Here's another impromptu meal I make for some quick eats...Vegetarian Stuffed Poblanos.
Stuffing a freshly roasted Poblano with a simple rice-and-beans mixture is as easy as it gets, but I'm always amazed how satisfying these leftover-type meals can be. They are significantly better than the takeout options in my area so I hope you get lots of new ideas from this post!
How To Make Vegetarian Stuffed Poblanos
Don't forget that the fridge is the boss here, so feel free to get creative and use what you available, that's partly what makes these quick meals so satisfying!
Here's a look at my starting point:
some leftover rice and beans
a single Poblano chile
avocado
cilantro
Pickled Onions
Those beans and rice are the perfect starting point for a vegetarian stuffed Poblano, but it was the avocado that made me see some tasty possibilities.
I get loads of use out of Poblano chiles and always try to keep some in the fridge -- if you're new to them check out Easy Poblano Recipes to see what else you can make with them.
First things first though, plop that Poblano in the oven (400F) for 20 minutes or so. This will enhance its flavor so please don't skip this step!
And now we're going to put that avocado to good use by making a batch of Salsa de Aguacate.
Salsa de Aguacate is a strangely awesome concoction. It has a subtle flavor right out of the blender, and it typically prefers to be paired with boisterous, spicy meats like Beef Birria or Carne Asada.
But I've been drizzling it on rice and beans lately and really enjoying it. Just grab a blender and load it up with the following ingredients:
the flesh of a single avocado
juice of 1 lime
1/2 garlic clove
4-5 sprigs cilantro
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Give it a whirl until combined well. If it's not combining readily just add another splash of water.
It's got a light, vibrant flavor that lies about halfway between Guacamole and Avocado Salsa Verde -- it's a great recipe to add to your kitchen arsenal if you're new to it.
For the beans-n-rice mixture I added a cup of cooked white rice to a bowl along with a couple spoonfuls of cooked beans, a squeeze of lime, and some freshly chopped cilantro.
This is such a simple mixture to make but I've been using it more and more lately -- just a hint of the cilantro-lime flavor is enough to make it eatable on its own 🙂
For the rest of the fixings I crumbled up some Queso Fresco, chopped up some fresh cilantro, and diced up some of these Pickled Onions.
Once the Poblano has roasted for about 20 minutes you can de-seed it.
I usually carve out the top third of the Poblano so it retains raised edges, but you are welcome to just slice it in half.
Next we'll stuff it full of the beans-n-rice mixture.
Plop this back in the oven to bring everything up to temp, another 5-10 minutes or so.
And now the garnish! I topped with:
crumbled Queso Fresco What is Queso Fresco?
diced Pickled Onions
freshly chopped cilantro
plenty of Salsa de Aguacate
a final squeeze of lime
And it was off-the-charts satisfying 🙂
It's such a quick meal using simple ingredients, but when you drench it in Salsa de Aguacate it is delicious!
Okay, I hope you get some ideas from this post! Don't forget that Stuffed Poblanos are wildly versatile -- they're willing to accommodate just about any filling that you use on a regular basis, so feel free to get creative with them.
Enjoy!!
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Quick Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano
Ingredients
- 1 Poblano pepper
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- few spoonfuls cooked beans (black or pinto)
- cheese (I used Queso Fresco)
- freshly chopped cilantro (optional)
- Pickled Onions (optional)
- lime
For the Salsa de Aguacate:
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 garlic clove
- juice of 1 lime
- 4-5 sprigs cilantro
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by giving the Poblano a good rinse. Then roast it in the oven (400F) for 20 minutes.
- For the beans and rice mixture I used some leftovers that were in the fridge. I warmed them up and then added a single cup of the cooked white rice to a bowl along with a few spoonfuls of the cooked beans, some freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Combine well.
- Note: if you want to want to quickly cook some rice, just add 1/2 cup rice to a saucepan along with a glug of oil. Cook over medium heat until the rice is turning opaque, then add a single cup of stock or water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed. Canned beans will also work fine for this recipe -- I typically drain and rinse canned beans.
- To make the Salsa de Aguacate, simply add the following ingredients to a blender or food processor: the flesh of a single avocado, 1/2 peeled garlic clove, 4-5 sprigs cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine well. If it's not combining readily simply add another splash of water
- Prepare the remaining fixings. For me that meant crumbling some Queso Fresco, dicing up some Pickled Onions, and chopping up a bit more cilantro.
- Once the Poblano is mostly roasted (20 minutes) pull it from the oven and de-seed it. I usually carve out the top third of the Poblano so it retains raised edges, but you are welcome to just slice it in half. Discard the seeds and any loose, puffy bits of skin.
- Stuff your Poblano with the rice-and-beans mixture, then return it to the oven to bring everything up to temp, 5-10 minutes or so.
- Now it's time to garnish! I added Queso Fresco, freshly chopped cilantro, diced Pickled Onions, plenty of the Salsa de Aguacate, and a final squeeze of lime. Yum!!
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Arlene Tuttle
This was absolutely delicious and super easy. I had never heard of Salsa de Aquacate but it is amazingly good! Thanks for this!
Patrick
Thanks Arlene! So glad to hear you tried this one out. Cheers.