Vegan stuffed bell peppers are a rustic recipe made simply with rice, mushrooms, onion, and carrots. The sweet-sour taste of the peppers will make you feel home and will delight your taste buds in a fantastic way. The stuffed bell peppers can be boiled in a pot or baked in the oven.
Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a delicious meal, right? This recipe for stuffed peppers, with rice and mushrooms, comes in handy for those looking for healthy, tasty, and filling meals, yet, meet-free. These vegan mushroom stuffed peppers are extremely tasty, especially suitable for summer days when we have a multitude of fresh vegetables and greens.
In addition to the fact that the rainbowy stuffed peppers are very easy to prepare and can be eaten without restrictions, they are also very versatile. The filling can be done with a wide variety of fresh or canned vegetables. Cross my heart, these peppers stuffed with mushrooms, cooked leisurely in a tasty tomato sauce, are no worse than those with meat. They are very fragrant and hearty, and I devoured them with great pleasure. I invite you to try this recipe because I’m sure it might be good for the times you want more vegetarian recipes.
Ingredients for mushroom stuffed bell peppers
The ingredients needed for this recipe are very easy to find in any supermarket. However, my strong advice is to buy these fresh vegetables from a farmer’s market. Fresh veggies are definitely a great value for any dish, especially for vegan dishes like this one. The key ingredient for this recipe is the mushroom and the bell peppers. You can play with the rest, add or skip the ones you like or don’t.
Here is what it takes to cook the delicious yet vegan stuffed bell peppers with mushrooms and rice:
- Bell peppers. I like to choose the rainbow-colored peppers because I simply go mad after beautiful colored dishes. Make sure they are all equal in size, this is how you ensure a simultaneous cooking time. Also, you don’t want to pick the tallest bell peppers there are because they need to fit into the biggest pot you have. That’s something you need to keep in mind.
- Mushrooms. Chose between the white and brown champignons and the oyster mushrooms. These are very earthy flavored, yet, very affordable.
- Rice
- Onion
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Tomato paste or canned diced tomatoes
- olive oil
- Any of your favorite spices such as oregano, thyme, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, etc
- Salt and pepper
What is the best rice for stuffed peppers?
The best rice for stuffed bell peppers, in my opinion, is the short-grain. It is usually very starchy the grains absorb the liquids to their full capacity and they stick together when cooked. What we’re looking for in stuffed bell peppers are a tender and soft filling, and that’s exactly what the short-grain rice will turn into.
You can of course use long-grain rice like basmati if you’re out of the short-grain, just expect a bit different results. The basmati rice will be crumbly even when cooked longer, and the rice will not soak in all the flavors of the sauteed veggies.
Do I have to boil the peppers first?
No, there is no need to double work because the bell peppers are cooked in a matter of minutes. Moreover, the filling made of sauteed veggies and rice is also semi-cooked, so everything will get done to perfection simultaneously. Even when a bit crunchy, the stuffed bell peppers are delicious. It is important for the rice to be cooked thoroughly, otherwise, it can be considered a fail.
The peppers should be washed and deseeded. Cut through the tops and take out the seeds carefully. Keep the top part with tail on as hats for the stuffed peppers during cooking.
How to cook the filling for stuffed bell peppers?
When cooked by this recipe, it can’t go wrong. Read below how easy it is to prepare some peppers stuffed with mushrooms. Start by prepping the rice. Pour boiling water over the rice for it to swell while you are preparing the filling. Semi-cooked rice will half the cooking times and will leave space for the rice to soak in the flavors of the sauteed vegetables, infused oil, and spices.
Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Finely grate the carrot. Use a pan/skillet to heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil and sautee the chopped veggies. Cook on medium-low heat until translucent, which will take about 4-5 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally.
In the meantime clean and chop the mushrooms. Cut the mushrooms in small dices for two reasons. First, it will look harmonious with the rest of the veggies. Second, the mushrooms will get cooked faster. Saute the mushrooms for about 10 minutes, or until the liquids will evaporate.
Drain the rice and add it to the skillet. Mix well and season with all the spices you like. I added 1 tbsp of granulated garlic, 1 tsp of smoked paprika, some thyme, salt, and ground pepper.
Finally, add the tomato paste or the diced canned tomatoes along with chopped fresh parsley and mix. Pour half a cup of water, it will be later soaked by the rice while cooking. At this point the filling is ready, there is no need to keep it on the stove any longer. Just taste for salt and add as much as you feel is perfect for your tastes. It’s time to get to the most pleasing part – stuffing the peppers.
How to stuff bell peppers?
Wash and slice the tops off the peppers. Use your fingers to remove the ribs and seeds inside. Arrange them in the pot and start filling them one by one. In a different bowl mix one cup of water with salt and 1 tsp of lemon juice and pour it at the bottom of the pan with stuffed bell peppers. Top the stuffed peppers with the previously removed tail tops; the mushroom stuffed bell peppers are ready to be cooked.
How long to cook the vegan stuffed bell peppers?
Cook the stuffed peppers on the stove for 30 minutes on medium, medium-low heat with the lid on. You know they are ready to go when the rice is cooked and when the bell pepper is soft.
Serve the bell peppers hot and cold. You can pair them with a refreshing tomato salad or with a cabbage salad. Hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
See other recipes with bell peppers:
- Roasted bell peppers in creamy tomato sauce
- Vegetarian Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Roasted bell peppers with feta cheese
Stuffed Bell Peppers with Mushrooms & Rice
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup rice short-grain
- 8-10 oz mushrooms
- 1 can tomatoes diced
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp thyme or oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 handful parsley
Instructions
- Pour boiling water over the rice for it to swell
- Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Finely grate the carrot
- Heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and sautee the chopped veggies for 4-5 minutes
- Clean and finely chop the mushrooms
- Saute the mushrooms for about 10 minutes
- Turn off the stove
- Drain the rice and add it to the skillet
- Season with all the spices
- Add the tomato paste or the diced canned tomatoes along with chopped fresh parsley and mix
- Pour half a cup of water and mix again
- Wash and slice the tops off the peppers. Remove the ribs and seeds inside
- Arrange them in the pot and start filling them one by one. Top with the previously removed top of the peppers
- In a different bowl mix one cup of water with salt and 1 tsp of lemon juice and pour it at the bottom of the pan with stuffed bell peppers
- Cook the stuffed peppers on the stove for 30 minutes on medium, medium-low heat with the lid on
- Serve the bell peppers hot and cold
