Description
Vegan Jack-o’-Lantern Peppers are a spooky and delicious treat, perfect for Halloween or any festive occasion. These colorful peppers are filled with a hearty quinoa and black bean mixture, making them not only fun to look at but also nutritious and filling.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large orange bell peppers, or red/yellow for variety
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup vegan shredded cheese, optional
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Arrange parchment paper in a baking dish.
- Prepare Peppers: Slice tops off bell peppers and discard seeds and membranes. Carve jack-o’-lantern faces into the side of each pepper with a sharp paring knife. Set peppers aside.
- Cook Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Sauté diced onion for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Combine Filling: Add cooked quinoa, black beans, corn kernels, chopped spinach, diced tomato, tomato paste, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until spinach is wilted and filling is hot.
- Fill Peppers: Distribute the hot filling evenly among the prepared peppers. Top each with vegan shredded cheese if desired.
- Arrange and Cover: Place filled peppers upright into the baking dish. Replace pepper tops as lids.
- Bake Peppers: Cover dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until peppers are softened and cheese is melted.
- Cool and Serve: Allow peppers to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Feel free to mix in other vegetables such as zucchini or carrots to the filling.
- These peppers can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator before baking.
- Adjust the spices according to your heat preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pepper
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg