A tasty go-to, perfect for getting hidden veggies into your diet in a colourful and easy way!

**prep time** 30 mins
total time 1 hour
**makes** 6 stuffed peppers, serves 3

Stuffed peppers are always a great go-to vegetarian and vegan meal. This version is stuffed with a tasty bulgur wheat, carrot and pea filling, that children and adults alike would love. Plus, it’s very affordable as it’s using carrots and peas, which are some of the cheapest plants you can buy. We also found “wonky” peppers in our local supermarket which made the dish even cheaper, so they’re worth looking out for! This dish cost £2.89 in total, or 96p per serving.

All you’ll need is:

3 peppers
250g carrots, roughly chopped
100g frozen peas
1 onion, roughly chopped
500ml vegetable stock
100g bulgur wheat
Sea salt & black pepper
1 tsp paprika (could use smoked)
Dash of tabasco or chilli flakes
10g fresh coriander
50g vegan cheese

In a pan, add the carrots, onions and stock, and cook until softened. This will create a paste to mix through your bulgur wheat once blended. Add the carrot, onion and stock mixture to a high speed blender and blitz up. This is a great time to add any additional veggies if you are trying to eat more yourself, or trying to get your kids to eat more! Options such as a handful of spinach or broccoli will be easily hidden and won’t change the taste dramatically.

Return the blended mix to the pan and add the bulgur wheat. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the bulgur wheat is tender. Now you can add in the peas, and some chilli flakes or a dash of tobasco (or your preferred hot sauce). It’s important to leave the peas until this point so they keep their lovely green colour! Part of what makes this dish so yummy is how colourful it looks, as we all eat with our eyes too! Stir through some freshly chopped coriander and season to taste.

Cut the peppers in half vertically (top to bottom). You can also cut the tops off, and stuff them that way - whichever you like! I opted for different coloured peppers, for a more vibrant dish. Remove any seeds or white pith.

On a lined baking tray, lay each half pepper down and fill generously with the bulgur wheat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

It tastes especially amazing, if in the last 5 minutes, you finely grate some vegan cheese to melt over the top. Serve with some additional fresh coriander, and an optional squeeze of lemon.

These are a great side dish to a BBQ, a big green salad, steamed greens, or potato wedges.

INGREDIENTS

3 peppers
250g carrots, roughly chopped
100g frozen peas
1 onion, roughly chopped
500ml vegetable stock
100g bulgur wheat
Sea salt & black pepper
1 tsp paprika (could use smoked)
Dash of tabasco or chilli flakes
10g fresh coriander
50g vegan cheese

METHOD

Add the stock to a pan with the carrot slices and onion. Cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Blitz in a blender, and return to the pan.
Pour in the bulgar wheat and simmer gently for about 10-15 mins until tender. Now add the frozen peas, tabasco, and reheat. Stir everything through the fresh coriander. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Cut the peppers in half vertically (top to bottom) and place the halves on a baking sheet. Generously stuff with the carrot/bulgur wheat mix.
Bake for 30 mins until the top is golden brown. Optionally, finely grate over vegan cheese for the last 5 minutes. Serve with extra fresh coriander, a squeeze of lemon, and enjoy with a green salad or a side of potato wedges.

notes

You can add in extra vegetables to the start of the dish to try and hide them if you are trying to eat more, if you are trying to get children or family members to eat more vegetables. Great options would be broccoli, spinach, kale, or courgette.
Add some breadcrumbs to the top of the stuffed peppers for added crunch.