Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Why You’ll Love Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

• They’re easy to make with simple ingredients.
• You can customize them with different vegetables, sauce and toppings.
• They store and reheat well so you can make them in advance.
• The rice and bean filling is great for burritos, tacos salads or a side dish.
• They’re a good source of plant-based protein and fibre.

Bell peppers would work well for this recipe too, of course, or you can try these Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers. These Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and Twice Baked Stuffed Zucchinis are also yummy and fun to make.

• Rice: Use any white rice such as jasmine or basmati. You could also use quinoa or brown rice but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time and may need additional liquid. If using brown rice, cook it according to the package instructions.
• Onion: The recipe calls for red onion but if you don’t have that on hand you can use shallot or white onion.
• Garlic: I’d recommend using fresh garlic but if you don’t have any available you can substitute 1 tsp garlic powder.
• Spices: You’ll need ground cumin and smoked paprika for the rice. If you don’t have smoked paprika you can use regular paprika.
• Poblano Peppers: You’ll need 6 poblanos. These are the large, long peppers that look like a giant jalapeno or misshapen green bell pepper.
• Black Beans: You’ll need one 19 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed. You could also use black beans cooked from scratch, in which case you’ll need about 2 cups. You can substitute kidney beans, pinto beans or black eye peas.
• Corn: Use frozen corn, no need to thaw it first.
• Salsa: Any salsa you like works. Make sure it’s not too spicy if that’s a concern!
• Cheese: Top with your favourite vegan shredded cheese or any cheese like cheddar, mozzarella or cojita.

Step 1: Cook the Rice. Heat 2 tsp of oil over medium heat in a pot. Once it’s hot, add the red onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cumin, paprika and rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring often, to toast the rice and spices.

Add 1.25 cups of water and bring the rice to a simmer. Once it’s simmering, cover and reduce the heat to low.

Cook the rice about 14 minutes, then remove it from the heat and let is set for 5 minutes with the lid on before fluffing with a fork.

Step 2: Prepare and Broil the Poblanos. While the rice is cooking, start preparing the poblano peppers. Preheat the oven to broil and line a baking sheet with foil.

Cut around the stem of each pepper like you’d carve a pumpkin, then pull out the stem and shake the seeds free.

Cut the peppers from the top to end but not all the way in half. You just want to create a pocket. If there are more seeds, you can shake or scrape them out.

Arrange the peppers on the baking sheet.

Broil the peppers for about 6-7 minutes then flip and broil another 6-7 minutes until they’re almost tender and blistering in spots.

Quick Tip: Be careful not to overcook them at this stage. You want them to a bit softened but not mushy or completely charred.

Step 3: Prepare the Filling. Meanwhile, start preparing the filling. Heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat in a large skillet then add the beans, corn, salsa, chili powder and cumin and cook for about 3-5 minutes to heat through.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cooked rice and cilantro.

Step 4: Stuff and Bake the Peppers. Reduce the oven to 425 F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, arrange them in a row in the baking dish and stuff each one with about 1/2 cup of the rice and bean filling.

Once you’ve added 1/2 cup per pepper, divide the remaining filling between each pepper until they’re fully stuffed.

Quick Tip: If you have extra filling, reserve for another use like a burrito filling or salad topper, or you can just serve alongside the cooked peppers.

Bake the peppers for about 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Step 5: Make the Avocado Crema (Optional). If you’re making the avocado crema, blend it up while the peppers are baking, adding a little water as needed to reach the right consistency.

Step 6: Serve the Peppers. Divide the cooked peppers between places, drizzle with avocado sauce if made it or serve with toppings like guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Sprinkle with more cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if you like, and enjoy!