Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Sweet peppers baked until soft, filled with quinoa, beans, sweetcorn, and tomato under melted cheese

Origin: United States

From the journey of Quinoa.

Quinoa-stuffed peppers are a staple of the modern American vegetarian table, a wholesome reinvention of the old stuffed-pepper tradition with the meat-and-rice filling replaced by protein-rich quinoa. Sweet bell peppers are halved or hollowed, filled with a savoury mixture of cooked quinoa, beans, sweetcorn, tomato, and spices, topped with cheese, and baked until the peppers slump and soften and the filling sets. It is colourful, satisfying, and naturally gluten-free, and it became a favourite of the health-conscious home cook as quinoa moved into the American mainstream. The dish nods, in its filling, to the flavours of the Americas that quinoa itself comes from: the quinoa, beans, sweetcorn, tomato, and chilli of the stuffing are all New World foods, a happy gathering of ingredients from the same hemisphere as the grain. It is a forgiving, generous dish, easily made vegan by leaving off the cheese, and easily varied with whatever vegetables and spices are to hand, which has made it a fixture of the weeknight repertoire and the make-ahead table. Like the power bowl and the breakfast porridge, it is a modern dish rather than a traditional one, but it is built on the genuine strengths of quinoa: a complete protein and a light, nutty grain that makes a filling substantial enough to stand as a meal in its own right.

Ingredients

Peppers

4 large bell peppers, halved and deseeded

Filling

150 g quinoa, rinsed thoroughly under cold water
300 ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
150 g sweetcorn
200 g chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh)

Topping

120 g cheese, grated (cheddar or a melting cheese)

Finish

salt, pepper, and chopped coriander

Method

Heat the oven to 190°C (fan). Rinse the quinoa, then simmer in the stock, covered, for about 15 minutes until the tails uncurl and the liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, soften the onion in the olive oil for 6 minutes, add the garlic and cumin and cook a minute, then stir in the beans, sweetcorn, and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
Fold the cooked quinoa through the bean mixture, season well with salt and pepper, and stir in half the cheese.
Set the pepper halves cut-side up in a baking dish and spoon the filling generously into each. Top with the remaining cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 12 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Scatter with coriander and serve hot, with a dollop of soured cream or a spoonful of salsa if you like.

Notes

Leave off the cheese, or use a plant-based cheese, for a vegan version. The filling can be varied endlessly: add chopped spinach, courgette, or chilli, or swap the black beans for kidney beans. Stuffed peppers reheat well, making them good for batch cooking.

The Gastrographer

Name: Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 4 large bell peppers, halved and deseeded; 150 g quinoa, rinsed thoroughly under cold water; 300 ml vegetable stock; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed; 150 g sweetcorn; 200 g chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh); 120 g cheese, grated (cheddar or a melting cheese); salt, pepper, and chopped coriander

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control