Vegan Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Walnut Cheese Sauce

Mouth watering, incredibly flavourful, vegan Mexican stuffed peppers! These are loaded with quinoa, black beans, corn, salsa, and the perfect blend of spices. Then top them off with creamy walnut cheese sauce.

This post was originally published in October 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.

We’re big fans of stuffed peppers here, and truly, all things stuffed just taste better, right?

This Mexican spin on stuffed peppers will knock your socks off.

Just like my Italian stuffed peppers, you can expect an incredible blend of flavours here. And don’t miss the creamy, dreamy walnut cheese sauce topping.

PS. For even more Taco Tuesday menu ideas, check out these other amazing vegan Mexican dishes!

Jump to:

• Reader Feedback:
• Why you’ll love these
• Ingredients + Substitutions
• Instructions
• Topping ideas
• Variations
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• More vegan Mexican dishes
• 📖 Recipe

Reader Feedback:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I made these!! So good. I made both the walnut sauce and guac and did half and half. Both amazing, not sure which I enjoyed better. Will definitely be adding these to my regular rotation. - Nancy

Why you’ll love these

• Wholesome: This dish is loaded with nutrients and fiber from quinoa and rich in antioxidants, thanks to black beans. Plus, quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
• Flavourful: These Mexican stuffed peppers are SO delicious! The quinoa is cooked in vegetable broth, and combined with salsa and plenty of seasoning to deliver big flavour!
• Fun: These beautiful bright bell peppers are conveniently portioned and fun to prepare and enjoy.
• Plant-based: Not only is this dish vegan, but it’s WFPB (whole food plant based) approved, low in fat, and completely oil free.
• Allergen friendly: It’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and, soy-free. If you also need it corn free, just omit the corn!

Ingredients + Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make these vegan Mexican stuffed peppers.

• Bell peppers: Use any colour/s you like. Red, orange, or yellow for sweeter peppers and green for less sweet ones.
• Quinoa: This gluten-free grain is loaded with nutrients and makes up the base of the stuffing. If you don’t like or cannot have quinoa, you may use brown rice instead.
• Broth: For cooking the quinoa (or rice), I recommend doing so in vegetable broth for added flavour. If you don’t have broth on hand, whip up this delicious bouillon to mix with water. Or use salted water.
• Black beans: Use canned for convenience, or cooked from dried for the best flavour. You may sub with any other bean if you prefer. Or try mixing in some refried beans.
• Corn: Use frozen corn that has been thawed, or you may use canned. If you cannot have corn, you may omit it.
• Salsa: I like extra chunky, medium heat salsa, but you may use any of your favourite varieties.
• Seasoning: I’m using a combo of smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to deliver a fantastic flavour. Plus I love to add cilantro for freshness, but you may skip it if you’re not a cilantro fan.

Instructions

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Carefully cut your bell peppers in half and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place them in your baking dish and set it aside.

Cover your dish in parchment paper and then foil and bake until the peppers are fork tender.

While the stuffed peppers are baking, prepare the walnut cheese sauce if using it. I highly recommend the sauce! It’s VERY easy to make, just a few ingredients, and it’s ready in no time.

Remove the peppers from the oven, garnish and serve them.

Topping ideas

My favourite toppings for these Mexican stuffed peppers are fresh cilantro and this walnut cheese sauce.

But you may also try any of these toppings:

• Diced tomato or pico de gallo.
• Sliced jalapeno, hot sauce, or habanero mango salsa.
• Guacamole, cashew cream, crema fresca, a squeeze of lime juice or guasacaca.

Variations

Here are a few more ways to enjoy these delicious vegan Mexican stuffed peppers.

• For nut free: Try our nut-free vegan cheese sauce instead of the walnut version.
• Make extra cheesy stuffed peppers and top the pepper halves with our shredded meltable vegan cheese before baking.
• Make it spicy by using hot salsa or add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the stuffing.
• For extra beans: Add half a cup of refried beans to the stuffing and mix well.
• Or try our Mexican stuffed zucchini boats or Italian stuffed peppers.

If you’re in a hurry, you might also want to try these unstuffed peppers. They’re just as delicious, but you can skip the step of stuffing them. Great for lazy days. 😉

Storage

Store leftovers in a sealed container in your fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven until heated through.

You may also freeze these Mexican quinoa stuffed peppers. Do so in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Then thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.

Expert Tips

• For the best results, cook the quinoa (or rice) in a salty and flavourful vegetable broth. You may use salted water to cook the quinoa (instead of broth), but it won’t be as flavourful.
• If you don’t care for quinoa, use rice instead, and follow the same cooking directions or use a rice cooker.
• Taste the stuffing once combined and add more seasoning if needed.

More vegan Mexican dishes

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don't forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito,
Rosa

📖 Recipe