Find someone who looks at you the way my mom looks at Capsicum roasting in the oven. She discovered White Beans Stuffed Capsicum recipe a few years back, when she was perusing the grocery aisle for a spicy pepper that could work as a base for stuffed vegetables. She bought a few, threw them in the oven, and was thrilled with the result: smoky, earthy, and with a manageable but distinct heat. Part two of her big breakthrough: The first time she made them, she forgot to buy potatoes for the stuffing, so she subbed in white beans, mixing them with lots of garlic and cumin-coated onions. As it turned out, the white beans get even softer and creamier in the oven and absorb the flavors of the Capsicum perfectly. File this dish under “recipes that look complicated but come together shockingly quickly.” Also, the leftover white bean stuffing makes an excellent dip.
Ingredients for 4 Serves
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 small yellow onions, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander (freshly ground is best)
- One 15-ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
- 1 small Indian green chile or serrano chile, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime), plus lime wedges for serving
- 1 pound small green Capsicum or poblano peppers of roughly the same size, slit lengthwise
How to cook White Beans Stuffed Capsicum
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm ¼ cup of the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the cumin seeds and cook until they turn a medium shade of brown, about 1 minute max. Add the onions and coriander and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- While the onions cool, mash the white beans with a potato masher or fork in a medium-size bowl until they have the consistency of chunky mashed potatoes. Add the salt, chile, garlic, lime juice, and cooled onions and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Divide the filling evenly among the Capsicum, using a small tablespoon to stuff the filling into each nook and cranny of the peppers.
- Arrange the stuffed Capsicum slit-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the Capsicum have shriveled and wrinkled at the area around the slits and turned dark green.
- Serve White Beans Stuffed Capsicum after garnished with lime wedges.
