These No-Bake Plant-Based Stuffed Peppers are hearty and filling yet cool and refreshing. A great meal all without turning on the oven!
Ahhh stuffed peppers: the classic summer meal that makes literally no sense. Let's use bell peppers, which are at peak season in the heat of summer, in a recipe where we need the oven. Um, no thanks. I'd prefer to keep my oven off when its 90+ degrees outside. The humidity created enough heat in my house, I don't need the oven running too.
Not trying to complain or anything. I recognize that I'm very privileged to even have an oven to use. BUT when I can make a delicious summer recipe without turning on the oven, I definitely will. And these No-Bake Plant-Based Stuffed Peppers completely fit the bill!
They're no-bake. Yup -- no oven required. You'll need to use the stove for about 10 minutes, but other than that, you don't even need to do any cooking!
They're plant-based. All the ingredients are whole foods and completely vegan (just like all my recipes!). The ingredients are nutrient-dense and good-for-you.
They're oil-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free. My No-Bake Plant-Based stuffed peppers are a-lot-of-things-free. As always there's no bad stuff, only real foods that are actually healthy.
They're delicious! (Had to throw that one in there.) I wouldn't share the recipe with you if it wasn't something I would (and do) eat for dinner myself.
Let's dig into the recipe!
Since these are no-bake stuffed peppers, the pepper is the easiest part: it's just a raw pepper. I love the crunch of raw peppers. And they complement the rest of the dish perfectly. I used Hungarian peppers for this recipe because they're my favorite, but you can use any kind of pepper you want. Bell peppers would be great in this dish!
It's not really stuffing. I wanted to call it 'meat' sauce but since there's no meat, it's not really meat sauce either. It's actually more delicious than meat sauce. It's crumbled tempeh with diced tomato, molasses, vinegar, and a bunch of spices.
Because of the tempeh, the filling takes on a meaty texture, perfectly reminiscent of 'traditional' stuffed pepper filling. But, of course, it's way healthier. AND it still has tons of protein!
Okay. It's not really cheese. But it's basically cheese. It's vegan queso! Seriously, yum. Just blend some cashews, nutritional yeast, and spices and you've got yourself a thick, creamy, cheesy spread that you could eat with a spoon. (I may or may not speak from experience.)
Making these stuffed peppers is pretty simple, though it will take a bit of prep work.
First, you'll need to soak the cashews for the cheese. Boil some water and let raw cashews soak for an hour or so. This helps them get soft so they blend easily.
If you want, you can make the queso ahead of time, but if you want to make it as you make the rest of the recipe, make the filling while the cashews soak. Crumble the tempeh, mix it with the spices, and saute in a non-stick pan for about 10 minutes.
When the cashews are done soaking, drain them and then blend them with fresh water, nutritional yeast, and spices.
To assemble, cut the top off of a pepper and slice it in half. Then spoon some of the filling into the pepper half. Finally dollop some queso on top. Done! Enjoy.
Jesus, thank you for gracing us with the means and ability to cook and to be able to choose if we want to use our ovens or not. Let us enjoy this food. Amen.
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These No-Bake Plant-Based Stuffed Peppers are hearty and filling yet cool and refreshing. A great meal all without turning on the oven!
*If you want to make the queso ahead of time, soak the cashews and follow the queso instructions as written. Store in the fridge until you prepare the filling.
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At Elizabeth's Table I bring you easy and nutritious, plant-based recipes, explore the relationship between food and faith, and share my unique lifestyle.
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