I remember my mom making these when I was young, using ground beef of course. But I made these Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers with my tofu taco crumbles and they were even better than I remembered!
The origins of the stuffed bell peppers is a little iffy - but suffice it to say many different cultures had their own version.
The one I grew up with in the 70s was hamburger, tomatoes, and rice - topped with cheese. It was an inexpensive but filling meal that I remember a lot of moms used to make, back in the day.
I'm kind of ashamed I haven't posted a recipe until now, as this WAS comfort-food growing up in the suburbs of Indianapolis.
But I have one now, and I used my tofu taco crumbles to replace the hamburger. And you simply cannot tell the difference.
So if you have someone who is still craving meat-based comfort foods like this one, this may be the recipe to win them over.
Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
This recipe is EASY, but it does take some time. And the best way to tackle it is in parts.
The Crumbles
You do have options here:
- you can use my Tofu Taco Crumbles Recipe (which is what I based this recipe on)
- or you can make my Cauliflower Taco Recipe (for anyone avoiding soy)
- or you can use the imitation meat crumbles you can buy in the store (my least favorite option because they are SO processed).
Assuming you're making my Tofu Taco Crumbles, click on the link to get the recipe and follow the instructions up to the point where you take them out of the oven. This is step 7 in the crumble recipe - so do NOT add the water.
I repeat - DO NOT REHYDRATE THEM YET.
The Sauce
The Taco Crumbles will take about 45 minutes in the oven, so while they are baking, go ahead and make the sauce by mixing 1 cup of your favorite Marinara, 1 cup of low-sodium veggie broth, and 1 Tbls of Balsamic Vinegar.
I have a homemade oil-free Marinara Recipe you can use, but honestly - you only need 1 cup and that will add a lot more work. I chose a bottled version and looked for the one with the least amount of fat. Read those labels!
When the sauce is mixed, pour it into a deep 9" x 13" casserole dish and set it aside.
You can also take this time to prepare your peppers, any color you like. I chose to cut my peppers in half lengthwise rather than just cutting the tops off like a lot of people do. Just be sure and remove all the white ribs and seeds.
The Stuffing
Dice an onion and saute it in a large skillet with a splash of veg broth or water until it becomes translucent. Stir in the minced garlic for a minute, then remove HALF of the onion mixture and stir them into the marinara sauce you just poured into your casserole dish.
Now you can add your dried Tofu Crumbles to the skillet with the remaining onions, and stir in the Rotel tomatoes and 1 cup of cooked, cold leftover rice.
Simmer over med heat for a minute or two, just until everything gets mixed together really well and the tofu rehydrates.
Preparing the Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
Now we can put it all together.
Preheat the oven to 375° F and stuff the peppers with the filling. Really pack it in and you should have just enough filling for 6 pepper halves. (There may be a little bit left over, so grab a spoon - it's good on its own!)
Arrange the stuffed peppers in the casserole dish, and cover the entire dish with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes and then remove the foil. Sprinkle with your favorite vegan cheese shreds if desired, and continue baking uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes.
These came out incredibly good and truly brought back memories of sitting around the family dinner table eating mom's stuffed bell peppers. The taco seasoning in the tofu adds just the right spice to make even the non-vegans in your family willing to try these.
Hope you enjoy them!
Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Author: Chuck Underwood
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Prep Time: 30 min
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Cook Time: 90 min
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Total Time: 2 hours
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Yield: 6 Pepper Halves
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Category: Main
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Method: Oven
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Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
I remember my mom making these when I was young, using ground beef of course. So I made these Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers with my tofu taco crumbles and they were simply incredible! Even better than the original! (sorry mom)
Ingredients
Units- 3 bell peppers, any color
- 1 batch tofu taco crumbles
- 1 onion, diced & divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked, cold rice
- 1 cup of your favorite Marinara sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu crumbles according to the recipe - stopping when you remove them from the oven. Do NOT add the water at the end.
- Meanwhile, mix the marinara, broth, and vinegar and pour into the bottom of a deep 9" x 13" casserole dish
- Clean and cut 3 bell peppers of any color lengthwise. Remove the ribs and seeds. Set aside.
- Dice and saute 1 onion, just until translucent. Stir in garlic for 1 minute.
- Remove half of the onions and stir them into the marinara sauce.
- When tofu crumbles are dried, add them to the skillet with the remaining onion.
- Add the Rotel tomatoes and rice and simmer for 1-2 minutes, mixing well
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Stuff each pepper half with the filling and arrange in the casserole dish on top of the sauce
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes
- Remove foil, sprinkle on your favorite vegan cheese shreds if desired, and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes
Notes
Like This Recipe? Tips & Donations Are Always Welcome!
Keywords: vegan stuffed bell peppers
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