Who knew that stuffed peppers could be so easy?
My family is Eastern European, and stuffed cabbage rolls have been a staple of our holiday celebrations for my entire sentient life. And I’ve tried not once, not twice, but three times to make a vegan version. I’ve got the filling and the sauce down. But I can’t for the life of me get the cabbage as tender as my grandma does. And when you need a knife to eat a cabbage roll, it’s less than ideal.
Luckily, bell peppers don’t have that same challenge. You can get them perfectly crisp-tender, and cut right through them with a fork. This recipe is like a samosa that’s wrapped in a luscious pepper instead of in fried dough! As for the butternut squash, well, it adds a velvety texture and a subtle sweetness without crowding out the flavor of the potato. I kind of have to put butternut squash in everything I make right now, because they’re starting to crowd us out of our apartment. See two of them looming ominously in the background of the pictures?
Before we eat peppers – you might have noticed that Yup, it’s Vegan is looking a little more… well, aesthetically pleasing these days! I did my best to lighten and open up the site, and I also made my tagline a bit less sassy, though I will personally continue to be very sassy. Coming soon, there will also be a slightly more creative looking header that I think is gonna be really cool!
I played in my high school orchestra, but that’s about as far as my artistic talent extents, so I hope you can understand why it has taken me months to make some of these changes. Feel free to let me know what you think of Yup, it’s Vegan’s updated look, and thanks so much for being a reader! It means so much to me that my message of delicious, {95%} healthy, home-cooked vegan food is starting to reach so many lovely people.
We served these peppers alongside collard greens that were braised with cumin seeds, onions, and coconut milk. Nothing fancy. But they can certainly stand alone, too :). As always, tweak the spices to your liking.
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Butternut & Potato Masala Stuffed Peppers
5-6 large green bell peppers (feel free to use other colors – this is what we had from the CSA & green peppers are also the cheapest at the supermarket)
1/2 of a butternut squash, cooked (see notes)
5-6 medium potatoes, skins on, cubed
1 green chili pepper, diced
1 tb ground cumin
1/2 tb ground coriander
(optional) 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tb white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt, to taste
Pomegranate seeds and more cilantro, for serving, optional
Tamarind chutney, for serving, optional (we get ours from the neighborhood Indian restaurant)
Prep and cook the peppers. Use a paring knife to cut a wide circle around the top of the pepper and the stem, and pull out the seeds and ribs by pulling on the stem. You may need to use your finger, or shake the pepper gently, to remove the last few seeds. For smaller peppers, instead of cutting the circle it’s sometimes easier to just slice off the entire top of the pepper. Bring about three inches of water to a boil in a saucepan, and put all of the peppers inside (it’s OK if not all of them are touching the water). Keep the water at a boil, cover the saucepan, and let the peppers cook for 5-7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Turn off the heat and remove them with a slotted spoon (or VERY GENTLY with tongs), and set them somewhere to cool.
Make the filling. Put the cubed potatoes, and the cubed squash if you are cooking it by this method (see the notes below), in a saucepan and add enough tap water to cover. Bring to a boil and let continue boiling for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and squash are both soft. Drain and add to a mixing bowl; add the cooked squash now if you cooked it some other way. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit; add the rest of the ingredients except the garnishes (chopped chili peppers through salt). Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Use a spoon to gently scoop filling into the hollowed out, cooked peppers and line them up in a roasting pan (helps to keep them upright; but if you don’t have a roasting pan a baking sheet works fine). Bake for about 15 minutes or until hot all of the way through. Serve with cilantro, pomegranate, and chutney if using.
Notes: We had a half of a squash in the fridge that was already peeled, so I just cubed it up and cooked it with the potatoes. But peeling squash sucks. You could also cut it in half, remove the seeds, and dry roast it at 400 degrees or so until cooked through, then use it mashed in the filling instead of cubed. If you are alright with microwaving things, that’s actually another great way to cook butternut squash: cut it in half, put it in a microwave-safe dish with a shallow layer of water, and cook for 5 minutes at a time until it’s done (usually 10 minutes). It’ll come right out of the peel. I’m not sure if canned pumpkin would work – it might be too soft.
Linked up on: Nourishing Joy, Jam Hands, Buns in my Oven, Thank Your Body Thursdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays
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Happy Sunday. Have a bountiful week!