OMD’s Open-Faced Pepper Recipe

Ever finished dinner, only to be disappointed that — oh no, you’re still hungry? Enter, stuffed bell peppers: a plant-based, protein-packed dinner option that’s perfect for warm summer months and cool fall days alike.

A play on traditional stuffed peppers, these Open-Faced Peppers from the OMD Book get a boost from beans and quinoa (instead of ground beef), and they remain an OMD Team favorite. Plus, they’re colorful and easy to complement with just about any side dish.

Every meal is an opportunity to make a difference for our wild living planet. We’ve done the math — here are the environmental savings by the numbers for this dish if you swap out 10 ounces of beef and 1 cup of dairy cheese:

Nifty, right? Calculate how your food stacks up by using our interactive Green Eater Meter. What are you waiting for? Let’s get cooking.

Servings: 4
Nutritional facts per serving: 320 calories; 13g fat (1g saturated fat); 47g carbohydrates; 10g fiber; 8g protein; 0mg cholesterol; 760mg sodium

Ingredients:

• 4 large bell peppers, your choice of color
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, drained
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup shredded vegan cheese (such as Follow Your Heart or Daiya)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Arrange the bell peppers on the baking sheet and bake until they begin to soften, 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cook until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beans, corn, quinoa, and cilantro. Turn off the heat and stir the bean mixture until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
4. Remove the peppers from the oven and let sit until just cool enough to handle; keep the oven on. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and carefully remove the stem and seeds. Return the pepper halves to the baking sheet, cut side up. Divide the quinoa filling evenly among them. Top evenly with the cheese, return the peppers to the oven, and bake until the cheese begins to brown, 15 minutes.