Cooked Quinoa Filled Bell Peppers in a Slower Oven
Easy and Delicious Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers are just what you need for a hearty, healthy Sunday dinner. This recipe is a result of countless burnt and undercooked attempts, but now it's just right. The peppers are tender, the quinoa keeps it nutritious, the feta gives it a rich taste, and the beans add substance. These peppers are sure to convince your partner that you've got cooking skills to keep them satisfied. Here's how to make it:
- Serves: 4
- Difficulty: Simple
- Total Time: 4 hrs (with 45 mins active time)
Ingredients (8)
- 1 can (15 oz) of white beans
- 4 large red bell peppers
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 scallions
- Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the beans. Slice the scallions, separating whites from greens.
- Trim the bottoms of the peppers so they stand upright in the slow cooker. Remove the tops, seeds, and white veins. Dice the pepper tops and reserve.
- Mix diced pepper tops, quinoa, feta, beans, scallion whites, salt, and black pepper in a bowl.
- Stuff the mixture into the peppers and arrange them in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Peeling the skin off the peppers is optional, but they're easier to eat without it. Sprinkle the peppers with the scallion greens and serve with hot sauce if desired.
Fun Fact: Quinoa is native to the Andean region of South America and has been eaten for over 5,000 years. It is actually a grain-like seed that is rich in protein, fiber, and minerals.
Trivia: The bell peppers are named after the bells used to signify the number of divisions inside the fruit. The colors (red, yellow, orange, green) represent different levels of ripeness, with green peppers being unripe.
Pro Tip: For added flavor, sauté the scallions and garlic before combining them with the other ingredients. To make the dish spicy, add red pepper flakes to the quinoa mixture.
- Swap out the quinoa for couscous made from semolina in this recipe to try a new twist on stuffed peppers.
- If you're looking for a nutrient-packed side dish, consider serving these cooked peppers alongside a plate piled high with mixed greens and a variety of colorful raw bell peppers.
- For an entirely vegan version of this Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers recipe, replace the feta cheese with vegan feta or chopped olives, and use vegetable broth instead of salt and black pepper.
