Greek Stuffed Peppers & Tomatoes

This a classic summer dish. These vegetables taste the best in the summer when they’re fresh. Everyone’s Greek mother and grandmother makes this for them as a comfort food growing up. This is one of those dishes that will make your kids love vegetables. Lots of people put meat in their stuffed pepper recipe but this is the classic Greek version with lots of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs. This is my favorite Greek food for two reasons. One, I don’t feel guilty eating a large plate of this because it’s all veggies and herbs. Two, this dish tastes even better the next day! The olive oil, tomato, and herb flavor soak into the rice. The best foods can be eaten for leftovers, like pizza or Chinese food for example. The difference is that these stuffed vegetables are really healthy for you. Stuffed tomatoes and peppers take a lot of work but it’s totally worth it. If you spend the time prepping this, you will have leftovers for two to three days after this. I love to eat this with a greek salad, Greek lemon potatoes, and a glass of red wine. Enjoy one of the best summer dishes Greece has to offer!

Photo Credit: Christine Dutton 

 

Mediterranean Diet Recipes: Greek Stuffed Peppers

Greek Stuffed Peppers & Tomatoes

Koula Barydakis
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 601 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 tomatoes
  • 5 green or red peppers
  • 1 cup parsley, stems removed
  • 1 cup dill, stems removed
  • 2 large onions, cut into quarters
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil For the sauce
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Dash of pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Wash the tomatoes. Slice the tops almost off but leave attached to the tomato, creating a “hinge”. Scoop out the insides with a spoon, reserving pulp for stuffing.
  • Wash the peppers, slice the tops almost off, but leave attached to the pepper, creating a “hinge”. Remove and discard seeds.
  • In a blender, add the insides of the tomatoes with the parsley, dill, onions, 1 cup water, and tomato paste. Blend for 2 minutes.
  • Pour the blended mixture into a bowl. Add the rice, oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well with a spoon.
  • Fill each tomato and pepper with the rice/vegetable mixture. Put in a casserole dish.
  • For the sauce, mix the 1/2 cup olive oil, tomato paste, water, salt, and pepper. Cover the tomatoes and peppers with the sauce.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes uncovered or until rice is done.
  • If rice isn't fully cooked, add a little water to the pan, cover, and finish in the oven until rice is fully cooked.

Nutrition

Calories: 601kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 6gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 776mgPotassium: 829mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 3294IUVitamin C: 142mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 3mg
Have you tried this recipe? Tell us about it!Click here to rate this recipe in the comments section below.
About the Author: Koula Barydakis
Koula Barydakis was born into a long tradition of eating and living Mediterranean on the Greek island of Crete. She is a chef who has worked in many of the top restaurants in Crete and in Greek Town in Toronto, Canada. Koula is the co-author of “Foods of Crete, Traditional Recipes of the Healthiest People in the World” and is currently completing her second cookbook. Koula teaches cooking classes to tourists in Crete and has been hired to teach classes in other countries as well.

One Comment

  1. stearmn November 14, 2014 at 7:20 pm - Reply

    Great recipe, bursting with flavor! However, I recommend for us beginners to actually cook or soak the rice ahead of time and adjust with water accordingly. I was beginning to question my brand new oven after an hour and a half and the rice was still hard. But I would definitely try it again! The tomatoes were the most amazing!

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