Vegan Pizza Stuffed Peppers! Awesome comfort food mash-up alert; your belly will be thanking you for this tasty dish!

Wholesome, hearty, and delicious, this Instant Pot Vegan Pizza Stuffed Peppers recipe is a great oil-free, low-fat dinner that is packed with delicious pizza flavor and healthy plant-based ingredients. Nutrient-dense red and green bell peppers are brimming with garlic, onions, zucchini, kidney beans, brown rice, and black olives all bathed in an aromatic Italian tomato broth that is sure to knock your socks off.  This Instant Pot or oven dish is perfect for a meal prep and reheats too!

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

These Vegan Pizza Stuffed Peppers are little cups of heavenly goodness!  Are you a green bell pepper or red bell pepper fan?  We love them both so we used both green and red bell peppers to make this deliciousness.

Low Fat Dish

This dish was designed to be low-fat.  We absolutely love it, but we want our readers to know that the brain is always looking for that same “fat” high that it has had in the past. Sometimes low-fat dishes struggle reaching that “high.”  Again, we loved it for what it was – and that is an oil-free, low-fat tasty dish!

Yasmeen

Yasmeen loved this dish.  This was the first time she had Stuffed Peppers and she went crazy over it.  She only has 4 teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying this dish.  She actually preferred the green bell peppers. I think the green bell peppers are more savory.

Tips for Success:

• Bell Peppers: You can use any color bell pepper, red, green, yellow, or orange.  We loved using red and green bell peppers. We really love the green bell peppers which are traditional.
• Number of Bell Peppers: If using an Instant Pot, use as many as you can fit into your Instant Pot.  We have an 8-quart IP and were able to fit 5 peppers in one kitchen test and 4 in another kitchen test.  It really depends on the size of the bell peppers and the size of the instant Pot.  For baking in the oven, there is enough to make 6 bell peppers.
• Bell Pepper Tops: The recipe calls for one cup of diced bell pepper tops; however, use the tops from however many bell peppers you use in this recipe.  It could be more than one cup.
• Instant Pot: We used an 8-quart Instant Pot.  If you use a 6-quart Instant Pot or a different lentil, you may need to reduce the time in the Instant Pot accordingly.
• Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry.  The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes.  We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the petite diced tomatoes and tomato sauce) without losing the tomatoey flavor.
• Black Olives: You can leave out the black olives if you wish.  Feel free to use more or less than the recipe amount. Also feel free to substitute with sliced green olives if you prefer.
• Cooked Rice versus Uncooked Rice: We tried this recipe with both cooked rice and uncooked rice.  If using uncooked rice (reduce the rice to 2/3 cup), you will need to start by placing 2/3 cup of rinsed, uncooked rice into a bowl and cover it with boiling water for 30 minutes (then drain off the water).  This helps jump start the cooking process.  Some rice brands and types take quite a bit of time to cook in a sauce.  We highly recommend using an Instant Pot if using uncooked rice (do not use the Oven method).  We used 17 minutes high pressure with 2 minutes Quick Release.  Our preference was using cooked rice, it ensured that the rice was cooked properly in this dish.
• Sauce Amount: This recipe does make a generous amount of sauce to pour over the veggies when serving.  The sauce is on the thinner side, more of a broth than a “sauce”.  This sauce is typical for this type of recipe.
• Zucchini: We used a medium-sized zucchini.  The weight averaged between 6 to 7 oz.  You don’t need to peel it.  Make sure you dice the zucchini into small pieces.
• Low-Fat Dish: This dish was designed to be low in fat.  Because it is low in fat, you are not going to experience that endorphin rush associated with eating high-fat foods when eating this dish. It is very tasty for what it is, and that is a low-fat dish. We just want to make sure that our Readers recognize this when contemplating making this recipe.  If you wish to make it more indulgent, add the Vegan Parmesan Cheese on individual servings. The vegan parm totally takes it over the top.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep for 4 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.  Reheating can be done on the stovetop, or in the microwave.

This dish freezes well.  For best results, thaw out overnight in the refrigerator.

Pantry Products Used:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
• Chili Powder: We used Penzeys Regular Chili Powder.  It has great flavor, with a tiny kick that is not overwhelming.  Feel free to use your favorite chili powder, just be sure to select a mild one and not one that has a lot of heat to it.
• Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
• Dried Thyme Crushed Leaves: We use Penzeys French Thyme.  It has amazing flavor.  If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme, but use half the amount.

Kitchen Products Used:

• Instant Pot or Deep Casserole Dish

We certainly hope you give this deliciousness a try.

If you try these tasty stuffed peppers, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us!  We would love to hear from you.

Vegan Pizza Stuffed Peppers

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 30 Minutes
• Cook Time: 8 Minutes (IP)
• Total Time: 38 Minutes (+Rest Time)
• Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Instant Pot, Stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Wholesome, hearty, and delicious, this Vegan Pizza Stuffed Peppers recipe is a great oil-free, low-fat dinner that is packed with delicious pizza flavor and healthy plant-based ingredients.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 to 6 large bell peppers *

Base Ingredients:

• 1 cup bell pepper tops, fine dice (+/-) *
• 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
• 1 medium zucchini, small dice *
• 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup sliced black olives (+/-) * (optional)
• 1 to 1 ½ cup cooked brown rice (of choice)

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] tomato sauce
• 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
• 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda * 

Sauce Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
• ½ teaspoon chili powder *
• ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
• Pinch to 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (+/-)

Optional Toppings:

• Vegan Parmesan Cheese

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Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Place the Sauce Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
2. Cut the tops (about ¼ inch) off the bell peppers. Clean the inside of the bell pepper cups by removing the inside membrane and seeds.  Set aside until Step 5.
3. Bell Pepper Tops: Remove the bell pepper stems (discard), and dice the bell pepper tops, place into a large bowl. Add all the remaining Base Ingredients into the large bowl to create a Veggie/Rice Mix, mix well to evenly distribute the ingredients. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, add all the Sauce Ingredients and the Sauce Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine.
5. Take 2 cups of the sauce (made in Step 4) and mix it into the Veggie/Rice Mix made in Step 3. Stir well to combine, then fill each of the bell pepper cups with the Veggie/Rice Mix (now Veggie/Rice/Sauce Mix). You may or may not have remaining Veggie/Rice Mix. That is OK if you have leftovers, you will use it in the Step 7.
6. Carefully place the filled bell pepper cups into the Instant Pot, sitting up.
7. Pour the remaining Sauce into the left-over Veggie/Rice Mix, mix well. Then pour this mixture over top of the filled bell pepper cups in the Instant Pot. Pour it all down the sides allowing the sauce to flow in between the peppers and down on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
8. Cover and set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 8 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release.  Unplug the Instant Pot.
9. Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, allow the peppers to rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Then carefully remove the stuffed peppers with a large slotted spoon.
10. To serve, cut open the bell pepper and pour a generous amount of the sauce over top of the bell pepper.

Oven Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. This will be used to par-boil the bell peppers.
3. Place the Sauce Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
4. Cut the tops (about ¼ inch) off the bell peppers. Clean the inside of the bell pepper cups by removing the inside membrane and seeds.  Place the bell peppers into the gently boiling water for 5 minutes to soften, then carefully remove and set aside until Step 8.
5. Bell Pepper Tops: Remove the bell pepper stems (discard), and dice the bell pepper tops, place into a large bowl.  Add all the remaining Base Ingredients into the large bowl to create a Veggie/Rice Mix, mix well to evenly distribute the ingredients. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, add all the Sauce Ingredients and the Sauce Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine.
7. Take 2 cups of the sauce (made in Step 6) and mix it into the Veggie/Rice Mix made in Step 5. Stir well to combine, then fill each of the bell pepper cups with the Veggie/Rice Mix (now Veggie/Rice/Sauce Mix). You may or may not have remaining Veggie/Rice Mix. That is OK if you have leftovers, you will use it Step 9.
8. Carefully place the filled bell pepper cups into a deep casserole dish, sitting up.
9. Pour the remaining Sauce into the left-over Veggie/Rice Mix, mix well. Then pour this mixture over top of the filled bell pepper cups. Pour it all down the sides allowing the sauce to flow in between the peppers and down on the bottom of the Dutch oven.
10. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake in a preheated 375 oven for 60 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the lid, allow the peppers to rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Then carefully remove the stuffed peppers with a large slotted spoon.
12. To serve, cut open the bell pepper and pour a generous amount of the sauce over top of the bell pepper.

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Serving:  4 to 6

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