Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers

Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers with quinoa, mushrooms, onion, garlic, white beans, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese make a fabulous vegetarian meal that is great for a weeknight dinner.  This versatile recipe can be prepped in advance and cooked in either the oven or crock pot - slow cooker.  These are also gluten free and can be made vegan.

Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers

Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers are cozy, hearty, healthy and delicious.  This super versatile recipe is made with a powerhouse list of vegetarian ingredients including quinoa and white beans.  Plus delicious veggies like carrots, mushrooms, onions and garlic.  To keep the recipe simple and flavorful I use prepared marinara sauce to amp of the flavors and ease of prep work!  It's all topped with just the right amount of melty mozzarella cheese.  If vegan, just leave it off.

This recipe combines quinoa with Italian flavors and puts it in a fun package of a stuffed pepper.  It’s a vegetarian play on the traditional beef and rice stuffed pepper.  If you love stuffed peppers, but don't eat meat you HAVE to try this one.  In fact, even if you DO eat meat these hearty stuffed peppers are filling and flavorful enough to make a delicious meal out of.

My recipe includes directions to cook the bell peppers in the oven OR in the crock pot - slow cooker, depending on your mood. PLUS, includes directions to make this a super easy vegetarian freezer meal.

You will love this crazy delicious Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers recipe and I know the rich flavors an easy prep will have you making these again and again.

Why You'll Love These Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers...

• These Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers are super rich and flavorful.  Total flavor BOMB!
• They are filled with super healthy vegetarian - vegan ingredients including quinoa, white beans and mushrooms.
• This combo of ingredients makes this dish super hearty for a vegetarian meal.
• They are gluten-free.
• This recipe is versatile and you can sub out many of the ingredients to use what you have.
• You can also cook it in either the oven OR slow cooker - crock pot.
• Plus, they are so pretty to serve for a healthy vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make the Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers, but keep reading for the full recipe amounts.

• Bell Peppers: You'll need nice size, uniform bell peppers to make this stuffed peppers recipe. You can use whichever colors you like - red, yellow, orange.  Even green peppers, if that's what you can find.  To prepare the peppers in the oven, I use three larger bell peppers that you can cut in half lengthwise like shown  in the photos.  When preparing the stuffed peppers in the crock pot, I like to use four slightly smaller peppers with a flat bottom. Instead of cutting them in two pieces, cut off the top around the stem to make a bell pepper bowl.  They cook better in the slow cooker like this than halves.  To prep the bell peppers cut them and remove the white membranes inside.
• Onion: I like use a Vidalia or sweet onion.  To prepare it, dice it into small pieces.
• Carrots: I like adding carrots to this recipe for more flavors, texture and colors.  Also dice the carrots into smaller pieces so it will cook quickly.
• Mushrooms: Use sliced portobello mushrooms.  They add a rich and meaty texture to the stuffed mushrooms.
• Garlic: You can mince your own garlic or use pre-minced garlic.  I use one teaspoon, but this is the kind of recipe where it doesn't hurt to add a touch more if you love garlic.
• White Beans: White beans add more substance and flavor to these Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers.  Use canned beans that are rinsed and drained well.
• Quinoa: You'll need to either have pre-cooked quinoa or cook your quinoa before starting to make the peppers.  If you are cooking your quinoa, you can cook it in salted water or vegetable broth for even more flavor.
• Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite marinara sauce or pasta sauce to get lots of flavor into these bell peppers without a lot of fuss.  If you are feeling extra ambitious you can make your own pasta sauce with my Crock Pot Marinara Sauce recipe.
• Italian Seasoning: For an extra flavor punch, use Italian Seasoning.  Make your own with my Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix or use your favorite store-bought version.  You can also use a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme .
• Mozzarella Cheese: I like to use pre-shredded Mozzarella Cheese OR the Italian Cheese Mix.  Parmesan cheese would also be delicious.
• Olive Oil: Just a touch of olive oil will help you cook the vegetables to make the stuffing.
• Salt & Pepper: You'll need to add salt and pepper to the stuffing to taste.  The final amount needed depends a lot on the marinara sauce you use and personal taste.
• Garnish: Fresh Basil or parsley

Instructions:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to prepare the Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers.  Keep reading for the full printable recipe.

Prepare the Stuffing:

1. First you'll need to prepare the stuffing for the Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers.  Start with the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots, stirring often until the onions and carrots are softened, for about 4 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms to the mixture and cook for 2 more minutes until they are starting to turn soft. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Next, add the white beans, cooked quinoa, marinara sauce and Italian Seasoning to the vegetable mixture. Stir until well combined and heated through. Salt and pepper to taste again.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in ⅔ of the cheese mixture. Save ⅓ cup of the cheese for the tops of the peppers. If making these vegan, skip this step.

Cook in the Oven:

Here's how to make the Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers in the Oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. While the oven is preheating, prepare the stuffing according to the directions above.
3. Next prepare the peppers by slicing the bell pepper in half.  Scoop out the white parts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Carefully stuff the bell peppers with the prepared stuffing. Top with the last ⅓ cup of mozzarella cheese.
5. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender.
6. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle with fresh chopped basil before serving.

Cook in the Crock Pot:

Here's how to make the Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers in the crock pot or slow cooker.

1. Prepare the stuffing following the directions above.
2. When prepping the bell peppers, instead of cutting them in half, cut the tops off leaving bell pepper bowls. I like to use four smaller bell peppers instead of three when making this in the slow cooker.
3. Carefully spoon stuffing into the cut bell peppers and stand them up in the crock pot or slow cooker.
4. Pour a ½ inch of water in the bottom of your slow cooker.
5. Cook on low for 4-6 hours until the peppers are tender. Remove the lid and sprinkle the remaining cheese on the peppers. Cover the lid and let the cheese melt.
6. Pull the stuffed peppers out of the crock pot and allow to cool. Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving.

To Prepare as a Freezer Meal:

These Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers make a great vegetarian freezer meal.  Here's what to do.

1. Make as a freezer meal by prepping the stuffing and filling the bell peppers.
2. Assemble the peppers in a freezer safe baking dish and cover with foil.
3. Freeze before baking.
4. When you are ready to eat them, bake them from frozen at 400 degrees for 75 minutes.

Variations

I love these Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers as written, but here are some other delicious variations.

• Make them Vegan Stuffed Peppers: Make these Vegan Stuffed Peppers by omitting the cheese or substituting dairy-free cheese.
• Mix up the Grain: You can substitute the quinoa for another grain like white rice, brown rice, wild rice, farro, wheat berries, or barley.
• Mix up the Veggies: There are so many different type of vegetables that would be good in these!  Other options include tomatoes, celery, zucchini, squash, spinach or kale.  You could even add nuts like walnuts or pecans.
• Mix up the Beans: You can also swap chickpeas or black beans for the white beans.
• Add some Protein: Add crumbled tofu for a vegetarian protein.  If you eat meat, great options are ground beef, chicken, Italian sausage, or ground turkey.
• Make it Spicy: Add some red pepper flakes to the quinoa vegetable mixture.

FAQ

How do you store leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.  These Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers reheat well for leftovers and meal prep.  You can reheat them in the microwave or oven.

Can you prep the stuffed peppers in advance?

Yes! If you are trying to prep this ahead of time, follow the directions up until you put the peppers in the oven.  Instead of baking the peppers, you can cover them and store them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.  Just make sure to bring the dish to room temperature before popping it in the oven.

Can I make these for a freezer meal?

Yes! I included directions above to make these as a freezer meal.  Just follow the directions up until baking the peppers.  Freeze the stuffed peppers instead of baking them.

These Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers are the Perfect Meal!

I simply adore this Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers recipe because it's so tasty, versatile and filling.  It's a great vegetarian meal to satisfy even those who do eat meat.

Plus you can't beat a recipe that can be cooked in two different ways -oven or crock pot- and can be prepped ahead of time.

I even like make these to eat for lunches during the week because leftovers taste just as good.  Here are some other ways to make these into a meal.

Serve it With:

• Italian Chopped Salad
• Kale Caesar Salad
• Marinated Cherry Tomatoes
• Hearty Vegan Cobb Salad
• Chopped Kale Salad

More Stuffed Pepper Recipes to Try:

• Vegetarian Mexican Stuffed Pepper
• Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Pepper
• Everything Bagel Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
• Tuna Melt Mini Bell Peppers

If you make this Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Pepper recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers

Julie Wunder

Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers with quinoa, mushrooms, onion, garlic, white beans, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese make a fabulous vegetarian meal that is great for a weeknight dinner.  This versatile recipe can be prepped in advance and cooked in either the oven or crock pot - slow cooker.  These are also gluten free and can be made vegan.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Calories 155 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ½ cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ⅓ cup white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 ¼ cup pasta sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup Italian Cheese Mix or Mozzarella, grated
• garnish: fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

For the Stuffing:

• To prepare the stuffing, start with a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Heat your olive oil and then add the onions and carrots, stirring often until the onions and carrots are softened, for about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the mixture and cook for 2 more minutes until they are starting to turn tender. Sprinkle the vegetable mixture with salt and pepper. Add the garlic at the end and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  
• Add the white beans, cooked quinoa, pasta sauce and Italian Seasoning to the vegetable mixture. Stir until well combined and heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in ⅔ of the cheese mixture. Save ⅓ cup of the cheese for the tops of the peppers. If making these vegan, skip this step.

For the Oven:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Prepare the stuffing according to the directions above.
• Slice the bell pepper in half and scoop out the white parts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  
• Carefully stuff the bell peppers with the prepared stuffing. Top with the last ⅓ cup of cheese.
  
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle with fresh chopped basil before serving.
  

For the Crock Pot:

• Prepare the stuffing following the directions above.
• When prepping the bell peppers, instead of cutting them in half, cut the tops off leaving bell pepper bowls. I like to use four smaller bell peppers instead of three when making this in the slow cooker.
• Put the stuffing into the bell peppers and stand them up in the crock pot or slow cooker.
• Put ½ inch of water in the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 4-6 hours until the peppers are tender. Remove the lid and sprinkle the remaining cheese on the peppers. Cover the lid and let melt.
• Pull the stuffed peppers out of the crock pot and allow to cool. Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving.

Notes

When making the oven version I like to use 3 large bell peppers,  which you cut in half, yielding 6 pepper halves.  When making this in the crock pot, I like to use 4 smaller bell peppers.  When making it in the crock pot you just cut the top off the peppers, so you will yield 4 peppers.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  These reheat well for leftovers or meal prep in the microwave or oven.

Make as a freezer meal by prepping the stuffing and filling the bell peppers.  Freeze before baking.  When you are ready to eat them, bake them from frozen at 400 degrees for 75 minutes.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 8gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 373mgPotassium: 511mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 4000IUVitamin C: 82mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Italian Stuffed Peppers, Vegetarian Italian Stuffed Peppers

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