Bean and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Avocado Cilantro Sauce

These black bean and quinoa stuffed peppers are imbued with a flavourful Text Mex spice blend, and are topped with creamy avocado cilantro sauce. They’re a great vegan dinner option, packed with protein and flavour. 

All summer long, we have been spoiled with a plethora of peppers. (Say that five times fast!) From the beautiful shishito peppers from our CSA box to the organic Quebec bell peppers stocked at our local grocery store, it’s safe to say that we haven’t missed out on enjoying this beloved vegetable. And while there’s no denying how delicious they are raw with your favourite dip, it’s also true that you might be looking for some different ways to prepare vegetables at this point in the season. With summer slowly inching towards fall, you might find yourself craving warm roasted vegetables again. Stuffed peppers satisfy that type of craving perfectly, since the summery flavours of the peppers intermingle with a warming, grounding filling.

In this recipe, the filling is made with a classic combination of quinoa and beans, along with sautéed onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, coriander, and corn. Typically, stuffed peppers have cheese melted on top, but in this case, you’ll whip up a creamy avocado, hemp, cilantro, and lime sauce in its place. That said, if you love cheese, feel free to melt some Monterey Jack or feta on top when you bake them! You do you. 😉 

Ingredients You’ll Need

• For the stuffed peppers: Bell peppers, quinoa, black beans, kidney beans, or chickpeas (or a combination), olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, coriander, and corn. 
• For the cilantro-avocado-hemp-lime sauce: Water, avocado, hemp hearts, lime juice, nutritional yeast, cilantro, sea salt, pepper, and garlic. 

Step By Step Instructions

1. Begin by pre-roasting the peppers. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stems intact but removing the core and the seeds. Lightly brush with olive oil and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast until softened but still firm, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling. 
2. To prepare the filling, start by cooking the quinoa. While the quinoa cooks, sauté the onion, garlic, spices, and corn. Add the beans and cooked quinoa. 
3. Stuff the pepper halves with the bean and quinoa mixture. Place the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet and bake just until heated through and the filling is somewhat crispy on top, 10-15 minutes. 
4. While the peppers are in the oven, make the cilantro hemp avocado sauce. In a blender, combine the water, avocado, hemp, lime juice, nutritional yeast, cilantro, salt, garlic, and pepper, and blend until smooth. 
5. Serve the stuffed pepper halves with a couple spoonfuls of the sauce. 

Ingredient Substitutions

• If you don’t have any quinoa on hand, or you prefer a different grain, feel free to use the same amount of brown rice, buckwheat, or millet in its place. Note that cooking times will differ for these grains. 
• If you don’t have any hemp on hand when you make the sauce, use 3 tablespoon of tahini or sunflower seed butter instead. 
• If you don’t like cilantro, use any fresh herb that you like in the sauce. 
• Any type of bean or legume will work in the filling, as long as you have 3 cups in total. I used a combination of chickpeas and kidney beans because that’s what I had on hand; however, black-eyed peas, black beans, lentils, and navy beans would all be good. 
• If you have any leftover quinoa and bean filling, it’s delicious stuffed into a tortilla along with some of the sauce, cheese, and salsa for lunch the next day–it’s like an instant burrito! 🙂

More Recipes with Beans and Grains

• Black Bean and Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Cauliflower, Buckwheat, and Chickpea Salad 
• Vegan Macrobiotic-Style Bowls 

I hope you love these vegan bean and quinoa stuffed peppers with avocado cilantro sauce! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them with a comment and rating below. And if you post a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen, too! 

Finally, feel free to connect with Up Beet Kitchen on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and the newsletter! (I promise not to spam you.)

Enjoy! 

Bean and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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• Author: Allison
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

These black bean and quinoa stuffed peppers are imbued with a flavourful Text Mex spice blend, and are topped with creamy avocado cilantro sauce. They’re a great vegan dinner option, packed with protein and flavour. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 good-sized bell peppers (any colour)
• 1 ½ cups quinoa
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder (the mild variety)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp-½ teaspoon chili flakes
• ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or thawed from frozen)
• 3 cups cooked beans (I used a combination of chickpeas and kidney beans)

Avocado Cilantro Sauce

• ½ cup + 3 tbsp water
• 1 ripe avocado
• ⅓ cup hemp hearts (also called hulled hemp seeds)
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Big handful fresh cilantro

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Instructions

1. Begin by pre-roasting the peppers. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stems intact but removing the inner membrane and the seeds. Lightly brush tops and edges with olive oil and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast until softened but still firm, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
2. To prepare the filling, start by preparing the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve to remove the bitter coating and drain as much as possible. Combine the rinsed quinoa, water, and a pinch of sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and lightly fluff with a fork. Set aside.
3. While the quinoa cooks, sauté the onion and garlic, along with a pinch of sea salt, in a large saucepan over medium heat until nicely browned and fragrant. Add spices, salt, pepper, and corn, followed by the beans and cooked quinoa. Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
4. Stuff the pepper halves with the bean and quinoa mixture. Place the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet and bake just until heated through and the filling is somewhat crispy on top, 10-15 minutes.
5. While the peppers are in the oven, make the cilantro hemp avocado sauce. In a blender, combine the water, avocado, hemp, lime juice, nutritional yeast, cilantro, salt, garlic, and pepper, and blend until smooth. Transfer into an airtight jar or container.
6. Serve the stuffed peppers with the avocado sauce, and pass hot sauce at the table.

Notes

If using canned beans, you’ll need 2 14-oz cans.

If you have leftover quinoa and bean filling, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It’s tasty on its own, and absolutely incredible stuffed into a tortilla along with the sauce, salsa, and cheese!

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Supper, Lunch
• Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex

Keywords: bean and quinoa stuffed peppers, vegan stuffed peppers