"My family loves to stuff vegetables with all sorts of fillings, such as ground meat and a medley of vegetables. Stuffed bell peppers with mashed potatoes are one of my favorite dishes. I've added lentils for some contrast to the texture of the smooth and creamy mash and topped them with crunchy bread crumbs. There's cool yogurt sauce to go with the stuffed peppers that is made with briny feta and pumpkin seeds."
- Nik Sharma
Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers are all about healthy living and knife work. Make them with your best friend! The filling is composed of lentils, and mashed potatoes combined with jalapeño, shallot, cilantro, and ginger. Pull out your favorite knives and practice your chopping and trimming skills.
Nik recommends red, orange, or yellow bell peppers for this recipe, but you can bring your favorite color to the table. The result is a healthy work of art that tastes incredible.
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Veg-Table
This vegetarian stuffed bell peppers recipe is from Veg-Table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals by Nik Sharma.
Bell peppers come in a huge selection of shapes, sizes, and colors: purple, red, green, yellow, orange, brown or chocolate, and even black (an intensely dark purple). Bell peppers are lovely raw and several times richer in Vitamin C than oranges.
Roasted bell peppers become smoky and are great for barbecuing in kebabs and to make sauces, dips, and salsas.
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How to Make Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- potatoes - small, starchy potatoes, such as russets
- salt - fine sea salt
- water
- lentils - black lentils are recommended, but feel free to get creative. We used Pardina lentils
- shallot
- cilantro
- chilli peppers - serrano, jalapeño, or bird's eye
- ginger
- chilli powder - Kashmiri red chili powder is recommended. You can also use ¾ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- paprika
- cayenne
- turmeric
- black pepper - we like this Aranya black pepper. You'll. need ½ teaspoon for the filling, ½ teaspoon for the topping, and ½ teaspoon for the yogurt sauce
- breadcrumbs
- oil
- bell peppers
- yogurt - plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt works best
- cheese
- pumpkin seeds - raw or roasted, salted or unsalted
- lemon juice - apple cider vinegar will also work
- cilantro
Food Allergy or Substitution Needed?
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Equipment
- prep bowls
- stock pot with insert or a strainer
- saucepan
- kitchen scale
- spoon or spatula
- fork
- Santoku knife
- paring knife
- butcher block
- box grater
- measuring spoons
- aluminum foil
- blender
- molcajete (optional)
- chef pocket knife (optional)
Boil the Potatoes
Wash your hands with soap and water. Scrub the potatoes under water. Use a knife and a cutting board to cut the potatoes into chunks as desired. Add them to a pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Heat over medium-high heat. Let the water come to a rolling boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes.
Cook the Lentils
While the potatoes are boiling, cook the lentils. Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan. Weigh the lentils using a kitchen scale and add them to the saucepan. Use a measuring spoon to add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to low and cook the lentils for 30 minutes, or until they are tender but not falling apart. Turn off the stove when finished.
Smash the Potatoes
While the lentils are cooking, drain the potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Once the potatoes have cooled, remove the peels and discard them. Smash the potatoes with a fork or a ricer.
Make the Filling
While the lentils finish cooking, use a knife and cutting board to mince the shallot and green chilli. Peel the ginger and grate it with a box grater.
Add everything to the bowl with the potatoes. Use measuring spoons to add the chilli powder, turmeric, black pepper, and salt.
Once the lentils are cooked, drain them using a strainer and add them to the bowl. Turn off the stove. Combine the ingredients with a spoon or spatula.
Make the Topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Add the oil, black pepper, and salt. Mix it all together with a spoon or spatula.
Stuff and Top the Bell Peppers
Use a paring knife to cut the tops off the bell peppers. Remove the core and discard the seeds.
Top Tip
Nik recommends carefully trimming the bottoms of the bell peppers if they won't stand on their own.
Transfer the bell peppers to a lined baking sheet. Use a fork or spoon to stuff the peppers with the potato lentil mixture. Top them off with the bread crumb mixture.
Bake the Bell Peppers
Brush the bell peppers with a bit of the oil. Bake the stuffed bell peppers in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the tops are crisp and golden brown.
My kids are in an anti-anything that looks too roasted phase, so I took ours out once they started turning a golden color.
The peppers should be tender and easily pricked by a fork.
Make the Sauce
While the peppers bake, make the yogurt sauce. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the yogurt, feta, and pumpkin seeds. Add them to a blender. Add the black pepper, lemon juice, cilantro, and green chilli (optional). Pulse on high until well combined. Taste the sauce and add salt as desired.
Serve Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers with Yogurt Sauce
Remove the stuffed bell peppers from the oven. Turn off the oven. Transfer the bell peppers to a plate. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers
For a healthy work of art that tastes incredible.
Grab your free printable recipe cards above. Kids can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather their equipment with the tools list, and prepare the meal using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed.
The cards are easy to use, include pictures, and encourage confidence and independence in the kitchen. They also make an excellent addition to your Montessori continent box for Europe.
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Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers
Equipment
- Box Grater
- Aluminum Foil
- Molcajete y Tejolote optional
Ingredients
Stuffed Bell Peppers
- 2 or 3 potatoes small starchy, such as russets, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt fine, plus more
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup black lentils
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 2 green chillis such as serrano, jalapeño, or bird's eye, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder ground
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper ground
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more
- 4 bell peppers red, orange, or yellow
Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain, unsweetened
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds raw or roasted, salted or unsalted
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh, or apple cider vinegar
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves and stems
Instructions
- Boil the Potatoes: Wash your hands with soap and water. Scrub the potatoes under water. Use a knife and a cutting board to cut the potatoes into chunks as desired. Add them to a pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Heat over medium-high heat. Let the water come to a rolling boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes.
- Cook the Lentils: While the potatoes are boiling, cook the lentils. Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan. Weigh the lentils using a kitchen scale and add them to the saucepan. Use a measuring spoon to add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to low and cook the lentils for 30 minutes, or until they are tender but not falling apart. Turn off the stove when finished.
- Smash the Potatoes: While the lentils are cooking, drain the potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Once the potatoes have cooled, remove the peels and discard them. Smash the potatoes with a fork or a ricer.
- Make the Filling: While the lentils finish cooking, use a knife and cutting board to mince the shallot and green chilli. Peel the ginger and grate it with a box grater. Add everything to the bowl with the potatoes. Use measuring spoons to add the chilli powder, turmeric, black pepper, and salt. Once the lentils are cooked, drain them using a strainer and add them to the bowl. Turn off the stove. Combine the ingredients with a spoon or spatula.
- Make the Topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Add the oil, black pepper, and salt. Mix it all together with a spoon or spatula.
- Stuff and Top the Bell Peppers: Use a paring knife to cut the tops off the bell peppers. Remove the core and discard the seeds. Transfer the bell peppers to a lined baking sheet. Use a fork or spoon to stuff the peppers with the potato lentil mixture. Top them off with the bread crumb mixture.
- Bake the Bell Peppers: Brush the bell peppers with a bit of the oil. Bake the stuffed bell peppers in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the tops are crisp and golden brown. My kids are in an anti-anything that looks too roasted phase, so I took ours out once they started turning a golden color. The peppers should be tender and easily pricked by a fork.
- Make the Sauce: While the peppers bake, make the yogurt sauce. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the yogurt, feta, and pumpkin seeds. Add them to a blender. Add the black pepper, lemon juice, cilantro, and green chilli (optional). Pulse on high until well combined. Taste the sauce and add salt as desired.
- Serve Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers with Yogurt Sauce: Remove the stuffed bell peppers from the oven. Turn off the oven. Transfer the bell peppers to a plate. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
Notes
- Leftover can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
- Full Lesson Info and Pictures at: https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/vegetarian-stuffed-bell-peppers
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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