Enchilada Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans, Sweet Corn and Avocado-Lime Crema
Vegan quinoa stuffed peppers with enchilada spices, black beans, fresh late-summer corn and salsa, baked tender and finished with a cool avocado-lime crema.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 5 min
- Serves
- 4
Enchilada Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans, Sweet Corn and Avocado-Lime Crema is a vegan dinner recipe made with large bell peppers (red, olive oil, salt. It takes 70 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes resting, serves 4, and each serving has 490 calories, 17 g of protein and 19 g of fiber.
Cooking the quinoa in broth with the chili powder, cumin and oregano means the grain itself carries the enchilada flavor, not just the sauce on top. Pre-roasting the pepper halves for 10 minutes gets them soft by the time the filling is hot, so you never bite into a raw, crunchy shell. Fresh corn cut straight off the cob stays sweet and crisp against the beans, and the avocado-lime crema goes on cold at the end to balance the heat.
A cuisine + grain (Tex-Mex enchilada-spiced quinoa, black beans and late-summer corn with a cool avocado-lime crema instead of smoky tomato lentils and brown rice) take on our High Protein Vegan Stuffed Peppers with Lentils, Brown Rice and Smoky Tomato Sauce.
Ingredients
Peppers
- 4 large619 glarge bell peppers (red, yellow or orange), halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil, for brushing the peppers
- ¼ tsp1.5 gsalt, for the peppers
Filling
- ¾ cup128 gquinoa, rinsed well
- 1½ cups360 gvegetable broth
- 1 tbsp8.1 gchili powder
- 2 tsp4.2 gground cumin
- 1 tsp1 gdried oregano
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil, for the skillet
- 1 medium110 gyellow onion, finely diced
- 1 14 gjalapeño, seeded and minced
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 1½ cups204 gfresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
- 1 can240 gblack beans, drained and rinsed, 15-oz can
- 1 cup259 gthick tomato salsa, for the filling
- 1 tbsp15 glime juice, for the filling
- ¼ cup4 gfresh cilantro, chopped, for the filling
- ¾ tsp4.5 gsalt, for the filling
- ½ cup130 gthick tomato salsa, for the tops
Avocado-Lime Crema
- 1 large195 gripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- ¼ cup57 gunsweetened plain coconut yogurt
- 2 tbsp31 glime juice, for the crema
- ½ cup8 gfresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, for the crema
- 1 clove3 gsmall garlic clove, for the crema
- 3 tbsp45 gcold water, to thin
- ¼ tsp1.5 gsalt, for the crema
To Serve
- 2 30 ggreen onions, thinly sliced, to serve (optional)
- 2 tbsp16 gtoasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), to serve (optional)
- 1 65 glime, cut into wedges, to serve (optional)
Kit: 9x13-inch baking dish, medium saucepan with lid, large skillet, blender or food processor, aluminum foil
Tips
- Choose wide, blocky peppers that sit flat when halved. If one tips over, shave a thin slice off the bottom, but don't cut through.
- Use a thick, chunky salsa. A thin, watery one will make the filling soggy.
- Make the crema no more than an hour ahead and press plastic wrap right onto its surface so it doesn't brown.
Swap ideas
- Frozen corn (thawed and patted dry) instead of fresh
- Works year-round; the filling is slightly less sweet and crisp, so let the corn take on a little color in the skillet before adding the beans.
- 2 1/4 cups leftover cooked quinoa instead of cooking it in broth
- Saves about 20 minutes. Toast the chili powder, cumin and oregano with the onions for 30 seconds so the spices still flavor the filling.
- Pinto beans instead of black beans
- The filling is creamier and earthier, closer to refried-bean flavor, and cooks in the same time.
- 3 tbsp raw cashews soaked in hot water for 15 minutes instead of coconut yogurt
- Makes the crema richer and nuttier, with less tang. Add an extra squeeze of lime.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
490kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 3 g 15%
- Sugars
- 14.5 g
- Sodium
- 1764 mg 77%
- Potassium
- 1500 mg 32%
- Calcium
- 154 mg 12%
- Iron
- 5.7 mg 32%
- Vitamin C
- 219 mg 244%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.17 µg 7%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Peppers, sweet, red, raw, Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Salt, table, Quinoa, uncooked, Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve, Spices, chili powder, Spices, cumin seed, Spices, oregano, dried, Onions, raw, Peppers, jalapeno, raw, Garlic, raw, Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels cut off cob, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt, Sauce, salsa, ready-to-serve, Lime juice, raw, Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw, Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties, So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Plain Coconutmilk Yogurt (manufacturer label; serving 3/4 cup = 170 g, converted to per 100 g), Beverages, water, tap, drinking
Method
Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush the pepper halves inside and out with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle the insides with 1/4 tsp salt and set them cut-side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Roast until just starting to soften but still holding their shape, about 10 minutes.
While the peppers roast, combine the rinsed quinoa, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin and oregano in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa shows its little curled tails, 13–15 minutes. Take off the heat and let it steam, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent, 5–6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the corn kernels to the skillet and cook until bright yellow and just tender, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the black beans and warm through for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
Fold the spiced quinoa, 1 cup salsa, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and 3/4 tsp salt into the skillet. Taste and adjust salt or chili powder; the filling should be well seasoned since the peppers are mild.
Pour off any liquid that has collected in the roasted peppers. Pack the filling into the halves, mounding it slightly (about 2/3 cup each), and spoon about 1 tbsp of the remaining salsa over each. Pour 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the dish around the peppers.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are fork-tender, the edges are lightly blistered and the filling is hot all the way through, 10–12 minutes more.
While the peppers bake, make the crema: blend the avocado, coconut yogurt, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 cup cilantro, the small garlic clove, 1/4 tsp salt and 3 tbsp cold water until completely smooth and pourable, adding another splash of water if it is too thick to drizzle.
Let the peppers cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with the avocado-lime crema and finish with green onions, toasted pepitas and lime wedges, if using. Serve two halves per person.
Storage: Refrigerate baked peppers (without the crema) in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, or in the microwave, until hot throughout. Store the crema separately with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface for up to 1 day; stir it before using. The filling on its own freezes well for up to 3 months.
Questions
- How much protein is in enchilada quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans, sweet corn and avocado-lime crema?
- Each of the 4 servings has 17 g of protein, 19 g of fiber and 490 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is enchilada quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans, sweet corn and avocado-lime crema vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does enchilada quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans, sweet corn and avocado-lime crema take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, so 70 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make enchilada quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans, sweet corn and avocado-lime crema ahead?
- Refrigerate baked peppers (without the crema) in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, or in the microwave, until hot throughout. Store the crema separately with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface for up to 1 day; stir it before using. The filling on its own freezes well for up to 3 months.
- What can I substitute in enchilada quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans, sweet corn and avocado-lime crema?
- Frozen corn (thawed and patted dry) instead of fresh — works year-round; the filling is slightly less sweet and crisp, so let the corn take on a little color in the skillet before adding the beans.. 2 1/4 cups leftover cooked quinoa instead of cooking it in broth — saves about 20 minutes. toast the chili powder, cumin and oregano with the onions for 30 seconds so the spices still flavor the filling.. Pinto beans instead of black beans — the filling is creamier and earthier, closer to refried-bean flavor, and cooks in the same time.. 3 tbsp raw cashews soaked in hot water for 15 minutes instead of coconut yogurt — makes the crema richer and nuttier, with less tang. add an extra squeeze of lime..
- Does enchilada quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans, sweet corn and avocado-lime crema contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 25, 2026 ·Tex-Mex
