I absolutely love roasted red peppers. There’s something about charring them on the grill that just amps up their flavor and juiciness. This recipe celebrates the roasted red pepper in the best way — by stuffing it with equally delicious ingredients!
The first time I made this recipe was also the first time I had ever made stuffed peppers. The concept of stuffing anything sounded super fancy to me, like something beyond my reach as a newbie cook. But to my surprise, it was so easy to make! Peppers hold their shape fairly well even when they are cooked, so stuffing them is no problem at all.
The black beans, quinoa, veggies and cheese give the filling a wonderful texture, and the creamy avocado lime sauce adds a satisfying decadence when you dig into these peppers. The best part: you can enjoy one entire stuffed pepper for under 500 calories! It’s so delicious, you won’t believe it’s actually good for you.
Nutritional Info Per Serving: 480 Calories, 16g Fat (4.6g Saturated), 659.9mg Sodium, 71.4g Carbs, 17.9g Fiber, 8.3g Sugar, 20.1g Protein
Ingredients
- 4 large Red Bell Peppers, roasted
- 2 cups Quinoa, cooked
- 1 15 oz can Black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 8 oz can corn rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup Tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup fat free Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Salt (add more to taste if needed)
- 1/2 - 1 tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste if needed - depending on how spicy you want the filling to be)
- 1 Avocado, ripe
- 2 Limes, juiced
- 1 heaping tbsp Fat Free Sour Cream
- dash of salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Roast bell peppers: you can roast them on the grill or in the oven. I roasted mine in my oven under the broiler. I pre-heated the oven to 375 degrees, and then broiled the peppers on high for a few minutes until the skin was blistery/starting to blacken, and then I turned them over and broiled them on high for another few minutes until the other side was done.
- Cut off the top of the pepper (save for garnish) and scoop out the insides, and the seeds and discard.
- Combine all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Spoon into bell peppers.
- Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 3 minutes. Enjoy with avocado lime sauce.
- Chop Avocado, juice limes: combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
TAGS: entrees, gluten-free, mexican recipes, vegetarian
Overall, this is very tasty. However, I cannot imagine that 1TBSP is the right amount of salt for the filling. This should likely be 1 TSP, right? Against my better judgement, I added all the recommended salt.
Thank GOD I am a salt aholic, because it is almost too salty to be edible for me… which means inedible for most people.
Omg THANK YOU for the catch!! So sorry the recipe originally read 1 Tbsp – you are right, that is way too much salt. I changed it to 1 tsp which is the correct amount, and added a note that you can add more salt to taste if you like 🙂 Thanks again, and glad you enjoyed the recipe despite the addition of salt!
Can you list the nutritional information for these? They look great!
Hi Michaela! I just updated the recipe with nutritional information 🙂 Hope that helps! Let me know how you like it!
Hi Anjali – These look wonderful. I have never been a big fan of stuffed peppers, but I have only ever had the “grren peppers stuffed with ground beef” variety. These look so much better. I am pinning so I can try them soon.
Thank you so much Gaye! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe – I’m sure you will love it!
I wish I had seen this yesterday 🙁 I made quinoa and ground turkey stuffed peppers (also with black beans) last night. It’s my go-to stuffed pepper recipe, but this would have been a fun change, it looks delicious! Next time!
Aw! Well you are right, there is always next time 🙂 Keep me posted on how this turns out for you!
Should I cook 2 cups of dry quinoa, or cook 1/2 cup of quinoa so I end up with 2 cups of cooked quinoa?
Great question Isabel! You want 2 cups of cooked quinoa, so you should start with 1/2 cup dry. Hope that helps!
Interesting recipe! I’ve never tasted bell peppers made this way. Maybe I’ll give it a try! Thanks for sharing the recipe and nutritional info. 🙂
Thanks Howie! Hope you like this recipe when you try it!
wow I love this dish. I cook it at home at least once a season.
Oh that’s so great! Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you Anjali for sharing the recipe. It looks delicious!
Dany Alex
Thanks so much! Enjoy!
These look sooo tasty Anjali! Is there a best way to keep these if you make extra, or are they more an ‘eat straight away’ kind of dish? Thanks!
Thanks!! So with the avocado lime sauce and the roasted peppers, you should eat those as soon as you make them. The filling will last — so you could make a bunch of filling ahead of time, and then just roast the peppers/stuff them and make the sauce on the day of! Hope that helps!
Wow this looks awesome! I am always looking for a new way to use quinoa.
Thanks Margaret!! I can’t wait to hear how you like this recipe when you try it at home! 🙂
I think my friends would love these for our dinner tomorrow–and that avocado lime sauce! Most definitely on my radar. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe, lovin’ it!
Oh awesome!! Can’t wait to hear how you guys like it Ala!
Anjali, This recipe looks awesome. As fellow IIN graduates we are constantly looking for new info and recipes to forward on to our clients. We will definitely be sharing your recicipes and blog.
Thanks!!
The 2 Chix
Thanks so much!! Can’t wait to hear how you like it – and thanks for sharing my recipes / my blog with your clients! 🙂
Planning on making this soon!! Is the avocado lime sauce included in the calorie count?
Yup it is! Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!
[…] Black Bean and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Avocado Lime Sauce. An easy way to make a fancy dish. At under 500 calories for an entire meal, you will not be […]