Rice and Tofu Stuffed Peppers
- Yield
- 6 servings
Green peppers filled with brown rice, savory soy-glazed tofu, sweet cranberries, pecans and Parmesan, baked until the tops color and finished with a warm, lightly sweet tomato sauce.
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Ingredients
Batches and reset
6 servings · US measures · 1 batch
Batching
Make one batch of 6 peppers per 9 x 13-inch dish. For 12, make a second batch; rice, steaming and baking times do not scale with quantity.
Original recipe: 6 servings.
Nutrition is incomplete. Tofu measured by the cup, cooking sherry and vegetarian Worcestershire sauce have no cited weight or matching food record in the retained data, and the water used to steam the peppers is poured off. Salt and pepper added to taste are not included.
Before you start
- Read through the recipe before starting the rice. Gather the saucepans, skillet, microwave-safe dish, baking dish and measured ingredients.
Directions
Read and gather
For the whole recipe
Read through the recipe, gather the equipment, and use the ingredient lines to measure and prepare everything; the brown rice takes the longest, so start it first. Everything is measured and within reach.
Bring the rice to a boil and simmer
For each dish of 6 peppers
Bring the brown rice and about 3 cups water to a boil in the 2-quart saucepan with a lid over high heat, then cover the pan, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Cool it uncovered if you are not using it soon, and refrigerate it within two hours.
Heat the oven
For each dish of 6 peppers
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle position. Bake only after the oven reaches 350°F.
Cut the tops off the peppers and steam them
For each dish of 6 peppers
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and pull out the seeds and ribs, keeping the bases whole. Stand the peppers in the microwave-safe dish with about 1/2 cup water, cover the dish, and microwave on high power until the peppers just bend when pressed, about 6 minutes. Pour off the water.
Simmer the sauce and tofu
For each dish of 6 peppers
Simmer the soy sauce, sherry and vegetarian Worcestershire sauce in the small skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu cubes and stir gently until the tofu has soaked up the liquid and the pan is nearly dry.
Stir the filling and taste
For each dish of 6 peppers
Stir the cooked rice, tofu, cranberries, pecans and Parmesan together in the large bowl. Taste the filling. Aim for savory and lightly sweet, with a nutty crunch. If it tastes flat, season with salt and black pepper to taste until the flavors stand out.
Fill and bake
For each dish of 6 peppers
Fill the softened peppers with the filling, pressing it in lightly, and stand them upright in the 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bake on the middle rack at 350°F until the filling is hot and the tops are lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Warm the tomato sauce
For each dish of 6 peppers
Warm the tomato sauce with the brown sugar in the small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce steams.
Spoon on the sauce and serve
For the whole recipe
Spoon the warm sauce over the peppers and serve them hot as 6 servings, one pepper each. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and reheat them until the filling reaches 165°F (74°C).
About this recipe
Why it works
Softening the peppers first means they finish tender in a short bake, and simmering the tofu in soy sauce and sherry until the liquid is absorbed seasons it all the way through before it joins the rice filling.
Associated with
American home cooking
Stuffed vegetables are an old and widespread family of dishes; in the US, bell peppers are commonly filled with rice, meat and cheese and served with tomato sauce. This meatless version uses tofu.
Taste
- Sweet
- Sour
- Salty
- Bitter
- Savory
- Heat
Soy sauce, Parmesan and tomato sauce bring salt and savor; cranberries and brown sugar add sweetness. · tender pepper shells with chewy brown rice, crunchy pecans and chewy cranberries · hot
Skill level
Some practice
Several components are prepared in parallel before the bake.
Allergens
Contains: soy, wheat, tree nuts (pecans), milk.
Check the cooking sherry for sulfites and the vegetarian Worcestershire sauce for wheat or barley.
Diets
Vegetarian: Depends on what you buyPescatarian: Fits as listedVegan: Doesn't fit as writtenDairy: See the allergen linesEgg: See the allergen linesGluten: See the allergen lines
Occasions
Lenten abstinence days (Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent)
A meatless main; cheese and wine are allowed on days of abstinence.
Serving and keeping
Best served: Hot, once the tops have colored With warm sweetened tomato sauce spooned over each pepper
Make ahead: Bake chilled stuffed peppers a little longer, until hot through.
Storage: Refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F / 32 °C), covered. They freeze for about 2 to 3 months for best quality.
Leftovers: Reheat covered so the peppers do not dry out; add fresh sauce when serving.
Food safety
- Cool cooked rice and refrigerate it within 2 hours if it is not used right away.
- Microwaved peppers and their water are very hot; uncover them away from your face.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165 °F (74 °C).
We make no statement about cross-contact in your kitchen or in packaged ingredients. Check the sauce, cheese and sherry labels.
Nutrition notes
Most of the sodium comes from the soy sauce, the cooking sherry (which has added salt) and the canned tomato sauce. Reduced-sodium soy sauce, unsalted dry sherry and no-salt-added tomato sauce keep it lower.
Brown rice keeps its bran, which adds fiber to the filling.
Swap notes
grated Parmesan cheese · vegetarian
Use: a hard Italian-style cheese made with microbial (vegetarian) rennet
What changes: Same amount; similar flavor.
Not a swap: Parmigiano Reggiano, which is always made with calf rennet.
cooking sherry · halal.general
Use: vegetable broth with a splash of vinegar, plus a halal-certified or microbial-rennet hard cheese
What changes: Less winey depth; the tofu still absorbs the liquid.
Not a swap: Cooking wine or sherry of any kind.
cooking sherry · lds.word_of_wisdom
Use: vegetable broth with a splash of vinegar
What changes: Removes the question of cooking with wine.
Not a swap: Cooking wine or sherry of any kind.
grated Parmesan cheese · vegan
Use: no cheese topping, with certified vegan brown sugar and a Worcestershire sauce confirmed vegan
What changes: Less salty and savory.
Not a swap: Cheese labeled vegetarian, which is still dairy.
soy sauce
Use: reduced-sodium soy sauce, unsalted dry sherry and no-salt-added tomato sauce
What changes: Less salty; taste and adjust at the end.
Not a swap: Cooking sherry, which has added salt.
These notes don't change the amounts, allergens or nutrition shown for this recipe.
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- Recipe url
- https://isthebestrecipe.com/vegetables/rice-and-tofu-stuffed-peppers
- Name
- Rice and Tofu Stuffed Peppers
- Servings
- 6
- Recipe yield
- 6 servings
- Recipe ingredient
- about 1 1/2 cups brown rice, about 3 cups water for the rice, 6 whole large green bell peppers, about 1/2 cup water for steaming the peppers, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp cooking sherry, 1 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, about 1 1/2 cups extra-firm tofu pressed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, about 1/4 cup pecans chopped, about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, to taste salt and black pepper, about 2 cups tomato sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar packed
- Copy action wording
- Copy recipe and estimated nutrition
Sources
- Stuffed peppers (Wikipedia (English), 2026-08-03)
- Food Allergies: What You Need to Know (major food allergens under FALCPA and the FASTER Act) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026-03-11)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II: Substances or products causing allergies or intolerances (legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) copy of the EU regulation text, 2014-02-19)
- Four Steps to Food Safety (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025-11-24)
- Cold Food Storage Chart (FoodSafety.gov, 2023-09-19)
- Sodium in Your Diet (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- FoodData Central: Alcoholic beverage, wine, cooking (FDC ID 169070, SR Legacy) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
- FoodData Central: Tomato products, canned, sauce (FDC ID 170054, SR Legacy) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
- FoodData Central: Rice, brown, long-grain, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) (FDC ID 169703, SR Legacy) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
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Nutrition Values
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