EASY VEGETARIAN STUFFED PEPPERS!

Step 1: Make the homemade tomato sauce by cooking chopped onion and garlic in vegetable oil.

Add canned San Marzano tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, basil, and red wine. Cook on low for 20 minutes.

Remove basil and bay leaves, then season with kosher salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.

Step 2: Cook quinoa by bringing 1.5 cups of water to a boil in a small pot.

Add 1 cup of quinoa, stir, cover, reduce to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Set aside when done.

Step 3: Prepare the bell peppers by cutting off the tops about half an inch down and removing seeds and ribs.

Chop additional veggies: celery, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, sweet potato, carrot, onion, and garlic.

Step 4: Sauté the harder veggies in a large skillet over moderate-high heat with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Add half a chopped white onion and 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic, sauté until translucent.

Add 2 ribs of chopped celery and 1 cup of chopped mushrooms, sauté until tender.

Add 1 peeled and diced carrot and 1 small peeled and diced sweet potato, sauté for 5-10 minutes until just tender.

Step 5: Combine the cooked quinoa and prepped veggies in a large bowl.

Add 1 cup of cooked quinoa, a handful of chopped asparagus, a handful of green beans, 1 diced small zucchini, and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil. Stir together.

Add the sautéed veggies, season with kosher salt and black pepper, and adjust seasoning to taste.

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and choose an oven-safe baking dish.

Spoon some tomato sauce into the bottom of the dish, stuff each pepper with the filling, packing it down firmly.

Top each stuffed pepper with a mound of filling, place them in the baking dish, and repeat for all peppers.

Spoon tomato sauce over each pepper and place the tops back on. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an additional 15 minutes of baking.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary