sprouts salad.

Frequently asked questions

Storage recommendations

These stuffed peppers are great leftover! Here’s the best way to store them for quick lunches and dinners throughout the week:

• In the refrigerator: Store any leftover stuffed bell peppers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• In the freezer: While I don’t recommend freezing the bell peppers themselves, you can freeze the stuffing in a freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
• Reheating: You can reheat your leftover peppers in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. You can also pop them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 360 degrees F.