My Instant Pot Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are filled with a hearty mixture of chewy brown rice, protein-packed lentils, crunchy celery, and sharp cheddar cheese. With just 15 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of pressure cooking, they’re an easy, satisfying vegetarian dinner for busy weeknights. Oven-baking instructions are included!
These peppers can handle the pressure
An easy and delicious vegetarian main dish that's packed with healthy whole grains and plant-based protein is something of a dinner time holy grail in my books. Add in an cute little edible package in the form of a sweet bell pepper, and my word we have achieved dinner time nirvana.
These Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are one of my faves. Stuffed with a nourishing mix of brown rice, lentils, veggies, and a bit of cheese, they're as tasty as they are adorable.
You can cook 'em up in the Instant Pot with just ten minutes at high pressure and for perfectly tender vegetarian stuffed peppers. All you need to do is sprinkle the tops with cheese, transfer to a serving dish, and voila! Dinner is done.
No Instant Pot? No problem. There are oven-baking instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Stuffed veggies is a whole vibe, right? For more nutrionist-designed recipes, check out this Stuffed Butternut Squash with brown rice and pecans, or my personal fave, these Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.
Let's make vegetarian stuffed peppers together!
Ok my friend, let's do this! You'll find specific quantities for ingredients and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. For now, let's walk through it step-by-step.
Step 1: prepare your peppers
Using a sharp knife, slice the tops off of your peppers. Remove the seeds from the inside, and carefully cut out the ribs.
Step 2: Make the filling
In a large bowl combine the brown rice, lentils, 1 cup of the cheese, tomato paste, onions, and celery. Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: stuff the peppers
Place the trivet into your Instant Pot, and add one cup of water. Add the four bell peppers into your Instant Pot, standing cut side up on the trivet.
Fill your peppers with the stuffing mixture. I find the easiest way to do this is to remove one pepper at a time, pack it full of stuffing, and return it to the Instant Pot.
Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set for Manual / High Pressure for 10 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
When the cooking cycle is complete, flip the valve to "venting" and quick-release the pressure.
Step 4: Top with cheese
Sprinkle the tops of the peppers with the remaining cheese. Place the lid back on the Instant Pot (you don't need to seal it) for about 2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
Carefully remove the stuffed peppers from the Instant Pot. You can either gently lift them out with tongs, or carefully remove the entire trivet.
Step 5: serve
Transfer the stuffed peppers to a serving dish, and dig in!
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with rice and lentils (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers
- 2 cups cooked brown rice From 1 cup uncooked
- 1 cup cooked lentils From ½ cup uncooked
- 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese divided
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 medium celery stalks diced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by slicing the tops off of the peppers. Using a sharp knife, remove the ribs and seeds from the inside.4 large bell peppers
- In a large bowl mix brown rice, lentils, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, tomato paste, the diced onion, and diced celery.2 cups cooked brown rice, 1 cup cooked lentils, 1 cups grated cheddar cheese, 1 small yellow onion, 2 medium celery stalks, ¼ cup tomato paste
- Mix well, and season with salt and pepper.salt and pepper
- Place the trivet into the Instant Pot insert, and add one cup of cold water.
- Place the peppers into the Instant Pot, resting on the trivet.
- Remove one pepper from the Instant Pot, and fill with the rice stuffing. Really pack it in there.
- Once filled, return the pepper to the Instant Pot, and repeat with remaining peppers.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and seal. Ensure the valve is set to "sealing".
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual / High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking cycle has completed, flip the vent to "venting" and quick release the pressure.
- Remove the lid, and sprinkle the peppers with the remaining half cup of cheese. Replace the lid onto the Instant Pot for 2-3 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.0.5 cups grated cheddar cheese
- Carefully remove the peppers from the Instant Pot using tongs, or lift the trivet out carefully.
- Transfer to a dish, and serve immediately.
Oven Baking Instructions
- Place the stuffed peppers into a casserole dish.
- Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the dish, and then tightly cover with foil.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350°F, or until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot.
- Uncover, add the remaining cheese to the tops, and allow it to melt in the oven for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
- Note: I did not cook the onions or celery prior to adding them to the stuffing mixture. They do steam and soften as the peppers cook, but if you prefer a more mellow oniony flavour, feel free to sauté the onions and celery prior to adding them to the stuffing mix.
- To make the stuffed peppers in advance, you can either make the filling and stuff the peppers and then refrigerate until you are ready to cook them in the Instant Pot, or cook the peppers as directed and then re-heat when you're ready to eat. I have found the microwave to be the best tool for re-heating these stuffed peppers.
Heather says
Fast, easy and delicious. I made no changes.
Emily says
What a delicious dinner. I can't believe how soft and sweet the peppers were from cooking in the instant pot. We followed your tip and sautéed the onions and celery for about 10 minutes before mixing it all in, and it was fabulous. They were so good we each ate two of them.
Heather says
Sounds like a fast and easy dinner. Must add cooked lentils to my freezer stash.
Thanks!
Katie Trant says
It's easy and delicious!