10 Ways to Cook Bell Peppers - Dairy free

Mixed Bell Peppers/Capsicum 

One of the first dishes I remember my mum cooking with mixed bell peppers was a Chinese stir fry.   The only other times I'd seen them till then was in a Chinese sweet and sour sauce from our local takeaway.  They  just seemed more exotic than other vegetables because of their colour, well I was a kid at the time.

Today you find fresh, frozen and preserved Bell Peppers in most local Supermarkets.  I love making vegetarian Mexican food, so I always keep a supply of chopped frozen mixed peppers in the freezer.  I would love to buy all my fruit and veg fresh, however that's not always possible.  Frozen vegetables are more economical for me to buy.  I do get the fresh ones whenever I see them on special offer.

Wiki Link for Bell Peppers

1. Snacks and dips

Bell peppers especially red ones, make great snacks and dips.  Either using them fresh, grilled or buying a jar that's already been roasted.  I get accident prone when I'm tired, so I'm not really keen on the idea of grilling my own peppers.  Much safer to buy them already roasted in a jar.  

- Roasted red pepper hummus   BBC Food Recipe

- Vegan Red Pepper Rouille recipe  Most Rouille recipes are made using egg I found a vegan version on the  Sauce Magazine Internet site

- Sweet Pepper Salsa  Nytimes recipe  Great variation from the more common tomato salsa recipe

- Red Pepper Dip  Veg news

- Bell Pepper Confit  Nourish Network

Or if your a lot braver than me, you can preserve your own roasted bell peppers by using this recipe from - Fresh preserving

2. Soups and Sauces

Mixed bean and bell pepper soup

I made this easy soup yesterday, it's simple to make as I used store cupboard ingredients.  The best thing about it, is that you can eat it as a soup or mix it with cooked pasta as a sauce.  

Mixed Bean and bell pepper soup/sauce

1 carton -  Tomato Pasata + water (use Carton to measure out an equal qty)

1 Tin - Mixed beans

1/2 Cup diced onions (I used frozen)

2 medium carrots - Diced

1 Cup Mixed bell peppers - diced (I Used frozen)

1/2 Vegetable stock cube

Salt & Pepper

1/2 Chili Powder

1 tsp Smoked paprika

Saute the veg in a large sauce pan for 10 Min's.  Then add seasoning, spices and stock cube.  Cook for another few Min's then add the rest of the ingredients.

Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for 20 - 30 Min's, till the vegetables are cooked.  

- Roasted Red Pepper soup - BBC Good Food

- Romesco Sauce  - Spanish food.about 

- Roasted Red Pepper pesto - Frugal feeding

3. Egg Dishes

If your Vegan You could substitute Tofu for the eggs in these recipes.

- Sweet Pepper Frittata  

- Egg in a whole with bell pepper   There are 2 ways that you can do this, on the stove top in a frying pan or bake them in your oven.

1. To make them on the stove top.  Slice the top of your bell pepper and de-seed.  Slice across the way to make rings.  Place the rings in your pan, and crack in an egg, cook as your normally would.  

2. Oven baked.  Slice the top of your bell pepper and de-seed.  Use a cup cake baking tin to keep them upright, bake in a hot oven for 10 Min's.  Turn down your oven temp to 180 Celsius.  Crack an egg into each bell pepper and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in your oven to finish baking.  How long you cook them for is up to you.  Some people like them cook through, were as I like my eggs with a soft yolky centre.  

- Roast Capsicum Pudding The occasional cook

- Basic Dairy free quiche recipe - Add your own combination of mixed bell peppers to a dairy free quiche.

4. Curry's and Casseroles 

I love Cooking Curry's and casseroles, they are easy to make and usually stress free. 

- Lentil and bell pepper Chilli  - Veg Web

- Capsicum Curry - Spice up the curry

- Vegetable Gumbo - Vegetarian.about

- Spanish rice  - Veg Web

I like to add mixed bell peppers to a Spanish rice recipe, makes it look and taste great.  

5. Stuffed Bell Peppers

You can stuff peppers with something other than meat.  

- Polenta Stuffed Bell Peppers -  Peta 

- Rice Stuffed bell peppers - Gluten free vegan


6. Fried

I don't recommend eating fried food all the time, however all foods are okay in moderation.  I'm not able to eat deep fried food anymore due to my IBS. I didn't see why that should stop me posting some recipe ideas.

- Vegetable Tempura  BBC Good Food

- Sweet pepper sandwiches Taste of home You can make this sandwich dairy free by leaving out the cheese.

- Easy Bell Pepper & Mushroom stir-fry Holy cow vegan

- Sweet Pepper Fajitas Vegetarian.about  Substitute the sour cream for dairy free yogurt to make this vegetarian recipe, vegan and dairy free.


7. Breads

Roasted red pepper soda bread rolls

I bought a jar of roasted red peppers last week. I got the idea for the soda bread rolls when I was making the pesto.  I chopped then blitz  a whole pepper in my food processor, before adding it to my Basic Soda bread recipe.  

The photo doesn't really show it, but the rolls turned a wonderful shade of reddy orange.  They also tasted delicious along with the bell pepper soup I made.  

You can also make confetti cornbread with some fried bell peppers.  Just cool the  chop them first, before adding to a basic corn bread recipe.  Try Vegan cornbread recipe from the guys at Post punk kitchen.

- Savoury bell pepper muffins Marcus Sameulsson

8. RAW 

Bell Peppers, especially the yellow and red ones are great in raw in a salad. Or sliced and used to scoop up a dip.  However there are more things that you can do with them.

- Vietnamese spring rolls

- Cashew cheese 

Check out more Raw Bell pepper recipes on raw food recipes

9. Baked

- Vegan red lentil and pepper flan One perfect bite  I'm not keen on flans, but I think the mix would be great for pies or empanadas 

- Roasted red pepper mashed potato cakes The tolerant Vegan Another recipe using a jar of roasted red peppers. 

- Tomato and capsicum tart  Team the filling of this recipe with a basic dairy free shortcrust pastry to make this recipe vegan.  

10. Dessert

Every meal should end with dessert or at least a little bit of something sweet.  Another name for bell peppers is sweet pepper, so why shouldn't they be used in a dessert recipe.  

- Capsicum dates custard Amina Creations

- Vegetarian sweet pepper upside down cake recipe No recipes