Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed peppers are hearty enough to stand on their own as a main course without any meat. Brown rice and red kidney beans create a complete protein filling, bulked up with sauteed garlic, onion, celery, and carrots and seasoned with basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Cooking the brown rice separately before stuffing is the right approach. Brown rice takes 45 minutes and needs precise water ratios. Trying to cook it inside the pepper would mean either undercooked rice or overcooked, mushy peppers. Pre-cooking gives you control over both textures.

The sauteed vegetables (garlic first for three minutes to bloom its flavor, then the onion, celery, and carrots for another five to seven) add a savory base that dried beans and rice alone can’t provide. That quick saute builds a mirepoix foundation that makes the filling taste like it simmered for hours.

Two tablespoons of the bean cooking liquid mixed into the filling adds starch and body, binding everything together so the stuffing holds its shape when you cut into a pepper. Without it, the filling crumbles into loose grains and beans.

Diced tomatoes ladled over the top before roasting create a saucy cap that bastes the peppers as they cook, keeping everything moist under the covered dish.

Kitchen Tips

• Choose peppers that sit flat on their bottoms so they don’t tip over in the baking dish
• Stand the peppers snugly together in the dish. They support each other and stay upright during roasting
• Cover the dish tightly with foil. The trapped steam is what cooks the peppers to tender without drying out the filling
• Check at 35 minutes. Peppers should be soft when pierced with a knife but not collapsed

Variations

• Use black beans instead of kidney beans for a Southwestern flavor profile
• Add a half cup of corn kernels to the filling for sweetness and color
• Top with shredded cheese for the last 10 minutes of baking for a melty finish