Hands down the best vegetarian stuffed peppers recipe ever, easy, hearty and healthy made with wild mushrooms and arborio risotto rice Italian style. Cooked in a San Marzano tomato sauce, can be finished on the stove top, in the oven or even your crock pot.
You guys, I’m just here to talk about what is the best stuffed peppers recipe of all time! I swear on my saffron, they are irresistible!
I totally realize the thermometer shows like 95”F outside, but seriously, who doesn’t love good comfort food regardless of the weather ? And is there anything out there that even comes close to a home cooked meal like this? Me thinks not!
What makes this the Best Stuffed Peppers ?
- the different color bell peppers are loaded with sweet flavors and nutrition.
- can be made 100% plant based, vegan, stuffed with flavorful wild mushrooms. instead of the more traditional ground chicken, beef, sausage or pork filling I used to make for the BatMan before.
- they are cooked in the tastiest broth/ sauce, made with San Marzano tomatoes and organic vegetable stock. The best way to cook stuffed peppers truly is in all that flavorful tomato sauce.
- they are super easy to make, gluten free and can be prepared a couple of days in advance.
- a pot of these peppers will feed and satisfy the hunger of 7 or 8 adults. Depending on how many you can really fit in your pot of course. You have a big dutch oven right ?
- swap the risotto rice for quinoa, couscous, barley or quick cook brown rice.
I could try and describe more in depth the magical combination of flavors going on in these peppers, but honestly i wouldn’t do it any justice. You’ll just have to make them yourself!
This is the best and only vegetarian stuffed peppers recipe you need! Make it your own!
If you like lots of sauce in your bowl, just add more liquid and cook this recipe more like a tomato stuffed pepper soup.
What to serve with stuffed peppers?
- a nice drizzle of organic sour cream or creamy greek yogurt.
- lots of Italian ciabatta or homemade crusty bread. Bread is everything!
- mushroom bruschetta!
Hands down the best stuffed peppers recipe, easy and healthy made with mushrooms and risotto rice instead of ground chicken or meat, cooked Italian style in a San Marzano tomato sauce.
- 7-8 medium size bell peppers mixed colors
- 3/4 cup risotto rice
- 1 lb wild mushrooms
- 1 medium onion -diced
- 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 8 sprigs thyme -leaves only
- 8 sprigs thyme -whole
- 1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- black pepper -to taste
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 28 oz canned San Marzano tomatoes -whole in tomato puree
- 1/2 qt vegetable stock -seasoned to taste
- 3 leaves bay
- 1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt (optional)
- Optional: thyme blossoms for garnish
- Preheat your oven to 375" F.
- Rinse the peppers and cut the tops and empty the seeds and membrane. Reserve the clean tops also, you’ll need to place them back on top after you fill the peppers.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add a layer with juices to the bottom of a large enameled cast iron pan.
In a large saute pan heat up the olive oil and saute the onion with a pinch of sea salt until softened and translucent. Add the rice, stir and let cook together for about 5 min. Mix in the mushrooms ( or ground chicken If using meat) and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme leaves, parsley, 1 tsp sea salt, pepper and paprika and mix well together. Cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms start to soften a bit and remove from heat.
Stuff each pepper with the rice mixture ¾ of the way up (very important not to over stuff them). Put the tops back on, just to make sure the stuffing will stay inside..
Arrange the peppers in the heavy bottom sauce pan on top of the tomato layer. Pour in the stock and the remaining crushed tomatoes making sure it comes all the way up the sides of the peppers.
- Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs and transfer the pot to the preheated 375 degrees oven for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the lid and allow the peppers to cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot of stuffed peppers from the oven very carefully and allow it to sit covered for 10 min before serving.
- Serve with a drizzle of sour cream and garnished with fresh parsley and thyme.
- Follow the recipe above and add the peppers to a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 -8 hours or until tender and the rice is cooked through.
1. Serve the stuffed peppers warm surrounded by the broth they were cooked in and drizzled with sour cream or greek yogurt.
2. If you happen to have any chicken and rice mixture leftover, just spoon it in the pot around the peppers to cook together.
You’ll Also Love:
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken In White Wine Sauce
Easy Chicken Stew
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet
July 21, 2016 at 6:23 amI love how you used risotto in these stuffed peppers! Looks delicious!
Meg @ With Salt and Wit
July 21, 2016 at 7:01 amWow! These look amazing! I want them for dinner today!
Amanda | The Chunky Chef
July 21, 2016 at 9:22 amI love how easy and yummy these peppers look!!
Igor @ Cooking The Globe
July 21, 2016 at 2:43 pmI grew up with stuffed peppers, so they bring back many amazing memories. Yours look fantastic!
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy
July 21, 2016 at 6:11 pmThere is no doubt that this is a great recipe! Looks so flavorful and delicious, my mouth is watering just looking at the pictures.
Florentina
July 22, 2016 at 11:12 amThanks Neli, hope you try them. I’m about to make a vegetarian batch of peppers just stuffed with wild mushrooms and rice. i’m so excited! ~ Florentina
Katerina @ Diethood
July 22, 2016 at 12:16 pmI love stuffed peppers, and these are fab!! I have yet to use ground chicken in peppers, but now I’m definitely going to give that a try.
Florentina
July 22, 2016 at 8:02 pmOh yes, ground chicken in stuffed peppers is the best. Just make sure to use ground dark meat so it doesn’t dry out.
Cathy Trochelman
July 22, 2016 at 1:39 pmI never liked stuffed peppers as a kid, but as an adult I LOVE them! These look awesome!
Florentina
July 22, 2016 at 8:01 pmI know what you mean, I used to not like the green peppers, so I’d always beg to get a red one at the dinner table or I wouldn’t eat. I know, I was trouble hehe
Kate
July 22, 2016 at 1:49 pmThese stuffed peppers look lovely. And it’s great that you can make them in advance.
Amanda
July 22, 2016 at 6:03 pmLove everything about this recipe, but my heart skipped a beat at risotto rice cooked in San Marzano tomato broth. Sounds wonderful!
Florentina
July 22, 2016 at 8:00 pmOh yes you know it! That’s where the magic is 😉 ~Florentina
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
July 22, 2016 at 8:20 pmTotally love stuffed peppers. They are such a great one dish meal, and you can stuff them so many ways. They make awesome leftovers too. I love to make lots and freeze them. Perfect to take out on busy days and still have a great meal.
Melanie | Melanie Makes
July 23, 2016 at 8:53 pmLove that you used ground chicken in this recipe!
ricco
July 24, 2016 at 1:16 pmevery Italian cell in my old body expands when I read a recipe such as you just shared with us. we buy our organic fruits, vegies and chickens, from our Mennonite family friends, all colored sweet peppers included, and we have our own gigantic herb garden, crowded with lovely herbs. we use herbs in most of what we eat, including oatmeal in the morning. will definitely have stuffed CF peppers in the coming days.
ciao
Florentina
July 24, 2016 at 6:12 pmHi Ricco, I just pictured everything you just described and it sounds like heaven! That is living right. Please report back on the peppers, hope everyone loves them as much as we do!
GiGi Eats
July 26, 2016 at 8:42 pmStuffed bell peppers are so great- and great for people who have portion control problems!
Florentina
July 26, 2016 at 9:11 pmhahaha I really know what you mean. One stuffed pepper for you, two for me lol
Sheena
September 1, 2016 at 7:41 amI love that you used a combination of bell peppers! These look amazing and I know my family would love them!
Brandy | Nutmeg Nanny
September 1, 2016 at 2:00 pmLOVE stuffed peppers! These look amazing!
Annie
September 1, 2016 at 4:06 pmStuffed peppers are one of my favorite things! I can’t wait to try this version!
Sharon @ What The Fork
September 1, 2016 at 5:34 pmI have a bunch of peppers from my CSA box, I’ll have to try this!
Amanda | The Chunky Chef
September 1, 2016 at 5:46 pmI love stuffed peppers and these definitely look like the best 🙂
Florentina
September 1, 2016 at 6:53 pmI swear on my Saffron, they really are lol Report back to mama 🙂
Jusy
November 3, 2018 at 9:16 amWhat a wonderful recipe they are everything you have described. This is a forever recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Scott
September 1, 2016 at 7:35 pmWe made these stuffed peppers and they truly are the best. I combined chicken and wild mushrooms in the filing and the favors were amazing. A keeper for sure.
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
September 2, 2016 at 5:27 amI would be so proud to serve this dish. It’s not only delicious looking, the colors are stunning! I honestly cannot take my eyes off it! PINNING!
Dee
September 2, 2016 at 7:29 amI hate to say it, but this looks so much better than the green stuffed peppers I grew up with. I need to try this one soon! 🙂
Jenny
January 13, 2017 at 6:31 pmHi! I made these tonight for dinner and the flavour was incredible. However, I live in a very small town that doesn’t sell risotto rice. I used basmati rice instead. In your directions it didn’t state to cook it first, and mine came out crunchy. Do you think that’s because I used a different rice?
Florentina
January 14, 2017 at 7:43 pmHi Jenny, all rice cooks a little bit different so It might be that It needed to cook a little longer. Also, make sure you start timing it only after it reaches a nice simmer and not before. Hope that helps for the future 🙂 ~Florentina
Amanda
December 3, 2017 at 7:20 pmIt needs more cooking time and/or higher heat. The peppers weren’t quite cooked enough and the risotto was definitely not cooked enough. The flavors were good. I used dried seasonings instead of fresh and added garlic powder.
Florentina
December 8, 2017 at 1:38 pmTry using higher heat Amanda. What is to my stove medium heat could mean low heat on other stoves. Same goes for ovens, I have made recipes in different ovens and I had to adjust timing almost every time. But once you got it down you’ll be a pro every time. 🙂
sl5k
September 23, 2018 at 4:28 pmMade these tonight! I added cannellini beans and spinach to the rice mushroom mixture to add protein. I had to put it back in because the peppers were still crunchy. Overall great flavor!