Let’s face it, when you have a really delicious sauce like this Cilantro Cashew Sauce, you kind of look for anything to put it on to justify eating more of it, instead of just grabbing a spoon and slurping it up, which would be wrong, right?
These quinoa and mushroom stuffed peppers with a cilantro cashew sauce are so delicious, whether you are a vegetarian/vegan, or not. The filling is a wonderful side dish on its own, or a great Thanksgiving stuffing, but it is the mix of flavors – sweet and spicy peppers, earthy rich tasting mushrooms, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and the creamy lux texture of the cashew sauce that come together to make this an incredibly tasty dish.
Quinoa and Mushroom Stuffed Peppers with Cilantro Cashew Sauce
A red or purple Marconi pepper is a perfect choice for stuffing, but not always available, so a red Bell pepper, Poblano pepper, or any other pepper that isn’t too hot will work well. I used some small peppers here to use as an appetizer. Two or three of these small peppers, or one large pepper, like a Poblano, would work fine as an entree size serving.
Finally, for those who don’t want to go the vegan route, top these with a little cheese and substitute my Simple Tomato Sauce for the Cashew Sauce, and you’ll have something really delicious as a side dish or entree.
- 6 sweet peppers
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- ⅔ diced red onions
- 4 sundried tomato halves, chopped into small pieces (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan.
- Toss the mushrooms and onions in the olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or two.
- Remove from heat.
- Place the mushroom and onion mixture, quinoa, sundried tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine the ingredients.
- Spoon the quinoa stuffing into the peppers and place them in a heat-proof dish and warm for 10 minutes.
- Serve with the cashew sauce.
- 1½ cups cashews
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup water
- Pinch hot pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Soak the cashews in water for one to two hours.
- Drain the nuts and place them in a food processor.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the cilantro.
- Turn on the food processor and blend until completely smooth.
- Toss in the cilantro and pulse the processor a few times.
- Place sauce in container and refrigerate.
I’m quite excited about this recipe, Eva Marie. It’s right up my taste alley! The cilantro cashew sauce looks good enough to drink! LOL! I think I have all the ingredients on hand except the peppers, and that’s easy. I can’t wait to give this a try!