Substitutions
A large, hollow, entirely mild capsicum. Green ones are unripe and grassy; red, orange and yellow are the same fruit left on the plant to sweeten.
What it does in a recipe: A sweet, crunchy, high-water vegetable that adds bulk, colour and a vegetal backnote without heat. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Sweet pepper, Capsicum
Quick answer
Poblano pepper
1 medium bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped) = 1 large poblano, chopped, about 1 cupAll substitutes, best first
1 medium bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped) = 1 large poblano, chopped, about 1 cupPoblanos have the same thick, fleshy walls and roast the same way, with only a mild background heat.
Trade-offA gentle warmth and a deeper, earthier flavour. Heat varies between individual poblanos, so taste a sliver before committing a whole one.
1 medium red bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped) = 1 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers, choppedThey are the same fruit already cooked, so the sweetness is intact and concentrated by roasting.
MethodDrain and pat dry, and add them near the end of cooking since they need no further softening.
Trade-offCompletely soft, so there is no crunch left. They also carry brine, so pull back on the salt.
1 medium green bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped) = 1 cup diced celeryCelery matches green pepper's water content and grassy, faintly bitter register, which is the flavour a green bell pepper actually contributes to a base.
Trade-offMore saline and less sweet, and it holds its bite longer than pepper does. Only a sensible swap for green, not for red or yellow.
1 medium bell pepper (about 1 cup chopped) = 2 Anaheim peppers, chopped, about 1 cupAnaheims are long and thin-walled, so it takes two to fill the same cup, but they are nearly as mild and roast beautifully.
Trade-offThinner flesh means they collapse faster and offer less substance in a stuffed or grilled preparation.
The bitterness in a green bell pepper is not a defect but a marker of an unripe fruit. If a recipe reads as harsh, switching to red usually fixes it without any other change.
At a glance
| Category | Produce |
|---|---|
| Job in a recipe | A sweet, crunchy, high-water vegetable that adds bulk, colour and a vegetal backnote without heat |
| Suits | Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Alcohol-free |
| Swaps available for | Alcohol-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeGluten-freeNut-freeSoy-freeVeganVegetarian |
| Number of substitutes | 4 |
Related
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.