Some dishes evoke a sense of nostalgia and remind us of fond memories. Vegan stuffed capsicums do that to me, since my granny used to make the best none vegan stuffed capsicums and I will never forget how much she loved seeing us enjoying every bite of it.
Her recipe was not vegan, but when I became a vegan I tried to veganise all those recipes that had strong connection with in my childhood and those that brought back beautiful memories.
Vegan stuffed capsicum is one of those dishes that will give you a chance to improvise and change some ingredients here and there. So here I’ve tried to remember the taste of my granny’s recipe and make it as close to it as possible.
One thing that makes a very big difference, is the intensity of seasoning. You want to have rich umami flavours with these stuffed capsicums, something like explosion of flavours, and adding fresh herbs will help with that, I promise.
Now lets talk about the important part, what we will need for this recipe ..
Ingredients for vegan stuffed capsicum:
– 1 cup long grain rice
– 6 bell capsicums (any colours you like)
– 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 4-5 garlic cloves
– 2 tablespoon tomato paste
– 1/2 cup shredded carrots
– 1/2 cup mushrooms
– Handful freshly chopped herbs
– 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
– 2 tsp sea salt
– 1 tsp black pepper
– 1 tsp umami powder (optional)
– Dried mint
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C
2. Wash the capsicums and cut off the tops of the capsicums and remove the seeds.
3. Partially cook the rice and In a large bowl, mix the rice with shredded carrots. Wash the fresh herbs thoroughly and finely chop them and add them to the bowl, in this step we will add all the ingredients that are listed above and mix them well.
4. Fill each capsicum with the rice and vegetable mixture, pressing it down gently. Place the capsicums upright in a baking dish.
5. Pour the tomato sauce that has been mixed with water over the stuffed capsicums, covering them evenly. If you like, add some shredded vegan cheese on top.
6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in the preheated oven. Let it cook for 45 minutes or until the capsicums are tender and the cheese is melted.
7. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
Serve this hearty and delicious meal warm and enjoy every bite of it 🌱💚
With love,
Ani