Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Vegetarian stuffed peppers are a colorful and nutritious dish. Here is the recipe to prepare this tasty dish.

Ingredients

• 4 large peppers (red, yellow, or green)
• 200 g of brown rice or cooked quinoa
• 100 g of goat cheese or feta (optional for vegans)
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium carrot
• 100 g of champignon mushrooms
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Chopped fresh basil
• 30 g of pine nuts or chopped walnuts (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Wash the peppers, cut the tops off to create a “lid” and remove the seeds and inner membranes. Set aside both the peppers and the lids.
3. Clean and dice the zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, and onion into small cubes. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and finely chop the garlic.
4. In a large pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute without burning it.
5. Add the zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms to the pan. Cook while stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften.
6. Add the cooked rice or quinoa to the pan with the vegetables, then incorporate the cherry tomatoes, parsley, basil, pine nuts or walnuts, salt, and pepper. If you wish, also add the diced or crumbled cheese. Stir well to combine the ingredients.
7. Fill the peppers with the rice and vegetable mixture, pressing down lightly to compact the filling. Cover each pepper with its “lid”.
8. Arrange the peppers in a baking dish lightly greased with oil and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the filling is hot.
9. Serve the stuffed peppers hot or at room temperature, as desired.

Curiosity

Peppers are originally from the Americas but were quickly integrated into Mediterranean cuisine after the discovery of the New World. They are rich in Vitamin C, especially the red peppers, and add a vibrant touch of color to dishes. In Italy, stuffed peppers are a classic of home cooking and each region has its own variant, sometimes enriched with ground meat, rice, cheese, and other vegetables.