How to Make Lentil Stuffed Peppers?

How to Make Lentil Stuffed Peppers?

Love lentils? Or maybe you're searching for more plant-based recipes? Whatever your reasoning for landing on this article today, we're glad you did. At Bob's Red Mill, we love whole foodsespecially when they're used to make mouthwatering recipes like lentil stuffed peppers. Light, flavorful and overflowing with good-for-you ingredients, we're confident that this recipe will quickly become a kitchen favorite. Continue scrolling for step-by-step instructions on how you can make lentil stuffed peppers.

The Basics of Lentil Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed peppers are one of our favorite go-to healthy meals. Not only are bell peppers delicious, but their flavor is extremely versatile, meaning that you can customize the stuffing to accommodate what you have in the pantry. Lentil stuffed bell peppers cover the basics of a healthy meal. Bell peppers add to your daily vegetable intake, and lentils boost the plant-based protein and fiber found in the dish. Take advantage of all the health benefits stuffed bell peppers provide by creating your recipe with healthy, wholefood ingredients like the ones below.

Highlighted Ingredients

While several ingredients are required to make great-tasting lentil stuffed peppers, the two most important are: lentils and bell peppers. If this is your first time cooking with these ingredients and you'd like to learn more about them, review the information below before creating this recipe. Lentils Lentils are the dried seed from the lentil plant and are often used in many plant-based recipes to replicate the taste and texture of meat. As a source of protein and fiber, lentils are loaded with health benefits and are an excellent way to meet daily nutrition requirements when living a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. A type of legume, lentils are related to beans, peanuts and peas. However, unlike these legumes, lentils are never eaten fresh and are always dried before cooking.

Bell Pepper

The word pepper is often associated with hot foods that have your eyes watering and mouth burning upon the first bite. And while the bell pepper is a part of the capsicum annuum species, it's a bit different from its family members. Bell pepper is a heat-less pepper that's used in various cuisines around the world. Instead of adding spice to recipes, bell peppers add flavor, substance and nutrition. Theyre found in several bright colors, including green, yellow, orange and red. While they vary in flavor, their color is usually a pretty good indicator of what they'll taste like. The color and flavor of bell peppers are determined by the pepper plant's variety and the phase of ripeness when picked. Green peppers are the least ripe and the most bitter, whereas a red pepper is the sweetest and most ripe.

How to Make Lentil Stuffed Peppers

Read on for a step-by-step guide to making lentil stuffed bell peppers. Ingredients:
  • 1 large whole Bell Pepper
  • cup minced Yellow Onion
  • 1 Tbsptablespoon Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • cup low-sodium Vegetable Broth
  • cup minced Mushrooms
  • tsp dried Italian Herb Seasoning
  • Pinch tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Pinch tsp Black Pepper
  • cup Bobs Red Mill Petite French Green Lentils, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 tsp minced Garlic
  • cup Baby Spinach Leaves, finely chopped

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  2. Slice off the top of the bell pepper and reserve. Then remove all of the inner seeds of the bell pepper and place in a baking dish.
  3. Next, add coconut oil to a pan and place it over low heat. Then add the chopped onion and broth and cook until the mixture is translucent.
  4. Add mushroom and seasonings, and saute the mixture for about 3 more minutes.
  5. Add the cooked lentils and spinach until they are heated.
  6. Spoon the lentil mixture into the bell pepper, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove foil and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven.
  9. Add a toothpick to the top of the bell pepper and place on the bell pepper as a lid.
  11. Optional: serve with white rice, brown rice or quinoa.

Tips for Making Stuffed Peppers

woman slicing fresh bell peppers Now that you know how to make lentil stuffed peppers, it's time to add this tasty main dish to your weekly recipe list. We've come up with a list of tips and tricks to help you get started.

Prep the Bell Peppers

The trick to creating a perfectly cooked bell pepper dish is to prep the bell peppers beforehand. Red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers can all be stuffed with your favorite lentil filling to create a mouthwatering meal. That being said, each color carries a slightly different taste, and you'll want to choose the color that complements the rest of the ingredients well. Or, if the flavors of your lentil stuffing work well with all types of bell pepper, use various colors. Using more than one type of bell pepper creates a dish with different sweetness levels.

Bell Pepper Slicing Methods

The next step in prepping bell peppers is to slice them before the stuffing process. When slicing bell peppers, there are two ways to do so. The most common way to slice them is by removing the top and the seeds. While a large knife may work well when cutting the top of the bell pepper, a smaller knife is recommended to remove all of the seeds carefully. The second method of slicing bell peppers is to cut them in half. Though this method isn't as standard, it does offer several benefits. Slicing a variety of bell peppers in half will allow your dinner guests to try different colors. It also provides a more straightforward filing process and cuts the baking time in half.

Save the Tops of the Bell Peppers

If you use the traditional method to slice bell peppers, don't throw the tops away just yet. Bell pepper tops can be used as a lid after the pepper has been stuffed and boost the dish's presentation. Or, if you have a hard time seeing food go to waste, remove the stem, dice up the rest of the bell pepper top, and add it to the lentil filling.

Pre-Cook the Bell Peppers

Eager to make stuffed bell peppers but afraid you'll spend all evening in the kitchen baking? By pre-cooking the peppers, you can shorten the overall cooking time of the dish and ensure that the lentil filling doesn't overcook. Bell peppers can be pre-cooked in several ways. Boiling, steaming, baking and microwaving are all cooking methods that can speed up the process.

Make Use of Baking Pans

When cooking stuffed bell peppers, many people reach for a baking dish or baking sheet to hold the peppers in place while cooking. Here are a few different types of baking pans you can use. Bundt Pan While a Bundt pan might not seem like the perfect pepper cooking vessel, it's an easy and helpful way to keep the peppers upright while baking. After the peppers are stuffed, arrange them in the Bundt pan to stay upright, then bake them as you usually would. Muffin Pan Don't have a Bundt pan on hand? While not every at-home baker has a Bundt pan readily available, they likely have a muffin pan. No matter what color bell pepper you choose, it's sure to be a perfect fit. Ramekins Though technically not a baking pan, ramekins are a cooking vessel that can make baking lentil stuffed peppers a lot easier. If you have a handful of ramekins laying around the kitchen, gather them up, and use them as a holder for stuffed peppers. Ramekins are extremely helpful if you're only making a few stuffed bell peppers instead of a large batch.

Additional Lentil Recipe

Tomato Basil Lentil Salad Did you enjoy this lentil stuffed bell pepper recipe? If so, then you're bound to love the delicious lentil recipe below. Try it out, and let us know what you think.

Tomato Basil Lentil Salad

Lentils are the ideal ingredient to use if you're hoping to create a recipe that's both filling and healthy. To freshen up our weekly menu, we created this Tomato Basil Lentil Salad. Full of fresh and delicious flavors, it's quick to throw together, making it ideal for days when you're running short on time. The perfect recipe for a mid-day lunch or light dinner, this recipe uses red lentils, tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and feta cheese to satisfy all of your cravings. Think of it as a healthier rendition of your favorite pasta. Break out the lentils in your cabinet and use them to create delicious lentil stuffed peppers that will leave your dinner guests in awe of your cooking skills. Then, once you've mastered that recipe, try out one of the additional recipes that we've listed above. We're confident that you won't want to stop once you begin cooking with lentils. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we wish you a happy and healthy day!
Bob's Red Mill
March 07 2022

Comments

Bob's Red Mill Logo

Our Company

Customer Support

FAQ
Join our table

Get baking tips, exclusive offers and other things straight to your inbox.

Connect with Us
© 1978-2025 Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods
Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Notice Do not sell or share my info