Hungarian-Middle Eastern Stuffed Peppers

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2 min read
Summary

Discover a delicious blend of flavors with Lianaʼs Hungarian-Middle Eastern Stuffed Peppers. Begin with a savory filling of organic brown rice and vegan ground meat crumbles, seasoned with Hungarian paprika, ground cumin, and dried basil, then add sautéed yellow onions and garlic. The mixture is packed into sweet organic bell peppers, topped with a rich tomato sauce, and sprinkled with vegan cheese for added creaminess. A touch of vegan mayonnaise and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes give these stuffed peppers a delightful finish, making them a perfect, hearty meal with a fusion of global tastes.

Yields2 ServingsPrep Time20 minsCook Time40 minsTotal Time1 hr

Ingredients

 2 cups water
 1 cup organic brown rice (dry, rinsed)
 ½ medium yellow onion (chopped)
 12 oz vegan ground meat crumbles (or 3 cups cooked beans, homemade or BPA-free canned, drained)
 ½ tsp garlic
 ¼ tsp Hungarian paprika
 ¼ tsp ground cumin
 1 tsp dried basil
 salt (optional to taste)
 ground black pepper (optional to taste)
 15 oz organic tomato sauce (BPA-free can)
 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (optional)
 6 medium organic bell peppers (green, red, yellow, or orange)
 vegan cheese (optional; see Chefʼs Notes)
 red pepper flakes (optional to taste)

Directions

1

Bring water to a boil; add rice. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until tender.

2

While the rice is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3–5 minutes. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan as needed.

3

Once the onions are translucent, add the vegan meat crumbles or beans, as well as the garlic, paprika, cumin, and basil. Stir and cook until warmed through, about 2–3 minutes. Taste for optional salt and pepper. Set aside.

4

Meanwhile, mix together half of the tomato sauce and optional mayo in a small bowl. (Omit this step if youʼre not using mayo.)

5

Cut off the tops of the peppers and set aside. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes from the peppers by scoring the membranes and pulling them out.

6

At this point, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

7

Arrange the peppers in a baking dish without the tops.

8

Once the rice is finished cooking, stir it into the vegan meat crumble or bean mixture. Add the tomato sauce and mayo mixture (or just plain tomato sauce) and stir to combine.

9

Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each pepper.

10

Pour half of the remaining tomato sauce over the peppers, careful not to make them overflow too much. Put tops back on peppers.

11

Bake for 30 minutes.

12

Take off the tops and add the rest of the tomato sauce over the peppers. Add optional cheese over peppers, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

13

Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top of stuffed peppers, if desired. Serve hot!

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
Substitute black or wild rice for brown rice.

Substitute red or white onion for yellow onion.

Substitute regular or smoked paprika for Hungarian paprika.

Instead of vegan meat crumbles or beans, use 1 pound of chopped mushrooms. Or try a combination of beans and crumbles or beans and mushrooms.

For the vegan cheese, use your favorite store-bought brand of vegan feta cheese or make your own Almond Ricotta Cheese or Vegan Feta.

Use homemade Easy Vegan Mayo in place of store-bought vegan mayo.

Prep Ahead
Make your homemade cheese ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Storage
Store leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ingredients

 2 cups water
 1 cup organic brown rice (dry, rinsed)
 ½ medium yellow onion (chopped)
 12 oz vegan ground meat crumbles (or 3 cups cooked beans, homemade or BPA-free canned, drained)
 ½ tsp garlic
 ¼ tsp Hungarian paprika
 ¼ tsp ground cumin
 1 tsp dried basil
 salt (optional to taste)
 ground black pepper (optional to taste)
 15 oz organic tomato sauce (BPA-free can)
 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (optional)
 6 medium organic bell peppers (green, red, yellow, or orange)
 vegan cheese (optional; see Chefʼs Notes)
 red pepper flakes (optional to taste)

Directions

1

Bring water to a boil; add rice. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until tender.

2

While the rice is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3–5 minutes. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan as needed.

3

Once the onions are translucent, add the vegan meat crumbles or beans, as well as the garlic, paprika, cumin, and basil. Stir and cook until warmed through, about 2–3 minutes. Taste for optional salt and pepper. Set aside.

4

Meanwhile, mix together half of the tomato sauce and optional mayo in a small bowl. (Omit this step if youʼre not using mayo.)

5

Cut off the tops of the peppers and set aside. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes from the peppers by scoring the membranes and pulling them out.

6

At this point, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

7

Arrange the peppers in a baking dish without the tops.

8

Once the rice is finished cooking, stir it into the vegan meat crumble or bean mixture. Add the tomato sauce and mayo mixture (or just plain tomato sauce) and stir to combine.

9

Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each pepper.

10

Pour half of the remaining tomato sauce over the peppers, careful not to make them overflow too much. Put tops back on peppers.

11

Bake for 30 minutes.

12

Take off the tops and add the rest of the tomato sauce over the peppers. Add optional cheese over peppers, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

13

Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top of stuffed peppers, if desired. Serve hot!

Notes

Hungarian-Middle Eastern Stuffed Peppers