Vegan Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Italian Vegan Stuffed Peppers with a hearty homemade filling of meaty, soy curls and all the classic spices of the most delicious Italian sausage. Fawning with flavor due to the fennel, paprika, red wine, parsley, and thyme, these bell peppers are everything. Easy to make, gluten free and crazy delicious.

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Whenever I get the idea to make an Italian dish, I drool over the thought of getting to use San Marzano tomatoes. If a tomato could ever be referred to as “melt-in-your-mouth,” these would be it.

They make vegan tomato sauce and vegan bolognese a temptrous of the highest order. That means these stuffed pepper don’t stand a chance at being average.

This recipe is basically a savory, Italian sausage filling that can be made as spicy or mild as you prefer. It’s made with my fave, meaty soy curls for a good dose of clean protein.

The fennel is not to be skipped for this recipe. It’s really what gives it that authentic Italian sausage flavor. It’s like using the “Beyond Meat” sausages, but actually healthier and better. Yup, I said it.

The Ingredients

• Aromatics: onion + garlic
• Soy Curls
• Red Wine
• San Marzano Tomatoes
• Italian herbs + spices: fennel, thyme, parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano
• Bell Peppers

How to Make Vegan Stuffed Peppers Filling

1. Prep – Soak, wring, and chop the soy curls.
2. Saute – Saute the onions in a bit of oil, followed by the pepper flakes and fennel, and finish with the garlic.
3. Simmer – Add the chopped soy curls and red wine. Simmer until wine is gone.
4. Thicken – Add in the tomatoes, herbs, and spices. Cover and simmer until thickened.
5. Bake – Slice the bell peppers in half and place the filling inside each one. Bake for 45 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Enjoy!

What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers

When it comes to delicious Italian dinners like these peppers, there are so many wonderful sides to choose from. Of course, your sides should always be something that compliments the dish well and doesn’t overshadow it. Like a small peck on the cheek. With this in mind, I often go for a drizzle of cashew cream, a dollop of vegan cashew ricotta cheese, a sprinkle of vegan mozzarella cheese, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, homemade bread, potato flatbread, or Italian dinner rolls.

FAQ:

• How Long To Bake Vegan Stuffed Peppers? I bake mine, covered, for 45 minutes at 375 degrees, then uncover them and cook for another 15 minutes. Keep in mind that the filling is already cooked so as soon as the  bell peppers are soft enough for your liking you can take them out.
• Can I add rice or lentils to the filling? You can, just make sure they are already cooked and don’t overdo it. I like it better with just the soy curl filling in this particular style and maybe a handful of cooked farro, just not too much.
• Can I use cherry or banana peppers instead of bell peppers? Any pepper works here really. The bell peppers are faster and easier to work with, in my opinion.
• Are soy curls good for you? Yes they are technically a whole food. They are generally made from non-gmo, pesticide free whole soy beans. They do not contain any preservatives or additives and are a great source of nutrients such as protein, iron, and potassium. (Buy soy curls here).
• How to Store Stuffed Peppers – Place in a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To store in the freezer, place in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

More Vegan Dinner Recipes:

• Vegan Ramen Bowl
• Vegan Fried Chicken
• Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole
• Mushroom Farro Risotto
• Potato Pizza

5 from 4 votes

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Italian Vegan Stuffed Peppers with a hearty homemade filling of meaty, soy curls and all the classic spices of the most delicious Italian sausage. Fawning with flavor due to the fennel, paprika, red wine, parsley, and thyme, these bell peppers are everything. 

Print Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Soaking the Soy Curls:20 minutes mins

Total Time:2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers
• 2 cups soy curls
• 1 onion diced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
• 1 Tbsp fennel seeds must use
• 1/2 Tbsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1-2 tsp dry oregano
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup Italian parsley roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup vegan red wine
• 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes (crushed with your hands)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Filling

• Soak the soy curls in hot water for 20 minutes until rehydrated. Drain and use your hands to wring out any excess water. Transfer to a food processor or use a sharp knife to chop them until they have the texture of ground meat. Set aside.
• Preheat a heavy bottom pot over medium low heat and saute the onion in a light drizzle of olive oil until translucent (use a splash of water for WFPB + Plantricious compliance).
• Stir in the red pepper flakes and fennel seeds and toast for a couple of minutes until you can smell the fennel. Add the garlic and cook just until the garlic is fragrant taking care not to burn it.
• Add the soy curls and stir in the red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the wine has been absorbed.
• Add in the crushed San Marzano tomatoes, thyme, oregano, paprika, onion and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer and cook covered on medium low heat for 45 minutes until the filling is nice and thick. Stir often.
• Season the sauce to your taste with sea salt and black pepper. Discard the thyme sprigs.

Stuff the Peppers

• Cut the bell peppers in half through the core. Discard the seeds and the core.
• Use a spoon and fill each bell pepper half with the Italian sausage filling.
• Transfer any leftover filling to a 9x13 inch baking dish together with 1/4 cup veggie stock or water. Mix to combine. Place the stuffed peppers on top and cover with an oven safe lid or aluminum foil.
• Preheat your oven to 375”F and bake the stuffed peppers for 45 minutes. Remove the lid/ foil and cook another 15 minutes until the peppers are soft to your liking.
• Serve hot with a drizzle of cashew cream, vegan sour cream, fresh herbs and some crusty bread.

Notes

• Note worthy: The filling is enough to stuff 4 regular size bell peppers and still have a little leftover to spread in the bottom of the pan. 

• How Long To Bake Stuffed Peppers? I bake mine, covered, for 45 minutes at 375 degrees, then uncover them and cook for another 15 minutes. Keep in mind that the filling is already cooked so as soon as the  bell peppers are soft enough for your liking you can take them out.

• Can I add rice or lentils to the filling? You can, just make sure they are already cooked and don’t overdo it. I like it better with just the soy curl filling in this particular style and maybe a handful of cooked farro, just not too much.

• Can I use cherry or banana peppers instead of bell peppers? Any pepper works here really. The bell peppers are faster and easier to work with, in my opinion.

• Storage - Place the cooked peppers in a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To store in the freezer, place in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 1060mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 5210IU | Vitamin C: 185mg | Calcium: 292mg | Iron: 10mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: plant based, soy curls, stuffed peppers, vegan,

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 324kcal

Author: Florentina

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