Rice And Tofu Stuffed Peppers

We all need some quick and easy plant-based dinner recipes that we can make throughout the week. These rice and tofu stuffed peppers recipe is one of them! To save time, we precook the peppers in the oven while we make the stuffing, so you can have dinner on the table in just over 30 minutes.

Saving time without sacrificing flavor

I've always loved stuffed peppers and stuffed veggies in general (you have to try these TVP zucchini boats!) but they used to take forever to make. I wanted to create a version that's as time-efficient as possible and quick enough for busy weeknights.

To keep things simple, I pared down the ingredients list to less than 10 items and included a few shortcuts, like using marinara sauce.

But saving time does not mean compromising on flavor. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve to make sure the stuffing is as flavorful as possible, which you can read about below.

Key ingredients and substitutions

• Bell peppers: Use large red bell peppers or a mix of red, yellow, and green peppers. Choose wide peppers that can hold a lot of stuffing. Don't use elongated sweet bell peppers for this recipe.
• Rice: I suggest using jasmine rice as its sticky texture helps bind the filling together more effectively (just like ground beef would in a traditional stuffed pepper recipe). It also has a short cooking time that allows you to prep this recipe in 20 minutes. You can replace it with basmati rice which is not sticky but has a similar cooking time.
• Vegetable broth: Since we're keeping this recipe very simple, vegetable broth is a nice way to add flavor to the rice. I dissolve vegetable broth powder in water and use it to cook the rice. You could also use a bouillon cube if that's what you have on hand.
• Smoked tofu: Another tip to add flavor is to use extra-firm smoked tofu instead of regular plain tofu. But don't worry if you can't find it at your regular grocery store, you can also use regular extra-firm tofu.
• Tamari: It's a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce made without wheat flour. You can easily replace it with dark soy sauce if you're not on a gluten-free diet. If you're using a low-sodium vegetable broth, you can double the amount of tamari to make sure your stuffing is well-seasoned.
• Spices: Garlic powder and oregano are my seasoning of choice as they pair really well with marinara sauce. You can replace them with an Italian seasoning if you prefer.
• Marinara sauce: Choose a good-quality marinara sauce or your preferred tomato sauce. Try to find a brand with clean ingredients and little to no added sugar.

Elo's tips

1. Pre-baked the peppers while you make the stuffing. This will save you about 15 minutes of time compared to a regular stuffed pepper recipe where you'd only start baking the peppers once they are stuffed.
2. Don't skip the vegetable broth. It's key to season the rice and keep the ingredient list minimal.
3. Grate the tofu! I find that grating helps the tofu crisp up in the pan more than crumbling it with your hands. It also makes sure the rice and tofu are well distributed in the stuffing so that you get a little bit of everything with every bite.
4. Add chopped baby spinach and/or corn kernels to the filling for an extra serving of veggies. If using corn, sauté it with the onions. Spinach can be stirred into the stuffing at the end.
5. Press the stuffing mixture firmly into the peppers to prevent it from falling apart when you cut into the peppers. It also allows you to stuff them with more filling.
6. Sprinkle vegan cheese on top of each pepper when serving. It really makes the whole meal come together.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Step 1: Prep the peppers. Cut off the top of the peppers and remove the seeds. I find that running a paring knife along the white membranes helps release the core effortlessly. If your peppers don't stand up straight, trim a thin slice off the bottom to level them (just be careful not to pierce through). Place the peppers in a lightly-oiled baking dish or on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pre-bake them for 15 minutes at 400°F (200°C).

2. Step 2: Cook the rice in vegetable broth using a 1:2 rice-to-broth ratio. Let it simmer until all the vegetable broth has been absorbed, infusing the rice with flavor.