Mediterranean stuffed peppers
Vibrant roasted peppers filled with herby rice, sautéed veg, crumbled feta, olives and toasted pine nuts.
Bright, rustic and full of Mediterranean sunshine — these stuffed peppers make a brilliant midweek supper or a showy dish for guests. The combination of herby tomato, salty feta and toasted pine nuts gives layers of texture and flavour without any fuss.
It’s a forgiving recipe: you can swap veg to suit the fridge, and it holds well for leftovers. Make the filling ahead and bake just before serving if you’re short on time.
Ingredients
- 4 large red peppers — tops kept as lids
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion — finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 1 courgette — diced
- 1 aubergine — small, diced
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — roughly chopped
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 200 g long-grain rice — rinsed until water runs clear
- 420 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 150 g feta cheese — crumbled
- 80 g pitted Kalamata olives — halved
- 40 g pine nuts — some toasted for garnish
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 1 lemon — zest and about 1 tbsp juice
- 50 g fresh white breadcrumbs — for binding
- 5 ml chilli flakes — optional
- sea salt — to taste
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
Equipment
- baking tray
- small saucepan
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan/210°C conventional. Line a baking tray with a little oil or non-stick paper.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium hob heat, shaking the pan, until golden and fragrant — about 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the rinsed long-grain rice and a pinch of sea salt, return to a gentle simmer, cover and cook without lifting the lid for 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to steam. This is the resting time that finishes the rice.
While the rice cooks, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion and crushed garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add the diced aubergine, courgette and chestnut mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the veg is softened and starting to brown, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, dried oregano, dried thyme, smoked paprika and chilli flakes (if using). Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer gently for 6 minutes to reduce slightly.
Tip the cooked rice into the pan with the vegetable sauce, then fold through the crumbled feta cheese, halved pitted Kalamata olives, most of the toasted pine nuts (reserve a handful for the top), chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest and juice, and the fresh white breadcrumbs. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Slice the tops off the large red peppers and remove the cores and seeds. Spoon the rice mixture into each pepper, packing gently but not squashing — the rice will expand a little. Sit the peppers upright on the prepared baking tray and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over them.
Cover the tray tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the peppers are soft when pierced with a knife.
Remove the foil, scatter the remaining crumbled feta and reserved toasted pine nuts over the peppers and place under a hot grill for 4–5 minutes to brown the tops — watch closely so they don’t burn.
Serve the stuffed peppers hot, scattered with a little extra chopped parsley and a grind of black pepper.
Tips
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear to stop the filling becoming gluey; use a fine sieve and cold water.
- Toast pine nuts over a medium heat and remove immediately — they colour in seconds.
- If your peppers wobble, slice a small amount off the base so they sit flat on the tray.
- Make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before stuffing and baking.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2–3 days and reheat gently in the oven or portion and freeze for up to 1 month.
Substitutions
feta cheese → ricotta or soft goat's cheese, 150 g
Noticeably differentlong-grain rice → cooked quinoa, 300 g cooked (drain and cool before mixing)
Noticeably differentfresh white breadcrumbs → gluten-free breadcrumbs, same quantity
Stays closepine nuts → chopped toasted almonds, same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 520
- Calories
- 14 g
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these ahead?
Yes — make the filling up to 24 hours ahead and keep covered in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before stuffing and bake as directed.
How do I stop the filling being soggy?
Rinse the rice, drain well and use fresh breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture. Don’t over-reduce the tomato sauce — it should be thick but not watery.
Can I use different peppers?
Absolutely. Mix red, yellow and orange peppers for colour; green peppers are fine but slightly more bitter so taste the filling before stuffing.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes — replace feta with crumbled firm tofu or a vegan cheese and ensure the breadcrumbs are vegan.
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