Vegan spinach artichoke stuffed peppers (Print Version)

Bell peppers filled with creamy spinach, artichokes, and grains for a savory vegan main dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 large bell peppers, any color, tops removed and seeds discarded
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
03 - 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Grains and Fillers

06 - 1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice

→ Creamy Filling

07 - 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 2 hours and drained
08 - 1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
09 - 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Topping

14 - 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush a baking dish with olive oil and arrange the hollowed bell peppers upright in the dish.
02 - In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic, chopped spinach, and artichokes. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
03 - Combine soaked cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
04 - In a large bowl, mix the sautéed vegetables, cooked quinoa, and cashew cream until well incorporated.
05 - Spoon the filling evenly into each bell pepper, pressing down lightly to distribute contents throughout.
06 - Mix breadcrumbs with one tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the stuffed peppers.
07 - Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes until the breadcrumb tops are golden brown.
09 - Allow peppers to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • They look restaurant-worthy but come together in under an hour, so you can feed people without the stress.
  • That creamy cashew sauce tastes indulgent and savory without any dairy, which blew my mind the first time I tasted it.
  • One stuffed pepper feels like a complete meal on its own, no sides required.
02 -
  • Soak your cashews for the full two hours or even overnight; I learned this the hard way when I tried to blend unsoaked cashews and ended up with a grainy disaster.
  • Don't skip draining the artichokes thoroughly because moisture is the enemy of crispy peppers, and nobody wants a soggy bottom.
03 -
  • Make your cashew cream the day before so you have one fewer step when you're ready to cook, and everything comes together faster.
  • If you can't find or don't want to use quinoa, any cooked grain from farro to wild rice to regular brown rice works perfectly in the filling.
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