These ain’t your mama’s stuffed peppers. Pulled from the pages of The Complete Vegan Cookbook, this recipe for quinoa and tempeh-packed stuffed poblano peppers is a nutrition-packed flavor-bomb of wholesome ingredients.
The recipe has four main stages: prepping the raw poblanos, infusing the tempeh with flavor, mixing the filling, and stuffing the peppers. It’s easy (and impressive!) to cook them all on your own, but so much more fun with a small gathering of friends. Put everyone to work, enjoy some natural wine between tasks, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor together — ideally, poolside with another glass of that natty.
Make these stuffed poblano peppers for a fun and filling vegan meal that will even satisfy your most plant-resistant guests…
Quinoa + Tempeh–Stuffed Poblanos
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 poblano peppers
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
½ cup unsweetened apple juice
2 Tbsp shoyu or tamari
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 dried bay leaf
4 ounces tempeh, cut into 4 slices
½ bunch scallions (white parts only), minced (2-3 Tbsp)
½ medium carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
1 plum tomato, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup cooked quinoa
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub the poblanos with a little bit of oil. Put them on the baking sheet and roast until the skins blister and pucker, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer the poblanos to a bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the poblanos steam for 10 minutes.
When the poblanos are cool enough to handle, using your hands, slide off the skins, rinsing the chilies under running water, if necessary, to remove any charred bits. Using a paring knife, cut a vertical slit into each poblano from stem to tip, making an opening large enough for stuffing. Use a spoon to gently remove the seeds and set the poblanos aside.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, whisk together the apple juice, shoyu, mustard and bay leaf. Slide the tempeh into the skillet, bring the liquid to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to a few tablespoons, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the tempeh to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to cool. Then crumble the tempeh and set aside.
For the filling:
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and heat until it just starts to shimmer. Add the scallions, carrot, cumin, paprika and salt. Sweat until the carrot begins to soften, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato and garlic and cook until the tomato is slightly broken down, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Return the same pan to medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the crumbled tempeh. Cook until the tempeh is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the tempeh to the bowl with the cooked vegetables. Add the quinoa and pepper and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Stuff each poblano with about ¼ cup of the filling. Warm the stuffed poblanos briefly in the oven before serving.
Tip: Wear gloves when handling the peppers and don’t touch your eyes or mouth with your hands after working with them.
Reprinted with permission from The Complete Vegan Cookbook by the Natural Gourmet Center, copyright © 2019. Photographs by Christina Holmes. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc.
