Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

5 from 33 votes

Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

My hearty, spicy, vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers with quinoa, tomatoes, and corn are a Southwestern classic that’s a real crowd-pleaser. They're ready in under an hour, loaded with flavor and melty cheese, and make a perfect Mexican side dish to enchiladas.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

4 poblano peppers
2 roma tomatoes chopped
4 scallions sliced
1 tsp lime zest (from 1 fresh lime)
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 cup quinoa rinsed
4 tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp taco seasoning or southwestern spice blend
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese (¼ cup per pepper)
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash and dry all produce. Halve poblanos through stem, then remove seeds and ribs. Dice tomato. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Wash quinoa. Zest lime until you have 1 tsp; quarter lime.
Bring vegetable stock and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a small, lidded pot. Once boiling, add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until quinoa is tender and water has evaporated, 15-20 minutes. (TIP: If not all water evaporates, drain excess.)
While quinoa cooks, rub poblano halves with oil (about 1 tsp per pepper - 4 tsp total); season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet cut sides down. Roast on middle rack until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine greek yogurt or sour cream, lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, and 2 tsp water. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain corn and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a drizzle of oil (about 1 tsp) in a large, oven-safe pan over high heat. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred, 4-5 minutes. (TIP: If corn begins to pop, cover pan.)
Reduce heat to medium and add tomato, scallion whites, and Southwest Spice blend or taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato breaks down, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir cooked quinoa into pan with veggies; season with salt and pepper.
Once poblanos are done roasting, stuff each with as much of the grain mixture as will fit. Place in pan with remaining grain mixture, nestling each poblano half in the grains. (TIP: If your pan isn't ovenproof, transfer mixture to a small baking dish and arrange stuffed poblanos in there.) Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Heat broiler to high.
Transfer pan with stuffed peppers to middle rack of oven. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven, then top with lime crema and scallion greens. Divide among plates. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this spicy stuffed poblano peppers recipe is to rinse the quinoa before cooking to remove the unpleasant soapy flavor that the grain sometimes have. For the easiest rinsing, use a fine mesh strainer.
Make Quinoa Ahead: To save time, I sometimes make the quinoa ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Roast Peppers Cut Side Down: Roasting the poblano peppers will add flavor and soften the peppers perfectly before they are filled. For best results, I roast them cut side down to prevent them from drying out and provide a nicely browned edge to help hold in the quinoa.
Broil Using an Oven-Safe Pan: I recommend using an ovenproof pan to cook the quinoa filling so that you can fill the peppers and broil them without transferring them to a small baking dish. Saves on washing up.
Use Similarly Sized Poblanos: For best results, I use similarly sized poblanos. The peppers will roast at the same rate and everyone will get the same portion of delicious quinoa and corn filling.

Nutrition