One of the things I initially found most challenging about eating more plant-based meals was actually feeling full.
I’ve always been a quantity eater. I’m not the girl who takes takes three bites of my salad, holds my stomach, and sighs, “Oof, can’t have one more bite. It’s too much.”
Nope. Give me those last two bites and your last two bites or else. I’m hangry.
The real issue was mental. I kept thinking, “How can I possibly get full and stay full on salads, rice, and beans?”
I’ll tell you how. If you eat enough rice and beans (and other vegan protein sources), throw in a ton of vegetables, and drink plenty of water, you’ll be too full to remember what food scarcity you were ever complaining about in the first place.
In my quest to create more hearty, plant-based meals, I started to learn what it took to feed my body well – in both quantity and nourishment.
Dishes like my Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes, Grillable Veggie Burgers, Roasted Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad, and Chickpea Shawarma Sandwiches began filling my plate, and over time, I realized meatless meals can fill me up.
My top tip for creating satiating plant-based meals is to combine several foods that are high in fiber and protein to keep you satisfied, and to create more texture in your dish. Instead of having just tofu, throw in some healthy brown rice and vegetables! Instead of having just black beans, throw in some plantains and peppers and corn tortillas! Instead of having just quinoa, add in some beans and bell peppers!
This recipe was born out of that idea. Knowing myself, a meal of pinto beans and rice isn’t exciting or filling enough for me. But when you throw in a poblano pepper (with tons of fiber and vitamins), and add a little avocado on top, I’m one satisfied eater. Let me show you how.
Origins of Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are enjoyed around the world- in places such as Spain, India, Tunisia, Hungary, Denmark, and more! In each of these places, they’re prepared with different ingredients and methods. You can learn more about the variations and history of stuffed peppers here.
Our recipe is a plant-based take on the concept, inspired by ingredients and flavors common in Mexican cuisine.
How to Make Stuffed Poblano Peppers
This recipe may look a little complex, but it’s actually quite simple. These stuffed poblano peppers require just 9 ingredients and easy-to-master methods.
It starts with brown rice, amplified in flavor by sautéed onion, cilantro, cumin, and salsa. Next comes pinto beans for added protein and fiber. Stuff all that goodness inside poblano peppers and bake until tender. That’s it!
Toppings are optional, but I’m kind of a sauce lover myself, so I went with more salsa, cilantro, and some of my favorite Cilantro Avocado Dressing. Mmm, dreamy.
I know you guys are going to LOVE this dish! It’s:
Hearty
Satisfying
Flavorful
Warm
Comforting
Subtly spiced
Healthy
& Easy to make
These stuffed poblano peppers are perfect for meat-eaters and vegans alike! This dish proves how simple and possible it is to get full and nourished on meatless meals.
If you do try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and snap picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see!
Lastly, if you have any tips or advice on what made your transition to eating more plant-based meals easier, share them below. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
RICE
- 12 cups water (yes, that much!)
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 medium white or yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup chunky red or green salsa (plus more for topping)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (plus more for serving)
PEPPERS
- 4 poblano peppers (skin on)
- 1 tsp avocado, olive or coconut oil
BEANS
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans (lightly drained // if unsalted, add additional salt)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- ~1 pinch sea salt (to taste)
FOR TOPPING optional
- Vegan Green Chili Queso
- Creamy Avocado Cilantro Dressing (using 1 whole avocado)
- Hot sauce
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced avocado
Instructions
- Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add rice and cook for 30 minutes. Then drain for 30 seconds, return to pot off of heat, and cover for 10 minutes*. Set aside.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to high broil and place a rack at the top of your oven.
- Lightly brush whole poblano peppers with oil. Place on a baking sheet and broil on high for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until lightly blistered (see photo).
- Turn oven off broil and preheat to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- Let peppers cool for a few minutes. Then peel away any blistered skin and use a paring knife to cut out the stem. Also cut a slit down one side of the pepper and use your hands or a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Set aside.
- Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
- Next add cooked rice, cumin, sea salt, salsa and cilantro. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- In a separate small saucepan over medium heat, add pinto beans and season with cumin and sea salt to taste. Once bubbly and hot, remove from heat and set aside.
- Place peppers in a lightly greased, large baking dish (9×13-inch is best as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and scoop generous amounts of the rice filling into each pepper using a spoon. Top with beans and a bit more salsa and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake peppers at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes uncovered. The longer they bake, the more tender the peppers will become.
- Let cool slightly before serving with desired toppings (see options above). Best when fresh, though leftovers keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350-degree F (174 C) oven until warmed through.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without additional toppings.
Elizabeth R says
It was delicious! Very healthy and tasty 😋 My husband loved it!
Yay! We’re so glad it was a hit in your house, Elizabeth. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
CC says
Great recipe. Added a layer of vegan cheese to the poblano before adding the stuffing. Extra creamy delicious!
Yum, that sounds extra amazing! Thank you for sharing, CC! xo
Kara says
The poblanos I used were a bit small so had extra filling. Paired it with the vegan queso and put it in a burrito! So good. As always I measured seasonings with my heart.
It takes about 1.5 hours to make start to finish. I used a rice cooker for the rice also.
Great idea to put it all in a burrito! Thank you for sharing, Kara! xo
Sandra says
Yummy! I want to try this with different salsas. I’m not sure I would classify this recipe as minimalist! This took more time to prep than expected and there were lots of dirty dishes. The end product was very good though. Ours were better the second night as they needed to cook more. I covered them and baked them quite a bit longer. We were starving the first night since it took me longer than I thought to prepare them or I would have popped them back in then. Loved the creamy avocado ciltantro dressing as well!
Do you think this rice cooking method would work with Jasmine rice too?
Thank you for sharing your honest experience, Sandra! Sorry to hear it was more complicated than expected. The pasta method for cooking rice works well with brown rice, but not white rice.
Patty PV says
Forgive me for using your recipe as a jumping-off point. I needed direction to navigate different ingredients: Anaheim and yellow bell pepper with mushroom farro and shredded cheese.
My beloved often grills peppers alongside protein – by the layers of flavor in these stuffed peppers really made them special.
Again, apologies for not following the directions, but I will continue to build on this delicious flavor palette!
Sounds delicious, Patty! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications. xo
Sabrina says
Delicious but I just used leftover rice from the fridge – idk what makes the other method so special. Used Anaheim peppers as oils t find any poblanos -man’s they worked great!
Hi Sabrina, thank you for sharing! The method we use to cook the rice in this recipe is similar to making pasta and in our experience yields the most fluffy rice.
W says
This was a bit more time consuming than billed and nearly devoid of flavor without a good sauce. I suggest cutting the rice in half or omitting entirely and replacing with tomatoes.
So sorry you didn’t enjoy it! This one is usually a reader favorite. Did you make any modifications?
Rachel says
All of my attempts at making roasted peppers have been bland and kind of disappointing up until today. This was super yummy!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Rachel!
amanda says
Really good! I added corn and used black beans, but otherwise followed the recipe. I used Poblanos from my garden, and since they were on the small size I used 8. This could be good as a layered dish too. No extra hot sauce needed as my poblanos were hot themselves! This could be prepped ahead and everyone enjoyed it.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Amanda!
MFontane says
very tasty! I modified the ingredients to add tempeh cubes that I steamed and broiled and and added to the veggies. also added some corn and peas. However: had to bake WAY longer than recipe advised. Ended up leaving them in the oven for approx 55 mins, which is the norm for stuffed peppers in my experience (not the recipe’s 30 mins). Anyway thanks for sharing this great vegan recipe!
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed it with a longer bake time.
Kaye says
really simple to make and really tasty, first time trying poblano peppers, I like to try new recipes,and glad i picked this one. The peppers have a great taste combined with the stuffing,really enjoyed thanks
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kaye! Thank you for sharing! xo
Adriana says
These stuffed poblanos are delicious. They are flavorful, healthy, and easy to make. A wonderful recipe for vegans and non-vegans! Will for sure make again. The addition of salsa is just perfect. Thank you.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Adriana! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Marie says
I made this last week with long sweet peppers from my CSA. I followed the rest of the recipe as written, leaving out the cilantro because I don’t care for it. Delicious, can’t wait to make it again!
Wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marie! Thank you for sharing! xo
Julia says
These are Delicious!! I do have a quick question:
I see that these are listed as not freezer friendly, but I have a lot of poblanos and would really like to freeze some variation of this. What would I need to do to make this recipe freezer-friendly, or is it even possible? Thanks so much!!
Hi Julia, admittedly we haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but we think the peppers would lose some of their structure. They would probably still taste good! Let us know if you try it!
Trisha says
I had 4 poblanos from my CSA basket I didn’t know what to do with, so of course I came here and found this. I happened to have some leftover cooked quinoa / bulgur grain mix , which speeded up prep. The stuffed peppers were so delicious, we stuffed ourselves with them!
Whenever I don’t know what’s for dinner, I come here and always find something fabulous and healthy to make with what I have in my fridge. If I don’t have all the exact ingredients, your recipes always adapt well to substitutions. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Trisha. We are so glad you enjoy our recipes! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Erin says
This was so frigging good!!! I wasn’t sure if the poblanos would be too spicy but they weren’t spicy at all. Absolutely loved this!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Erin! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sheila says
Absolutely delicious! The only change I made was to add the beans and their spices to the rice mixture to simplify, so so good this one will be on repeat!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Sheila. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Amanda says
Made this last night! It was good, but I next time I would mix the beans in with the rice just for simplicity’s sake. Once you char the peppers the recipe is a breeze.
Thanks for sharing, Amanda!
Roberta Wi says
As a 7 decade vegetarian, now vegan-ish, I would say that my secret to feeling satiated is Haas Avocado. In season, I use FL Avocados from my tree.
In my prime, daily I include 1 Avocado with a salad or fruit each day as they are so nutrient dense. Now that I am 77 and weight is creeping up, I limit to 1/2 Haas Avocado daily. I also use brown rice and lots of vitamins, herbs and minerals to keep prescription drug free.
Thanks for sharing your experience and tips, Roberta!
Jillian says
These are delicious! I made the recipe exactly as written. Even my picky meat eaters love them. I will continue to put this on the table.
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them, Jillian. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
KKKKatie says
I substituted pinto with black bean since that’s what I had. LOVE poblanos….get them in Mexico all the time, but found them here (Montreal) what a treat! for me this was missing some flavour. I added the cumin, also some chili powder that I buy in Mx and bring home. Also added garlic but still….added a bit of vinegar as thought it was missing a little acidity. Maybe I just messed it up, but it was satisfying anyway. Oh and used buckwheat and brown rice mixture. Sprinkled a little cheese over for the last 5 mins or so. Maybe next time I’d use veg broth or chicken, I know rendering it not vegan, but still added flavour. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for sharing your experience! Is it possible your salsa wasn’t flavorful? That’s our best guess!
Noyogirl says
Delicious and easy. I keep frozen brown rice on hand so it took no time to make.
Great idea! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Susan says
This was delicious and really easy to prepare! I received poblano peppers in my Misfits Market produce box and needed a recipe. I substituted farro for the rice. Will definitely make again. Thank you for another easy tasty and healthy recipe. The dish looks very impressive when you bring it to the table!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Susan! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Alana says
This was amazing! I made the rice, chopped the onion and cilantro, and roasted peppers earlier in the day so everything came together pretty quickly when it was time for dinner. The avocado dressing is a must!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Alana! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kjuth says
I have made this meal at least 10 times because I love it so much. I find the original recipe to be the best but I’m a busy mom of 2 littles (and a 3rd on the way) so I have substituted the rice for packaged Mexican rice and just chopped my own cilantro into it. It’s still incredibly delicious and super fast. My littles also prefer some grated cheese in theirs too.
I also have to recommend it with the creamy avocado cilantro dressing posted in the optional add ons- that is what makes this recipe 5 stars! Do *not* skip it :)
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Cindy says
Sorry, forgot to ask another question. Why use any oil to coat the pepper before roasting? I roast them on my gas stovetop just fine. Is there a reason for oil? I am whole food plant based which means no oils. Thank you.
The oil can be optional! Especially for peppers. Whereas things like potatoes and cauliflower can benefit from a little oil when roasting to keep them moist and not dried out.
Cindy says
Why the brown rice cooking method and not use a rice cooker? Thanks.
Both work! Do whichever works better/is more convenient for you.
Paul says
You end up with peppers so soft they can’t be stuffed. Skip the roasting step and cut the peppers raw. Put in the filling and bake. Had the instructions directed to do this it may have garnered a higher ranking.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the texture, Paul! We like the caramelization flavor that the broiling step provides, but feel free to skip, if preferred.
Carol says
Got poblanos in my misfit box today and made this recipe. I added mushrooms for some meatiness and it was a major hit. Being vegan it’s not always easy to feed carnivore guests but this is a perfect dish for company. Thank you
Gina says
I made these with Trader Joe’s quinoa because I was out of rice. They were delicious and so easy. I’m not much of a cook and have never made a stuffed pepper, but even impressed myself. ;) The avocado dressing was yummy!
Thanks for a great recipe!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Gina! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Mary Jones says
Sooo good – my carnivore husband couldn’t get enough! I subbed Anaheim peppers because my market didn’t have poblanos right now and sprinkled a little bit of mexican cheese on at the end of baking. The Avocado Cilantro dressing is a must!
YAY! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
Heather says
Really, really good! Super easy to play around with. We like really spicy food so I just added more cumin, some chilli powder and canned green chilies to the rice. Put beans right into rice mixture then stuffed the peppers. I like a filling hearty meal too and found this very satisfying. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Diane Levy says
My husband loved this! Said it was better than any restaurant. I only had two Poblano peppers but I made the full recipe and baked the extra rice in the dish with the peppers. I am sensitive to spicy food so I only used half of the salsa. I cleaned my pepper so that all seeds were removed and the membrane that the seeds were connected to it. I left some seeds in for my husband as he likes it spicy. He can’t live without cheese so at the last 15 minutes I placed sliced cheese on his pepper. I have a rice cooker so I cooked one cup of rice with four cups of water to make a softer rice. Looking forward to making it again.
Steve McKernan says
My wife and I love this recipe. I’ve made it probably 10 times, it is a bit fiddly
but well worth it. I like to put some MJ cheese before baking. This time I
seeded the peppers before giving them a char , way less messy.
Cheers!
Sarah says
I want to make this but my oven doesn’t have a broil function. Is that step necessary? Should I bake for longer instead? Thanks for your suggestions :)
Hmm, they won’t get that same roasty flavor! Do you have a gas stove or BBQ? You could try cooking them that way! If not, a cast-iron skillet on high heat might work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Hashmanis says
What a beautiful vegen pablano peppers! I love eggplants with a passion, so this dish is definitely something for me.
Alyssa says
Can I cook the brown rice in the rice cooker, or is the method in the recipe better ?
That will work!
Marni says
Absolutely love this recipe! I have made it a number of times and I am not vegan. I just simply love substituting healthy alternate recipe options in my life. I feel fortunate to have found your site. Tip: You can also char your peppers on you gas stovetop (if you have one), cool the peppers in a bowl covered in saran, & peel the char off with a paper towel.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Marni!
Marcelle says
Made this for the first time and my family and we all loved it! My teen daughter, my picky vegetarian who needs cheese on “everything” to ensure she likes it, cleaned her plate and asked seconds. She could commented that she would never add cheese as the flavor was perfect without. This will become a regular on our family menu. Thanks!
Dana says
Really yummy recipe! Filling and light at the same time, seasoned just right. Prep was pretty easy too! I was a little weirded out by the rice cooking method – I was concerned about the rice overcooking. So, I ended up reducing the heat to a simmer and removing it from the heat after about 20ish minutes and it turned out nice. I used jasmine brown rice. I also made this vegetarian by adding a little bit of shredded cheese. I’ll definitely be adding this to my regular rotation of recipes!
Melly says
I just made this and it turned out wonderfully. I topped it with my homemade salsa and a bit of grated cheddar cheese and it was scrumptious. Thank you.
Deb says
Hi, should the rice be covered or uncovered while it’s cooking? Thanks!
Uncovered! See our notes for clarification.
Deb says
Thanks! I made the recipe & it’s delish!
Pamela Feeney says
Your website is a godsend. I have made 3 of your recipes so far and myself and my meat loving hubby have loved each one of them. You have made going vegan SO much easier. Love love love!!
It makes our day to hear this, Pamela! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipes :D