Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe
This vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers recipe is one of my favorite pantry meals! Mild roasted pobanos are stuffed with a mix of refried beans, rice, and baked with enchilada sauce and cheese! Perfect for nights you’re craving nourishing comfort food!
This recipe is included in my new book, Gentle Nutrition, which you can pre-order on Amazon, or support independent bookstores and order on bookshop.org!
After sharing last weeks post on how to stock your kitchen for intuitive eating, I thought I would share one of my favorite (mostly) pantry recipes to whip up when I need something cheesy and satisfying - this vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers recipe! While it looks complicated, the filling is made with all pantry ingredients and topped with cheddar cheese, so the only thing you need to get from the grocery store are some poblanos. It takes a little time to assemble, but less than you might think, and it’s totally worth it for a dish that’s so tasty! Seriously, when I’ve had a stressful day but still want to come home and decompress in the kitchen, this vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers recipe is a go-to because it’s so comforting and making it, especially preparing the poblanos, is almost meditative.
This vegetarian stuffed poblanos recipe is another great example of how processed ingredients can be used to save time in making a nutritious and satisfying dinner. This recipe uses canned refried beans, microwave-in-a-bag rice, and store-bought enchilada sauce. There’s a lot of fearmongering around using processed ingredients, but as this recipe shows, they can help you get a tasty, homecooked meal on the dinner table without a lot of hassle.
Cooking with Poblano Peppers
Poblano peppers are a popular ingredient used in Mexican cooking. They’re not very spicy, but have tons of flavor and just the slightest bit of heat. They’re commonly used in dishes like chiles rellenos, rajas (poblano strips in cream and cheese), and chile verde, but stuffed poblanos are my favorite way to enjoy them, as you might be able to tell from the cheese grits stuffed poblanos and vegan stuffed poblanos with spicy cashew sauce that I’ve shared before.
The only thing in this recipe you may find challenging is preparing the poblanos, which requires peeling the skins off before stuffing and baking. Poblano skins get a little papery when roasted and are unpleasant to eat, so it’s best to take the time to peel them off first. To do this, char the poblanos under the broiler until the skins are blackened, then steam them in a bowl capped with a plate or sealed with plastic wrap. This loosens the skins, so they’re easy to peel. It is a few extra steps, which I weirdly find super meditative, and maybe you will too! There’s something satisfying when you can get a big chunk of skin off in one peel, kind of like peeling hard boiled eggs or a clementine orange!
To make this vegetarian stuffed poblanos recipe even easier, try making it with canned whole poblanos.. Tbh, I've never used canned poblanos before, but I bet it works great, as roasted poblanos have a similar texture to jarred roasted red peppers.
Vegetarian Stuffed Poblanos Peppers Ingredient Notes
Canned Refried Beans - I always keep a can of refried beans on hand, for making these vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers, a loaded refried bean skillet, or to serve with my favorite Tex-Mex migas. I really like Trader Joe’s and Amys brands.
Microwave-in-the-Bag Rice - Microwave-in-the-bag steamed rice is another pantry staple I keep on hand for quick meals. I especially love that there are flavored ones, like cilantro-lime. It also saves a ton of time cooking brown rice, which takes much longer to cook stovetop. You can use either white or brown rice in this recipe. If you have leftover cooked rice, use about 2 cups. This recipe is also a great place to use frozen cooked rice.
Enchilada Sauce - This recipe saves time with a store bought enchilada sauce. Feel free to use red or green - while red is pictured here, green is my personal favorite! I like Hatch, La Victoria and Rosarita brands.
Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe Adaptions
While this stuffed poblano peppers recipe I’m sharing is vegetarian, it’s also really tasty with meat added in! I’ve made this recipe before with ground beef or chorizo added in, or you could use something like Beyond Beef or Soyrizo and keep it vegetarian. Just add it to the mix and make a couple more stuffed poblanos with the extra filling! Another way I’ve made this recipe is with rice or quinoa and a can of drained pintos or black beans mixed with salsa verde as a filling.
If you like this vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers recipe, follow my vegetarian recipes Pinterest board for more inspiration.
Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe
Makes 4
Ingredients:
4 large poblano peppers
1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil, like canola or avocado
½ large yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 (8.8-ounce) microwave-in-the-bag steamed brown or white rice, or 2 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 (16-ounce) can refried black beans
Salt and black pepper
1 (13-ounce) bottle enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Chopped cilantro and thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the poblanos on a sheet pan and place in the oven directly under the broiler until the skin is blackened and charred, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the poblanos from the oven and turn off the broiler.
Place the poblanos in a bowl and cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap. Leave the peppers to steam for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and beans, mashing with the back of a spatula or spoon until well combined. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Set oven to 350°F.
Carefully peel the thin layer of skin off the poblanos (it’s OK if you can’t get all of it off). Cut a slit in each pepper from the stem all the way to the tip. Using a paring knife, carefully cut away the thick piece of flesh under the stem that’s attached to the seeds. Briefly rinse under water to remove any remaining seeds.
Arrange the poblanos in an 11 by 7-inch baking dish. Stuff the bean and rice mixture evenly into the poblanos, patting it in using your hands. Pour the enchilada sauce over and around the stuffed poblanos and top with the cheese. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese melts and turns lightly golden, about 30 minutes. Serve garnished with the scallions and cilantro, if using.
if you like this vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers recipe, you might also like:
Vegan Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Spicy Cashew Sauce
Vegetarian Breakfast Enchiladas
Cheese Grits Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Tomato Gravy
