In my opinion vegetables are fantastic food products. You can eat them raw, fry them, roast them, boil them, steam them etc. But there’s another thing that you can do with these precious jewels of nature. You can stuff them! In my opinion one of the most flavorful vegetables that you can stuff is bell pepper. Still haven’t tried to stuff them vegan-style? Well, this is your chance! I’m sure that after trying these stuffed bell peppers with couscous and beans you will prepare them again and again!
Bell peppers contain many good nutrients. One of the things that bell peppers are famous for is their high content of vitamin C. Usually people think that big amount of vitamin C is only in citrus fruits. But that is not true. Also bell peppers contain a lot of vitamin C. To be more precise, you need to eat only one raw bell pepper per day. That’s right – only one! And your recommended daily intake of vitamin C will be covered. I personally love the flavor of bell peppers. I eat them raw as much as I eat them cooked. In case you’re not a big fan of raw bell peppers, maybe I can change that! Maybe the only thing missing is some Fresh and spicy veggie dip that you can eat together with raw bell peppers. And not only bell peppers! Basically with any raw vegetable.
Also Specky appreciates this healthy vegetable. Even though he doesn’t eat bell peppers, he knows that mommy loves them, so he also agrees that they’re yummy! Just look how he’s licking his moustache only by looking at them!
Ok, ok, he also scratches his fluffy cheeks in front of them. But still, I’m sure that he thinks that they’re tasty!
How to choose the best bell peppers for stuffing
Before we dive into the stuffing subject, let me give you an advice about stuffed bell peppers. No matter, if you stuff whole bell pepper or its halves, choose bell peppers with four bumps on the bottom. It will make everything much easier. Because the whole bell pepper or its halves will be much more stable on the baking tray. So the stuffing won’t fall out!
When it comes about stuffing the vegetables, here you can let your imagination guide you. Or if your creativity level is quite low today, here’s another stuffed bell pepper recipe that you must try!
Nutritional value of Stuffed bell peppers with couscous and beans
I prefer to stuff vegetables with diverse products so that my plate contains all the necessary things. Like vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, fiber and protein. That’s why in this recipe as the stuffing I use couscous, beans, onions, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Even though couscous is not packed with nutrients, its biggest benefit is the amount of selenium that it contains. In general it’s hard to find selenium in food products. That’s because it is very hard to find it in nature. The biggest possibility to take in selenium with food products is for people that live close to volcanoes. Selenium helps our body fight the toxins in blood and it also boosts our immune system. Besides that, couscous is also a valuable source of protein. Also tomatoes and onions contain valuable nutrients, like vitamins A, C and K, and potassium.
Stuffed bell peppers with couscous and beans – easy to make & flavorful
Of course, which type of couscous and beans to use, is up to your choice. I used Moroccan couscous and kidney beans that have a slightly sweet flavor. Just like the oven-roasted bell peppers. That’s why the outcome of this recipe is a mixture of sweet, sour and slightly salty flavor. The salinity comes from the couscous, which in this recipe absorbs the water and spices. If you want to avoid using spices and keep the original mild flavor of couscous, feel free to do that. In any case the outcome won’t be tasteless. The flavor of this dish definitely creates an impression that you worked hard to prepare it. Even though in reality it’s neither hard nor time-consuming. Probably the hardest part is to wait until the stuffed bell peppers are ready. Because once they’re in the oven, the house starts to fill with delicious and mouth-watering aroma.
If you want to treat yourself with something nutritious, try these Stuffed bell peppers with couscous and beans. Surprise yourself with a meal that is:
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healthy
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vegan
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flavorful
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juicy
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full of protein
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full of vitamins
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deliciously aromatic
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and simply yummy!
Let me know, if you try this recipe! Leave a comment or even more – make Specky happy! Snap a picture of your masterpiece and post it on Instagram or Facebook by tagging @bunnymommycooks. And feel free to let your animal family members join in the picture!
| Prep Time | 15 min |
| Cook Time | 20 min |
| Servings |
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- 2 medium size bell peppers
- 2 medium size onions
- 1 tomato
- 200 g of couscous
- 250 g of cooked or canned kidney beans
- 200 ml of tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (or any other oil that you prefer)
- spices of your choice (I used curry, garlic salt and lemon pepper, but you can mix together the ones that you prefer)
Ingredients
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- cut onions and tomato in small pieces and cook in a frying pan with oil until onions become golden;
- by following the instructions on your couscous package take the necessary amount of hot water and mix it with the chosen spices. Then put the couscous in a bowl, add the water-spice mixture and cover the bowl. The couscous will absorb all the spicy water and be ready in about 5 – 8 minutes;
- while couscous is getting ready, cut the bell peppers in half and clean them from seeds;
- when the couscous is ready and the onions and tomatoes are cooked, mix couscous, onions, tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce together. Do not worry if the couscous seems too dry for you – it will absorb also the tomato sauce and liquids from the cooked onions and tomatoes;
- stuff abundantly bell pepper halves with the couscous mixture and place them on a baking tray that is lined with parchment paper;
- cook the stuffed bell peppers at 200°C/390°F in a preheated ventilated oven for 20 minutes or until the bell peppers are soft.
