themediterraneandish.com
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Basil Vinaigrette
These stuffed bell peppers are a crowd-pleaser! Bell peppers are roasted until tender, and then filled with an herby warm orzo pasta. Five bell peppers will serve up to 10 people as a side, and 5 people as a main dish.
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Serves
10
Instructions
- 01
Make the basil vinaigrette. If you haven’t done so already, prepare the basil vinaigrette according to this recipe.
- 02
Get ready. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Brush a large baking dish with a thin layer of olive oil.
- 03
Roast the peppers. Brush the peppers generously on all sides with olive oil and arrange them in the prepared baking dish with the cut side facing up. Season with the oregano, salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
- 04
Cook the orzo. Cook the orzo in the boiling salted water according to the package instructions or until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
- 05
Toast the pine nuts (optional). In a small skillet set over medium heat, add the pine nuts. Stir or toss until the nuts are fragrant and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stay nearby and stir frequently, as nuts can go from toasted to burnt in the time it takes to wash your hands.
- 06
Mix the stuffing. In a medium bowl, combine the drained orzo, chickpeas, tomatoes, shallot, olives, and toasted pine nuts (if using). Drizzle with the 1/3 cup of basil vinaigrette and toss to combine. Taste and add more of the vinaigrette to your liking.
- 07
Stuff and serve. When the peppers are tender, remove them from your oven and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the orzo mixture into each pepper half. Sprinkle with feta and serve.
Nutrition
per serving · 1 serving
- Calories
- 141.6
- Protein
- 4.9g
- Carbs
- 17.8g
- Fat
- 6.3g
- Fiber
- 3.2g
- Sugar
- 3.2g
- Sat. fat
- 1.2g
- Sodium
- 231.7mg
- Cholesterol
- 4.5mg
Variations & swaps
Swaps and Substitutions
- Just like my breakfast version, this stuffed peppers recipe lends itself very well to customization. Here are some ways you can mix it up:
- Don’t like bell peppers? You can core and stuff large tomatoes and small zucchini. Or, omit the bell peppers altogether and just make the orzo mixture to serve as a side.
- Try different nuts: Use toasted slivered almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts instead of pine nuts.
- Make it gluten free: Swap out the orzo with rice (this is great if you need a gluten free option).
- Make it vegan: To make this recipe vegan, simply leave out the feta cheese.
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- ▢ 1/3 cup Basil Vinaigrette, plus more to taste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the peppers
- ▢ 5 large bell peppers, any color, halved lengthwise, cored and seeded
- ▢ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
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