Sweet roasted bell peppers are filled with Asian inspired sesame-ginger seasoned mushrooms, tofu and rice. Serve them with red cabbage slaw for a complete meal which is rich in flavor, nutrients and color!
Before we dive into this delicious recipe, here’s some real talk. You know the feeling when the fridge is almost empty but a meal must be made, and you’re pulling your hair out trying to come up something using the few bits lying around? Yeah, me too. While not what I want to do at the end of a long day, these are the times I’m driven to get creative with what I have. So in hindsight, it’s a bit of a blessing in disguise. I joke with my husband that these are the meals where I’m “making somethin outta nothin”.
This recipe is the result of one of those times. The fridge was a pretty bare except for mushrooms, a bag of bell peppers, tofu, half of a cabbage and some spring onions. I wanted to use them all up and was craving Asian flavors…and behold the yummy and nutritious meal that came about!
There’s essentially 4 easy steps to this meal:
1) cook your rice with prepared miso broth, or mushroom broth instead of water for extra flavor infusion
2) roast the peppers while your rice cooks
3) sauté the filling for the peppers
4) toss the ingredients together for the red cabbage slaw. Eat!
Tips for the Stuffed Roasted Peppers and Red Cabbage Slaw
- Cook your rice ahead of time if possible. Chilled, cooked rice (or day old rice) is easier to fry than freshly cooked, hot rice. This recipe calls for brown long grain rice as it has a nutty flavor which goes really well with the sesame and ginger, and is healthier than white rice. Brown rice is not as challenging to pan fry fresh like freshly cooked white rice is, because the starches are mostly tucked in behind the bran of the rice (the part that makes the rice brown). So if you cook the brown rice the same day you’re making this recipe, don’t fret; I did it, too and the end result was awesome.
- Don’t over roast your peppers. We want some char but not peppers that are over roasted, dehydrated and can no longer hold a filling.
- Use extra firm tofu. It fries nicely without falling apart and has a firm texture which contrasts with the mushrooms and rice. Bonus points for pressed tofu, but this isn’t necessary!
- If you don’t have rice wine vinegar
, try using apple cider vinegar. Rice wine vinegar is one of the mildest vinegars and is a bit sweet. While distilled white vinegar has the same color, it is too harsh for this recipe. - Shred your cabbage really thin. I use a mandolin
which is inexpensive and doesn’t take up a lot of space in the kitchen. My husband bought it for me and I love it! It makes getting your veggies perfectly thin easily and consistently! - For the slaw, use toasted sesame oil
– it has a richer flavor than untoasted sesame oil with some nutty tones.
If you make this recipe, leave a comment and a rating below! You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation. I love hearing from you and seeing my recipes coming to life in your kitchen!
Stuffed Roasted Peppers with Sesame-Ginger Mushrooms, Tofu and Rice Topped with Red Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
For the Roasted Peppers:
- 6 red bell peppers, cut in half from top to bottom and seeds removed
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
For the Rice:
- 2 ½ cups prepared miso or mushroom broth (or as much as equal to the amount of water required per rice package directions)
- 1 cup long grain brown rice (this recipe was tested using brown basmati)
For the Filling:
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 10 ounces crimini or shiitake mushrooms, sliced (stems removed from shiitakes)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and microplaned or very finely minced
- 12 ounces tofu, extra firm, pressed, diced into 1/2" cubes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 bunch spring onions, sliced (reserve 2 spring onions for the slaw)
Sesame Ginger Red Cabbage Slaw
- 2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and microplaned or very finely minced
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 spring onions, sliced
Instructions
For the Rice:
- Rinse the rice under cool water in a fine mesh sieve. Place in a medium-sized pot with the miso or mushroom broth. Add a drop of sesame oil to the pot to help prevent foaming. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pot and cook as long as package directs. Once cooked, place the rice in a large bowl; fluff with a fork and let to cool while you prepare everything else.
For the Roasted Peppers:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the peppers with the sesame oil and place on the pan. Roast in fully preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the peppers have a bit of char.
For the Filling:
- In a wok or a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, cooking them for about 5 minutes or until they are browned, stirring only 2 or 3 times to help them sear. Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic, ginger and tofu. Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the tofu starts to brown, stirring occasionally for even cooking.
- Add in the rice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup and sliced spring onions. Stir well to ensure things are evenly coated and mixed together.
For the Red Cabbage Slaw:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss well.
To Serve:
- Place the roasted peppers cut side up on a serving tray or plate. Fill with the rice mixture, top with the slaw, and garnish with more sesame seeds and sliced spring onion if desired. Enjoy!
Here are some items I used to make this recipe:
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