Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Poblano peppers stuffed with creamy black beans smothered in homemade enchilada sauce, a perfect plant-based meal!

If I searched “Mexican food near me,” this is what should show up.

A roasted poblano pepper filled with spiced black beans draped in homemade enchilada sauce.

When I ordered the daily special in a little cantina in Mexico, I wasn’t thinking vegetarian. I wasn’t thinking healthy. I just wanted good. Si, si! It was all that! This is my effort to bring a healthy dinner recipe – stuffed poblano peppers near me…like to my table!

✅ Delicious and festive

✅ Easy to make and plant based

✅ Filled with flavor and fiber

✅ Easy to find ingredients

How to make vegetarian stuffed poblanos

There are a few steps to get this on the table, but none are hard or take much time. While you roast the peppers, you can work on the beans and enchilada sauce.

fresh poblano peppers

How to roast peppers

Heat oven to 400℉ or grill to medium high. For oven, place peppers on baking sheet. For grill place directly on grill grate. Roast until skin blisters and lightly chars, Turn every few minutes to get most of the pepper wrinkled. Place hot peppers in large bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap. The goal is to keep in the steam. Allow peppers to cool so you can handle them. Use a paring knife to peel away the blistered skin. Slit one side of the pepper to scrape out the seeds. Toss the seeds and skin.

Poblano or passilla peppers on the grill
grill until skin blisters and chars
Roasted peppers are ready to peel
cover peppers in a bowl to steam
Peelng roasted peppers
peel tough skin away from flesh

How to make creamy black beans

  • Empty a can of beans (with the liquid) into a saucepan.
  • Season with Mexican herbs and spices you might have on hand such as: chile powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, dried onion, garlic powder, cayenne and salt.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, mashing beans with a fork or potato masher until most of the beans are crushed. Remove from heat.
black beans with oregano, coriander, cumin, chia powder and other spices.
oregano, chile powder, cumin, cayenne, coriander, garlic power, dried onion, salt in canned black beans
pan of creamy black beans with potato masher
smash seasoned beans with potato masher

How to make homemade enchilada sauce

I’ve made a lot of things but I never even thought to make enchilada sauce. So happy I didn’t find any in the kitchen because this was so easy to make. If you’ve made gravy or a white sauce, you’ll see the similarities. Sure, you could use store bought, rather than DIY.

When you make gravy you cook the flour with the oil. Plain. With enchilada sauce, you add spices to the flour, like chile powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder and a dollop of tomato paste. That’s what makes it all enchiladay.

Seasonings for homemade enchilada sauce
Flour, chile powder, oregano, cumin and garlic powder are the homemade enchilada sauce seasonings
  1. Heat oil in pan.
  2. Stir in flour.
  3. Add broth or water.
  4. Boil, reduce heat to simmer, stir and cook to thicken.
spices in a bowl for homemade enchilada sauce
cooked spices in saucepan
Pan of smooth homemade enchilada sauce

Cook’s note: I freeze dollops of tomato paste on waxed paper, then store in an airtight container (in the freezer). Then I can have tomato paste when I need it and don’t waste a can of it. Helps reduce food waste!

spoonful of tomato paste
freeze dollops of tomato paste to reduce food waste and add flavor conveniently

Stuffed Poblano recipe

Timing: While the peppers roast and cool, I heat the beans and frozen corn and make the enchilada sauce. Slit the peppers, fill with beans, cover with sauce and serve. If you want to make things ahead of time, heat the filled peppers in the oven at 350℉ for 15 minutes.

Slit one side of the pepper to make a pocket, fill with beans, sprinkle with corn and cheese.

vegetarian healthy poblano peppers
Homemade enchilada sauce with black bean stuffed poblano
plate with roasted poblano pepper stuffed with black beans, covered with enchilada sauce, corn and cheese

What’s a favorite meal from one of your travels?

Conversation starters
Try some other bean recipes
gallopinto1
Gallo Pinto, black beans and rice
sun-dried tomato hummus

MORE healthy Mexican food recipes

High Five Fiber Challenge

I created a free, 5-day challenge you can join by clicking this link. You’ll get tips and tools, resources and recipes to create your own roadmap to meet your fiber goals toward high fiber meals. Don’t ya? Won’t ya? Seriously, it’s only 5 days 😉 Find it right here.

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How to make Black Bean Stuffed Poblanos

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Poblano pepper stuffed with creamy black beans smothered in homemade enchilada sauce. Mexican food for everyday or special occasions.

  • Author: Judy Barbe
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 peppers 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Grill and stove
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 poblano peppers
  • 1 cup canned or frozen corn, cooked
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta, goat or cotija cheese

Beans

  • 1 15-ounce can black beans
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Enchilada sauce

  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 12 tablespoons chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable broth, water or chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons vinegar

Instructions

Poblanos Roast the peppers on the BBQ grill by cooking over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Turn them occasionally as the peppers blister and lightly char. OR place them on a baking sheet in a 400℉ oven for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally as the skin blisters. The peppers should be wrinkled, soft and slump or collapse a bit. Place the hot peppers in a bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap to keep the steam in. Allow to cool until you can handle them. Use a paring knife to peel away the skin. Slit one side and scrape out seeds.

Beans Combine in a small saucepan, beans (with their liquid), chile powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, dried onion, garlic powder, cayenne and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, mashing beans with a fork or potato masher. Remove from heat.

Enchilada Sauce while beans are simmering make the sauce. Combine flour, chile powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil. Let the oil heat for 3 minutes or so, until it gets hot. A drop of flour should sizzle in the oil. Add the flour-spice mixture, stir constantly to combine and to prevent burning. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Add broth, stirring constantly to combine, break down lumps and prevent scorching. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar.

Assemble Fill pepper with beans, spoon enchilada sauce over pepper. Sprinkle with corn and crumbled cheese.

Notes

Cook the peppers while you make the beans and enchilada sauce.

Substitute store bought for homemade enchilada sauce

plate with homemade enchilada sauce on bottom, a roasted poblano is nestled in the sauce and topped with corn and cheese crumbles

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