Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 cup zucchini diced
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup corn kernels fresh or canned, drained
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes canned or fresh, no salt added
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 1/3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 4 large bell peppers any color, tops cut off and seeds removed
- 1/2 cup vegan cheese optional
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it softens. Mix in minced garlic, carrot, and zucchini. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the vegetables become tender.
- Stir in the ground cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the corn, diced tomatoes, and chickpeas. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors meld.
- Take the skillet off the heat and mix in the cooked quinoa along with fresh lime juice.
- Fill each bell pepper with the vegetable and quinoa mixture.
- Arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil. If desired, sprinkle vegan cheese on each pepper. Bake until the peppers are tender and the cheese melts, about an additional 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.