Sweet pointed peppers are generally a type of red pepper – these came in an amazing color combination that included orange and deep purple, too – featuring a thin skin and a natural sweetness that’s hard to resist. They’re delicious when sliced and eaten raw or roasted like I did for this Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Pointed Peppers.
Cauliflower rice, black beans and a mix of Italian-inspired seasonings and ingredients make for a hearty filling that lends this dish to being a main course or a summer side dish to serve along whatever you have on the menu. Skip the cheese, which is scant and just used to bind the filling, and these can be made vegan, too.
Ingredients
- 5 sweet pointed peppers, or equivalent
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ¼ cups (10-ounce bag) cauliflower rice
- 1 15.5-ounce can black beans
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley to garnish, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
While oven is preheating, slice the peppers horizontally – leaving about 1 to 2 inches of space near the stem and the pointed end of the pepper. Carefully dig out seeds and ribs of the peppers.
Drizzle the inside of each pepper with a bit of olive oil. Bake peppers in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
To make the filling, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add in minced garlic and cook for another minute.
Add cauliflower rice to the skillet. If cauliflower rice is frozen, defrost it for about 1 minute in the microwave. Stir in rice and add dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, salt and pepper to the skillet.
Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until cauliflower rice just begins to crisp. Stir in diced tomato and chopped spinach, reducing heat to medium. Cook filling for 7 to 10 minutes, until flavors are combined.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as needed. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Spoon filling into the peppers and return baking sheet to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove, garnish with fresh parsley, as desired, and serve.
Notes
Serves up to 5 people as a side dish.
