Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers With Lentils
This vegetarian stuffed peppers recipe is a spin on my stuffed peppers with ground turkey. You get lentils and rice, a saucy tomato base, and a layer of gooey melted cheese to finish things off. Delicious, and totally worth making.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP avocado oil, divided
- 4 large bell peppers, cut into halves and gutted
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups cooked green or brown lentils You can use a 15 oz can, drained; OR 1 cup of dried lentils prepared as per the directions on the package.
- 1 cup cooked rice I love using basmati rice in this recipe; you could use any rice you like.
- 1 cup sliced black olives (optional)
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
- Sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the peppers in half and gut them. Brush each half with oil, then place them facing downward. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re tender and lightly blistered.
- Remove them from the oven and set them aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and onions, and sauté until tender—about 5-7 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Stir in the lentils, cooked rice, diced tomatoes, and black olives. Simmer for a few minutes, just to warm everything through.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Finally, add the tomato sauce and bring it to a low simmer, then remove the skillet from the heat.
- Scoop the filling into the roasted peppers, then top each pepper with cheese.
- Preheat the broiler to high.
- Transfer the peppers to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling. This could take anywhere from 2-5 minutes, depending on your broiler, so keep a close eye on them to prevent them from burning.
- When the cheese has melted, remove the peppers from the oven, garnish with fresh parsley or basil, and serve.
Notes
The cook time includes time to cook the rice. If you make your rice a day in advance, the cooking time will be shorter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g
