Cheesy Quinoa and Veggie Stuffed Peppers are a great choice for a fast, filling and high protein meal.
My local supermarket finally started carrying Field Roast Chao cheese! This was cause for celebration, mostly because it’s nice to *finally* be able to choose from more than just one vegan cheese brand! The tomato cayenne Chao cheese is actually really, really good and not particularly spicy but has a slight kick, which made it an excellent choice for these cheesy, quinoa veggie stuffed peppers.
This recipe comes together pretty quickly, especially if you cook the quinoa in advance and just assemble the peppers once you’re ready to cook them. I used Pereg brand Quinoa with Vegetables because it’s already got carrots, potatoes, peppers, onions and currants in it, along with herbs and spices. In the event that you can’t find it or don’t want to use a mix, simply use standard pre-washed quinoa and then add your favorite veggies and seasonings instead.
This recipe serves 4, with some leftover quinoa to scarf down later on.
What You’ll Need:
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 container of Pereg brand Quinoa with Vegetables
- Olive oil
- 4 bell peppers, assorted colors
- Seasoned bread crumbs
- 4 slices of Chao Cheese or your favorite cheese
- Parmesan or vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
- Baby kale, mizuna or your favorite small greens (optional)
How To:
The instructions on the package say to cook the quinoa mix in water, however, do yourself a favor and use vegetable broth instead. It’ll add so much more depth and flavor to the recipe. So go ahead and boil 4 cups of veggie broth, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and and dump the entire contents of the container in. Reduce the heat and set it to low. Loosely cover your pot, allowing it to vent a bit. Let it cook for 15 minutes or until most of the broth is absorbed. Remove the pot from heat and let it cool down a bit. Once it has, stir the quinoa gently to help fluff it up.
Next step…cut the tops off of four bell peppers, hollow out the core and remove the seeds. Then dice up your cheese slices really finely and add them to the cooked quinoa. Stir it up well so that the cheesy bits are evenly distributed.
Spoon the quinoa and cheese into the bell peppers, filling them to the top. Sprinkle a thin layer of your favorite seasoned breadcrumbs on top of each one, along with some parmesan cheese if you’d like. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top or use a pastry brush to brush some over the breadcrumbs.
Place your stuffed peppers in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes.
When they’re done, take them out of the oven to cool for a few minutes, then garnish with baby greens before serving.
Additional Ideas/Suggestions: Instead of using bell peppers, use mini bell peppers and serve these as an appetizer or side dish. 🙂