Chickpea & quinoa stuffed peppers

This vegetarian/vegan recipe is very easy to prepare and is very high in dietary fibre, very low in fat and is full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

This recipe is very gut friendly, good for your heart and diabetes friendly. It’s also relatively high in protein despite it being vegan and without any meat.

Nutrition rundown

This is a well-balanced, plant-forward meal with moderate calories and strong fibre content, thanks to the quinoa, chickpeas and capsicums.

• Fibre is excellent (29.3% DV), supporting gut health and satiety.
• Protein is moderate (19.2% DV) from quinoa and chickpeas, making it satisfying without being heavy.
• Fat content is heart-healthy, primarily from extra virgin olive oil, with low saturated fat.
• Cholesterol-free, making it suitable for cardiovascular-conscious diets.
• Sodium is low due to using homemade stock.

Ingredients

• 4 large red or green peppers (capsicums)
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock (can substitute with vegetable stock to make it vegan)
• 1 medium red (Spanish) onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup carrot, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup eggplant, diced
• 1 large tomato, sliced thickly into 4 slices
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp oregano, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp thyme, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
• 4 large bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic and onions are starting to get golden brown.
3. Add the diced peppers, eggplant and carrots and saute for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add the quinoa and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the chicken stock (or vegetable stock) and bring the mixture to a boil, uncovered.
6. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has cooked through and absorbed the stock.
7. Add the chickpeas, herbs, salt and pepper to the quinoa mixture and mix through well.
8. Slice the top of each of the peppers (capsicums) and remove all the seeds from the inside.
9. Add a bay leaf to the inside of each pepper.
10. Add a spoonful at a time of the quinoa and chickpea mixture to the pepper until they are full.
11. As each pepper is filled, add it upright into a oven-proof dish.
12. Fill each pepper with a little bit of water.
13. Top each pepper with the tomato slice
14. Cover the peppers with foil and bake for about 25-30 minutes in a medium oven (200°C) until the peppers are soft.
15. Serve individual peppers with salad greens

Nutrition information

The % daily values are based on a diet of 2000 calories per day
These are approximate values.