Sep 8, 2019 by Monica - 31 Comments

Vegan Italian Stuffed Peppers with Rice

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These classic vegan Italian stuffed peppers are as delicious as they are pretty. Whether you are making a fancy dinner or prepping easy weeknight meals these plant-based stuffed peppers are the answer!

Four multi-colored vegan stuffed peppers topped with vegan cheese.

This recipe is super versatile and will work with any protein like vegan beef crumbles, vegan sausage, lentils, or beans. Add rice or any grain that you wish like quinoa or couscous too! So you can make them different every time!

They are naturally gluten-free and packed with healthy grains and veggies. They freeze well and work great for meal prep!

Jump to:

❤️ Vegan stuffed peppers are
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
🥄 How to make vegan stuffed peppers
🍲 How to make it in a slow cooker
🍞 How to make low-carb stuffed peppers
🌶️ Mini stuffed pepper bites
🌽 Mexican-style vegan stuffed peppers
🥘 Unstuffed pepper casserole
🎃 Stuffed pepper jack-o-lanterns...
🥡 Storage
❄️ How to freeze vegan stuffed peppers
🔥 How to reheat the peppers
🍴 How to meal prep with stuffed peppers
🌟 More vegan Italian-style meals
📋 Vegan stuffed pepper recipe

❤️ Vegan stuffed peppers are

easy to make!
easily made free of dairy, gluten, soy, and nuts.
super versatile so you can substitute whatever you have.
great for meal prep!
easy to turn into an easy kid-friendly casserole
able to be cooked in your slow cooker.

Six vegan stuffed peppers with red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

Bell Peppers - any color you like will work.
A Vegan Protein - I like to use my homemade vegan Italian sausage or my vegan sausage crumbles recipe made with TVP (triple the recipe to equal 2 cups), but it's also delicious with vegan ground beef, Beyond Beef crumbles, vegan Soyrizo, vegan Italian link sausages cut into small pieces, cooked lentils, or beans.
A Grain - I usually use cooked short-grain brown rice or quinoa, but you can also use basmati rice, millet, or small pasta like orzo or couscous.
Onion - for flavor. (optional, but recommended). You can swap this out for garlic or add 2 cloves of minced garlic along with the onions.
Italian Herbs - for flavor or use a mix of oregano, thyme, and basil. Fresh herbs also work well. You can also omit the Italian Herbs and replace them with taco seasoning to make Mexican-style stuffed peppers.
Olive Oil - to saute the onion and veggies.
Vegetables- you can add about 1 cup of finely chopped veggies to the pepper stuffing. (optional) Peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots all work well to give them more flavor and nutrients.
Tomato Sauce - for moisture and flavor. You can use your favorite spaghetti sauce from a jar or make your own with my roasted tomato sauce, tofu bolognese, or roasted tomato and red pepper sauce.
Vegan Cheese - to mix in with the filling and sprinkle on top. You can use your favorite vegan cheese or try the melty version of my homemade vegan mozzarella or vegan liquid pizza cheese on top.
Salt and Black Pepper - for flavor. You can also add some red pepper flakes for a little spice to the peppers.

A red bell pepper stuffed with a vegan filling with a fork scooping some filling out.

🥄 How to make vegan stuffed peppers

Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).

Step 2 -Wash the peppers, cut off the top inch of the pepper and stem, and clean out the seeds and white membrane left inside the pepper.

Step 3 -Dice the cut tops of the peppers into small pieces.

A collage of 2 pictures showing cutting and dicing the bell pepper tops to make stuffed peppers.

Step 4 -Dice onion and fry it in some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for about 3-5 minutes over low heat.

Step 5 -Turn up the heat to medium and add the diced pepper tops and Italian herb seasoning then cook for about 3 more minutes.

Step 6 -Add the protein of choice, like "beef" crumbles, vegan Italian sausage, beans, or cooked lentils, and saute for a few more minutes.

Step 7 -Add a grain of choice like rice, quinoa, or couscous and stir well.

Step 8 -Pour a jar of spaghetti sauce into the cooked veggies and protein.

Step 9 -Add 1 cup of vegan cheese and stir well.

A collage of 4 pictures showing the process steps for making the filling that goes in vegan stuffed peppers.

Step 10 -Arrange your peppers in a baking dish and fill them with the mixture.

Colorful peppers in a baking dish being filled with a vegan pepper stuffing.

Step 11 -Top with remaining vegan cheese then cover your dish with foil or a lid and bake covered for 35 minutes.

Step 12 -Take out of the oven and take off the foil, then put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes.

A vegan yellow stuffed pepper with a fork in it about to take out some filling.

🍲 How to make it in a slow cooker

Follow steps 1 -9 the same as you did for a traditional stuffed pepper.
Pour 1 cup of vegetable broth into the slow cooker.
Arrange your peppers in your crock pot/slow cooker and fill the peppers with the stuffed pepper mixture.
Top with vegan cheese and set to low and cook for 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours until peppers are soft.

🍞 How to make low-carb stuffed peppers

A simple swap out the grain for riced cauliflower for a delicious low-carb, low-calorie, healthy alternative.

🌶️ Mini stuffed pepper bites

This recipe works great for an appetizer too! To make a mini version of this recipe, cut the recipe in half (you will not need nearly as much filling) and use the mini multi-colored peppers.

Cut the tops off of these small peppers then cut them in half and remove any seeds and white membrane.
Place on a cookie sheet, spoon on the pepper filling, and top with vegan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake again for about 8 minutes.
Allow cooling for about 15 minutes before serving as finger food.

A cookie sheet filled with mini vegan stuffed peppers for an appetizer.

🌽 Mexican-style vegan stuffed peppers

You can easily change this dish from an Italian-style dish to a spicy Mexican-style dish by swapping out a few ingredients. Simply use taco seasoning or a combo of chili powder and cumin in place of the Italian seasoning. You can also use 3 cups of salsa, or diced tomatoes instead of the jar of spaghetti sauce. Mexican stuffed peppers are also delicious with Soyrizo or beans and added corn or zucchini squash (about 1 cup). You can also use my homemade vegan cheddar cheese in place of vegan mozzarella!

🥘 Unstuffed pepper casserole

My kids don't like the big whole pepper very much. It's just a little too much pepper at once I think. They do, however, love stuffed pepper casserole. To make it into a casserole, chop up 2 whole bell peppers into tiny pieces and toss them into the stuffed pepper mixture. Then pour the stuffing mixture into a casserole dish, top with vegan cheese, and bake the whole thing for 45 minutes at 375° F until bubbly. My kids devour it and never even notice the peppers in it! (It tastes a lot like lasagna, but much faster and easier to make)!

A vegan stuffed pepper casserole with a spoonful being scooped out of it.

🎃 Stuffed pepper jack-o-lanterns...

Make these for a fun Halloween dish or even Thanksgiving! Simply use orange peppers then cut the tops like you would the top of a jack-o-lantern. Then take a little knife clean out the seeds and membrane, then carve out a face on the pepper. Fill with the stuffing place the stem back on top and bake. For Thanksgiving pumpkin peppers, do the same thing, just don't carve a face in it.

A vegan stuffed pepper carved to look like a jack-o-lantern.

🥡 Storage

Refrigerator: These vegan stuffed peppers will keep well in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in a sealed container.

❄️ How to freeze vegan stuffed peppers

Freezing: You can either freeze them before or after baking. If you are prepping a whole meal to pop in the oven, I find it easier to freeze them before baking and then bake the whole dish. However, If you want them for quick lunches you can pop them in the microwave, cook them first, and wrap them individually for a quicker meal.

Either way, be sure to keep them in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 2 months until you are ready to use them. If you want more information about this, check out this article about freezing stuffed peppers.

Defrosting: Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating to heat quickly. You can also put frozen stuffed peppers directly into the microwave, but it will take about 5-6 minutes to heat.

🔥 How to reheat the peppers

Reheat the stuffed peppers one at a time in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes each. To reheat large amounts, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of water and bake in a covered dish at 350° F for about 20-25 minutes until hot.

🍴 How to meal prep with stuffed peppers

Stuff peppers freeze very well and make great meal prep food!

Leave them in the baking dish or place them on a cookie sheet and freeze them solid. Then wrap in plastic wrap or place in a small freezer bag and squeeze out all the air. (Two peppers fit perfectly in a quart freezer bag and make the perfect lunch for my husband to bring to work).

🌟 More vegan Italian-style meals

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Vegan stuffed pepper recipe

5 from 15 votes

Four stuffed peppers on a plate filled with quinoa, sauce and vegan meat, topped with vegan cheese.

Print Recipe

Vegan Italian Stuffed Peppers

A classic Italian-style stuffed pepper recipe made vegan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: quinoa stuffed peppers, vegan gluten-free stuffed peppers, vegan Italian stuffed peppers, vegan stuffed peppers, vegan stuffed peppers with rice

Servings:

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Monica Davis

Ingredients

8 medium bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 cup diced veggies of choice like mushrooms, carrots, or broccoli. (Optional for extra nutrients).
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 cup vegan Italian sausage or any other vegan protein you choose like crumbles or cooked beans or lentils.
2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice or quinoa, couscous, millet, or any other grain of choice.
1 24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce or 3 cups of crushed tomatoes.
1 1/2 cup vegan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Prep the peppers

Wash the peppers and cut off the top inch of the pepper and stem. Clean out the seeds and white membrane from the inside of the pepper.
Dice the cut tops of the peppers into small pieces.

Make the filling

Dice onion and fry it in some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for about 3-5 minutes over low heat.
Turn up the heat to medium and add the diced pepper tops and Italian herb seasoning. Cook for about 3 more minutes.
Add the protein of choice, like "beef" crumbles, vegan Italian sausage, beans, or cooked lentils and saute for a few more minutes.
Add a grain of choice like rice, quinoa, or couscous and stir well.
Pour in a jar of spaghetti sauce to the cooked veggies and protein.
Add 1 cup of vegan cheese and stir well.
Arrange your peppers in a baking dish and fill with the mixture.
Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of vegan cheese.

Bake the peppers

Cover your dish with foil or a lid and bake covered for 35 minutes.
Take out of the oven and remove the foil. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

Video

Notes

Slow cooker method

Follow steps 1 -9 the same as you would for a traditional stuffed pepper.
Pour 1 cup of vegetable broth into the slow cooker.
Arrange your peppers in your crock-pot/slow cooker and fill yhe peppers with the stuffed pepper mixture.
Top with vegan cheese and set to low and cook for 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours until peppers are soft.

How to make mini stuffed peppers

This recipe works great for an appetizer too! To make a mini version of this recipe, cut the recipe in half (you will not need nearly as much filling) and use mini multi-colored peppers.

Cut the tops off of these small peppers then cut them in half and remove any seeds and white membrane.
Place on a cookie sheet and spoon on the pepper filling. Top with vegan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and bake again for about 8 minutes.
Allow cooling for about 15 minutes before serving as finger food.

Mexican-style stuffed peppers

Swap the Italian seasoning for taco seasoning and the spaghetti sauce for 3 cups of salsa. You can also add corn, beans, and squash to the stuffing mix.

Nutrition

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