Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers with Barley

5 from 6 votes

Easy vegan stuffed bell peppers with barley filling and a rainbow of bell peppers for a healthy meal the whole family will love.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 345kcal

4 -5 large bell peppers
1 medium onion chopped (1 cup)
2 medium celery stalks diced (1 cup)
1 medium carrot peeled and diced (½ cup)
3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 medium tomato diced (1 cup)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (tomato puree)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup barley see notes
2 cups vegetable broth
1 ½ cups cooked cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained (15 ounce can)

Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat, and then add the onions, celery, and carrots.
Stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Take 30 seconds to mix the spices with the vegetables.
Add the chopped tomato, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir to distribute the ingredients, then add the barley and vegetable broth.
Bring the ingredients to a simmer, cover the pot and cook the barley for 20-25 minutes. Check periodically and add more liquid if needed.
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
There are two ways to prep the peppers. Cut the peppers half from stem to end. Or cut off the tops and use the pepper whole. Clean out the seeds and white membranes. Arrange the peppers on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a large baking dish.
When the barley is cooked, remove it from the heat and mix in the white beans. Taste and adjust the flavorings.
Fill each pepper with spoonsful of the barley mixture. (If you have filling left over, it can be frozen). Arrange them back on the baking tray or dish.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the peppers are soft and tender.

Refrigerate leftover stuffed peppers for 4 days. Freeze the filling for 3 months to stuff fresh bell peppers for an easy dinner.
Use hulled or pearl barley with an equal amount of vegetable broth. Hulled barley will take about 35 minutes to cook. Adjust the liquid if the barley mixture becomes too dry.