Air fryer succotash stuffed peppers

Bell peppers might not be the most fawned over summer veggie, but in late summer the ones at the market are too good to pass up. They are vibrant, glossy, and big enough to carry cargo. In this recipe, that baggage is succotash, a medley of corn, lima beans, and tomatoes with Indigenous roots. Native Americans first introduced the dish to European colonizers in the 17th century, and several regional varieties have emerged since. Unlike the cheesy, meaty stuffed peppers nonnas are famous for, ones with this mix inside are fresh and light while still being filling.

When fresh corn and limas are at their peak, use those. Or you can opt for canned or frozen or swap the beans for edamame, all of which which makes this dish a breeze to assemble—and allows you to make it all year long. This meal comes together super quickly, because the succotash stuffing roasts right inside the peppers. While that’s cooking, you’ll whip up an umami-loaded basil sauce. Depending on how smothered you like your peppers, you’ll probably have some left over: It keeps in the fridge for a few days and you’ll be happy to have it on hand for scrambles, grain bowls, and salads. 

For this recipe, we’re busting out America’s new favorite countertop appliance, the air fryer. (Don’t worry, we’ve included conventional cookery instructions as well.) These pint-sized convection ovens not only save you from suffering in a steamy kitchen in summer, they’re also way more efficient than conventional cookers, which means the more of us that use them, the more the planet-saving bennies can add up. If every oven-using household in the U.S. made one meal a week in an air fryer instead of al forno, that would save about 3.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year—in terms of emissions, that’s like taking more than 345,000 gas-powered cars off the road.

Lest we forget: Air-fried food is also dee-licious. If you like crispy, crunchy vittles but hate dealing with tons of oil, the air fryer is your fast pass to perfectly cooked proteins, veggies, snackies, and more. They come in all sizes, but the compact ones are also great for small households, where turning on the oven for two people feels like a waste.

Succotash Stuffed Peppers

Yield: 4 servings, plus extra sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 large bell peppers
• 2 cups fresh, canned, or thawed frozen corn kernels (about 4 cobs)
• 2 cups fresh, canned, or thawed frozen lima beans or edamame
• 2 plum or Roma tomatoes, finely chopped 
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoons salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup basil leaves and stems, packed
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Procedure:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees.
2. Chop the tops off the peppers, then scoop and discard the seeds and ribs from the inside. To help them stay upright in the air fryer, slice a bit off the bottom of each pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the corn, lima beans (or edamame), tomato, shallot, olive oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Spoon the filling evenly into the prepared peppers.
4. Place the filled peppers in the air fryer basket and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.
5. Meanwhile, add basil, scallions, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
6. Drizzle the peppers with basil sauce before serving. 

Notes and Substitutions:

• If using a conventional oven, cook the peppers at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender. 
• The basil sauce keeps for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.