Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Italian Vegan Stuffed Peppers features a colorful mix of veggies, flavorful herbs, and protein-rich tempeh for a hearty and delicious lunch, dinner, or meal prep idea!
Meet my new favorite stuffed peppers recipe – not that these Tex-Mex Quinoa Stuffed Peppers aren’t great too. We just needed another variation!
Colorful and nutritious, Italian stuffed peppers are loaded with colorful veggies, chunky tempeh, hearty rice, and tossed with tomato sauce for an easy meal that’s 100% delicious!
Why We Love This Recipe!
- Nothing fancy or complicated, just pantry staples and easily accessible veggies.
- Great vegan comfort food that’s healthy, flavorful, and gluten-free.
- It can be made ahead and perfect for weekly meal prep.
- It’s perfect for everyday dining and can also be served on special occasions!
I sure hope this inspires you to gather your ingredients and get these stuffed peppers on your plate. I know you’re going to love them as much as we do!
Ingredient Notes
This Italian inspired stuffed peppers recipe uses a few easily accessible vegetables and pantry staples including:
- Bell Peppers: The best and easiest peppers for stuffing are large and round with a stable bottom so the peppers can stand on their own. My favorites are red peppers with their sweet flavor, but zesty green peppers are great too. Use your favorite!
- Tempeh: This lean soy protein has a mild nutty flavor and takes on the sauce and herb flavors perfectly. I love to crumble tempeh into large chunky pieces, making it super ‘meaty’ and hearty! You can find tempeh by the tofu in your local grocery store. If you don’t want to use 2 packages, sub one of them with a can of white beans instead.
- Vegetables: Zucchini, squash, and mushrooms are a perfect mix of veggies. Feel free to add a handful of baby spinach to the mix.
- Rice: I just happen to have tons of regular rice on hand, so that’s what I used. Feel free to use brown rice, quinoa, or even farro. For a low-carb option, make these Italian vegan stuffed peppers without rice using cauliflower rice instead.
- Canned Tomato Sauce: This pantry staple makes the inside of your peppers tender, adding just enough moisture for a little juiciness.
- Herbs: I’ve used dried basil and oregano in this recipe. Feel free to use an Italian seasoning blend if you have it on hand.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes add just a touch of spicy heat. Feel free to add more!
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh parsley adds a nice herbaceousness and brightness to the stuffed pepper mix and when serving. Fresh basil and/or oregano would be great too!
- Vegan Cheese: My favorite is Miyoko’s Mozzarella. It’s pretty soft and not the easiest cheese to grate finely, but it’s delicious nonetheless. I find the more, the better. :) Use your favorite vegan cheese. Even a sprinkle of homemade Almond Parmesan before serving is a great way to add an unprocessed cheesy flavor!
How To Make Vegan Stuffed Peppers
You’re going to love how easy it is to make this casual and flavorful dish!
- Start by slicing the very tops of each pepper off, and arrange them cut-side up in a baking dish that’s been lightly coated with oil. This recipe yields 6 whole peppers. Depending on the size of your peppers, you can use a square or rectangular baking dish.
- Next, cook your onion, garlic, and tempeh together in a skillet over medium heat until tempeh is lightly browned and onions soft and tender (shown above). Add the zucchini, squash, mushrooms, herbs, and tomato sauce and cook for 2 minutes or so (all those delicious flavors will start blending).
- Stir in the rice and remove from heat.
- Fill each pepper with the delicious mixture, making sure to pack each pepper well for the ultimate hefty and hearty stuffed peppers!
- Add a sprinkle of cheese on each pepper (optional), cover, and bake the peppers for 35 – 40 minutes at 350 – 375 degrees F. Remove the cover and continue cooking for 5 – 10 minutes (this helps the vegan cheese melt a little more).
And now you’re ready to eat – sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes and enjoy to the fullest!
How To Store Stuffed Peppers
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days.
- Freezer: To keep longer, store stuffed peppers in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, simply let peppers cool completely and store them in freezer-safe containers. Let thaw before reheating.
- Reheat: To reheat you can use the oven or microwave. For the oven, place the peppers in a baking dish and warm at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. To warm in the microwave, first slice the peppers into quarters lengthwise to ensure that they warm evenly, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, checking after every 30 seconds until warmed through.
More Easy Vegan Dinner Ideas!
- 30 Minute Easy Portobello Fajitas
- Tex-Mex Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Spinach & Ricotta Vegan Stuffed Shells
- Ultimate Tempeh Chili
- See all Easy Vegan Recipes on TSV!
If you try this healthy stuffed pepper recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintItalian Vegan Stuffed Peppers
Vegan Stuffed Peppers features a flavorful mix of veggies, herbs, and protein-rich tempeh for a hearty and delicious lunch, dinner, or meal prep idea!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, Italian
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers (any color), top cut off and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 – 4 cloves garlic, mined
- 2 (8oz) packages tempeh, crumbled
- 1 cup zucchini, diced
- 1 cup yellow squash, diced
- 8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- generous pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 can (14oz.) tomato sauce
- 1 cup cooked rice
- mineral salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute: In a large skillet, heat oil/water over medium heat, add onion, garlic and crumbled tempeh, saute for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, parsley, salt and pepper, and tomato sauce, cook for 2 minutes or so. Add rice and mix to combine. Remove from heat.
Stuff bell peppers: Fill each bell pepper with vegetable mixture, making sure to pack it well. These are hefty stuffed bell peppers. Sprinkle with optional vegan shredded cheese. Cover with lid or tin foil.
Bake: Place dish on the center rake and bake for 35 – 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 5 – 10 more minutes. Cooking times vary, adjust to suit your needs.
Once done, let cool a few minutes and serve with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.
Serves 6, 1 bell pepper per person.
Store: Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days. To keep longer store vegan stuffed peppers in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, simply let peppers cool completely and store them in freezer-safe containers. Let thaw before reheating.
Notes
Add in a handful of fresh baby spinach with the vegetables for variation.
Use your grain of choice. For gluten free, stick with rice or quinoa. For low-carb option, use cauliflower rice.
If you don’t care to use 2 packages of tempeh, add in 1 can of white beans (drained and rinsed) with the vegetables.
To Reheat: Reheat in the oven or microwave. For the oven, place the peppers in a baking dish and warm at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. To warm in microwave, first slice the peppers into quarters lengthwise to ensure that they warm evenly, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, checking after every 30 seconds until warmed through.
FOLLOW TSV on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or RSS for more updates and inspiration!
We love these! I’ve had luck grilling the peppers as well.
Love that idea! Thanks for sharing, Curtis!
From A Non-Cook: Easy to make and tasted Good, I was quite impressed. I will make again. TIP: use big delicious organic peppers, I included 2 smaller green and NOT as delicious as the organic red. Also, my Favorite Marinara is RAOs, I used instead of tomato sauce. Thanks for a Good tasting & easy for me recipe, I’m looking forward to eating the leftovers.
So glad you enjoyed the stuffed peppers, Doreen! Thanks for sharing!
These are delicious and will be made often!
I’m a little embarrassed to leave a review because I made so many changes based on what I had at home but this is so delicious and flexible. I used plant-based sausage instead of the squash & mushrooms (because I didn’t have any on hand) and 1 can of Great Northern beans. I made a quick tomato sauce in the Vitamix using a can of tomatoes & tomato paste and it all came together wonderfully with the rice and seasonings. So nice to find a vegan version since my daughter and I are both lactose intolerant.
I love that you were able to pull something together with what you had on hand that turned out so well! That’s why I love this recipe, it’s easy to change up with little fuss. Thanks for sharing the inspiration, Elizabeth!
I would love to make this tomorrow. Sounds absolutely perfect! Just one question – you don’t add any liquid to the baking dish? Just put them in a dry pot? It seems unusual. I am used to making tomato based sauce and pour it over the peppers. Please let me know. Thanks!
Great question, Julia! My recipe doesn’t call for any sauce added to the bottom of the pan. But that does sound delicious! If you’d like to add a cup of pasta sauce to the bottom of the pan and some overtop your peppers, that will work great too. Thanks for the inspiration!
I didn’t make this, but my friend did. I was so impressed! I haven’t had stuffed peppers since going vegan in 2005. I enjoyed the orange bell peppers best. She used the quinoa option, which was also a big hit. These were amazeballs.
I’m going to print the recipe and try it myself. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Char! Hope you enjoy the recipe often! :)
Really, really, really good! Made exactly as written.
Great recipe!! Loved the Tempeh which was new for me , made them with one package Tempeh and half package of silken Tofu !! Amazing flavor 😋
Andrea
Super easy, healthy and delicious 😋 also so easy to customize to your taste. Prep was easy, cooking was the longest but it turned out awesome 👌 and makes several meals.
This was PHENOMENAL!! my boyfriend who isn’t necessarily Vegan but only eats what I make(vegan dishes lol) said he couldn’t even tell this was vegan and that I could make this for people who aren’t vegan and they wouldn’t be able to tell! I too thought it was just as good as normal stuffed peppers! Thank you so much for this recipe! It lacked nothing and is going into our meal rotation!