These Vegan Mushroom Rice Stuffed Peppers make an utterly delicious savoury meal, perfectly suitable for a festive occasion or a simple, satisfying family meal. The additional chilled Tahini-Yogurt sauce and the tomato base are elevating the flavours of this fantastic plant-based dish.

Mushroom Rice Stuffed Peppers with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

It's always a pleasure to see classic recipes turned plant-based. Stuffed peppers are one of my favourite meals growing up. Or, to be more specific, it's my dad's most delicious stuffed peppers soup that I deeply craved and wanted every weekend. :) My dad is one talented cook, and I'm almost sure I get my "cheffy" creative skills from him. With just a few ingredients, he could create such depth of flavour in his cooking.

Stuffed peppers are very popular in Eastern Europe and not only. There is a wide variation of this recipe, and why not? It's so good, satisfying and easy to make that all ingredients deserve a chance.

The ingredients in my recipe are relatively simple. The filling is just amazing, friends. I'm sharing a way of preparing the filling that it's super tasty, and you can adapt it to other stuffed vegetables. This recipe's absolute success is the cooking and prepping of the rice with the mushrooms and spices. If the rice will end up uncooked, it's not a texture you want in your stuffed peppers. It almost ruins the entire dish.

Star Ingredients:

- Bell Peppers. Sweet or more bitter (depending on the colour), with peppery notes, crunchy and juicy texture, a good source of vitamin C (especially the red coloured ones) when consumed raw; best to opt for organic bell peppers due to the potentially harmful chemicals used during farming.

- Cremini Mushrooms. Earthy with meaty notes and firm texture, a good source of plant-based protein, phosphorus, selenium and copper, provides texture and flavour balance to vegetable dishes.

- Jasmine Rice. Aromatic with nutty notes, soft texture, less processed and lower in calories than the white rice, to be consumed in moderation.

Flavour-Boosting Tips:

- Roasting peppers and adding to dishes alternatively is one of the best cooking tricks for boosting flavour in sauces, soups, and salad dressings. Roast, clean seeds, peel skin, add to a jar with olive oil and peeled garlic cloves – refrigerate for up to two weeks. Use in salads, sandwiches, or instant salad dressings.

- When consumed raw, ensure a proper clean-up/ brushing of each mushroom: best herb pairing – sage, fennel, garlic, cilantro.

- Soaking rice before cooking is the best tip one can use to reduce cooking time and prepare grains to be more digestible. To boost flavour, add fresh herbs during the boiling process, and replace water with veggie stock.

Alternative Ingredients:

- Cremini Mushrooms. The best cost-effective recommended alternative is button mushrooms or Portobello.

- Jasmine Rice. Basmati rice is the closest best option, especially the cooking time. If choosing other rice types, ensure the proper amount of cooking, increasing the pre-soak time by 15-30 minutes (especially for wild or black rice).

- Tahini. Miso paste is the next best-recommended option to provide the same amount of flavour and consistency.

Serving Suggestions:

- For a vegetarian alternative, use sour cream instead of the tahini-yogurt sauce or plain, unsweetened dairy-free yogurt.

Best meals are the ones enjoyed with family and friends! Sharing good food and good times does good for the mind, body and soul.

I hope you enjoy this recipe that is close to my heart, and you'll make it for your next family dinner.

Hugs!

T

Vegan

Gluten-Free

Nut-Free

Sugar-Free

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 50-55 min

Total Time: 1 h 10 min

Serves: 6

RECIPE

Mushroom Rice Stuffed Peppers w/ Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

24 oz (680 g) – cremini mushrooms

6 – multi-coloured organic bell peppers (or preferred)

1 ½ cups (293.95 g) – organic Jasmine rice

1 large – organic red onion

1 jar (650 ml) – organic tomato sauce

½ cup (122.5 g) – dairy-free organic yogurt (plain or unsweetened)

¼ cup (59 g) – org veggie stock (or water)

6 sprigs – organic fresh thyme (or 1 tsp/ 0.91 g – dry thyme)

1 tbsp – coconut aminos (or Tamari Sauce)

1 tbsp (15 g) – organic raw tahini paste

1 tbsp (14 g) – avocado oil

2 tsp (8 g) – Himalayan salt

1 tsp ( 1.01 g) – dry oregano

Optional: 1 cup (237 ml) – sweet white wine (vegan)

Preheat oven at 400° F (200°C)

Directions:

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together chilled yogurt and tahini paste. Refrigerate until serving.

Step 2

Cut off the top of the peppers (with stem), clean out the seeds and inner membrane – set aside.

Step 3

Empty the tomato sauce jar into a small mixing bowl. Add one teaspoon of salt, ½ tsp dry oregano, half of the fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dry), and the white wine (optional). Mix to incorporate. Set aside.

Step 4

Peel the red onion and clean mushroom tops using a mushroom brush (or a clean w/ dry paper towel). Chop both, and set aside.

Step 5

Slightly brush large ceramic rectangular dish (5 L) with avocado oil (or preferred), and arrange clean peppers (keep tops aside). Add to the preheated oven and slightly bake (uncovered) during the mushroom-rice stuffing prep (max 10 min.)

Step 6

In a medium-sized bowl, soak the rice in filtered water (max 10 min while cooking stuffing).

Step 7

In a large skillet/ pan, heat up the oil on medium-high and saute chopped onions for one minute. Add chopped mushrooms. Stir fry together for another two-three minutes until mushrooms shrink in size. Strain the water of the soaked rice, and add rice to the skillet. Mix in remaining fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dry), dry oregano, one teaspoon of salt, and coconut aminos. Stir lightly to incorporate ingredients, then add the veggie stock (or water). Continue to stir fry the mixture on medium-high, stirring continuously, and until all liquid is fully absorbed and rice is partially cooked (approx. 5 min).

Step 8

Pull peppers out of the oven and stuff with the mushroom-rice mixture (fill until the top, making room for all the mix). Place the pepper "lids" on top of each stuffed pepper, pour the tomato sauce mixture into the pan (at the bottom of the stuffed peppers), cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
At minute 45, remove the aluminum foil and broil peppers for five more minutes for a gentle roast.

Leave peppers to cool down for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve as main meal w/ yogurt – tahini sauce, and other sides if desired.

Enjoy while warm and fresh!

Keep the leftovers refrigerated in a tight container, and consume within two days.