Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- For the Broth:
- 1 cup (245 ml) marinara sauce
- 2 1/2 cups (590 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 14.5 (440 g) ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- For the Casserole:
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 1/4 cup (218 g) dry brown or green lentils, rinsed well
- 3–5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (180 g) dry brown rice
- 10 ounces (280 g) frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
- 1 1/2 –2 cups dairy-free cheese, to put on top (optional)
- Fresh parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and set a 9×13″ casserole dish aside. Mix the sauce, broth, diced tomatoes, cumin, and Italian seasoning together in a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- While the liquid is heating up, add the onion, bell peppers, lentils, garlic, and rice to the casserole dish. Use your hands to separate and sprinkle the thawed spinach over the veggies, then mix together with a spatula until everything is evenly combined.
- Remove the broth from the heat once it comes to a boil and pour evenly over the casserole dish. Cover the casserole with a lid, aluminum foil, or parchment paper followed by aluminum foil and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, uncover, and stir well to incorporate the sauce evenly. If you are not using vegan cheese, serve here. Otherwise, top the casserole with vegan cheese and return to the oven; broil for 2 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with fresh parsley and serve warm
- Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.
Notes
- White Rice: replace the brown rice with equal parts white rice. Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes instead of 400F for 60.
- Flavor variations: to give this casserole more of a Tex-Mex vibe, add 1 cup of corn kernels along with the veggies, plus 1 tbsp chili powder (or taco seasoning) to the broth mix! You can also top with fresh cilantro instead of parsley. For more of an Italian vibe, keep the ingredients the same but top with fresh basil instead of parsley!
