Name: Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 4 large bell peppers ( red, yellow or orange, or a mix); 1 cup cooked brown rice, (or sub white rice, quinoa, freekeh, farro, or cauliflower rice); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small red onion, about 1 cup diced; 2 teaspoons garlic, minced; 1 pound of ground turkey or choice of protein ( ground plant-based meat, lamb, chicken, beef); 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons tomato paste; 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped; 10 kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise; 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered or chopped; 1 cup (4 ounces) feta cheese, diced or crumbled; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (optional); 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped; 1/4 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

Filled with flavor, protein and fresh ingredients these Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers are completely adaptable, easy to make and can be prepared ahead for a healthy weeknight dinner. Vegetarian-adaptable.

Filled with flavor, protein and fresh ingredients these Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers are completely adaptable, easy to make and can be prepared ahead for a healthy weeknight dinner.

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. ~Oriah Mountain Dreamer

These healthy Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers are filled with ground turkey (or plant-based meat) and brown rice as the base, to this we add kalamata olives, feta cheese, and tomatoes along with fresh spinach and herbs. The result is tasty goodness that doesn’t require much hands-on time.

We sauté the ground turkey with savory seasonings, and combine with cooked rice and the fresh chopped accompaniments. The filling then gets stuffed into the peppers and baked! If you prefer a softer well-cooked pepper, you can prebake the pepper shells a bit while you prepare the filling.

There is something quite pleasurable about eating stuffed foods, it seems to make it twice as delicious. Bell peppers make such a perfect casing for filling, offering great flavor and texture!

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers with brown rice, spinach, feta, tomatoes, herbs, and your choice of protein. Easy, healthy, and flavorful.

Ingredients in Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

Bell Peppers- Red, yellow or orange
Brown Rice (or sub other whole grain- quinoa, farro, wild rice, etc. )
Red Onion and Garlic
Ground Turkey (or choice of protein- plant-based meat, ground chicken, ground lamb, etc.)
Seasonings: Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Oregano, Red Wine Vinegar, Tomato Paste
Fresh Spinach
Fresh Dill and Mint
Kalamata Olives
Cherry Tomatoes
Feta Cheese and Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Adapt and enhance the filling as you like with what is in season and what you have on hand

veggies: add finely chopped zucchini, fennel bulb, or eggplant sautéing along with the onions.
meat: substitute the ground turkey with plant-based, ground “meat” (or your preferred ground meat alternative), ground chicken, lamb, or beef or try finely chopped mushrooms.
grain: quinoa, farro, wild rice, or orzo would all work great.
cheese: swap feta for chèvre or leave out the dairy and top with 1/2 cup of walnuts or pine nuts or try this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle.
herbs: swap out fresh herbs for some that you have on hand.

ingredients in Mediterranean stuffed peppers

How to make Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

chopped ingredients for mediterranean peppers

STEP ONE:

Slice the bell peppers in half from the stem down. Discard seeds and pith. Prep all ingredients.

TIP: If you prefer a softer pepper, prebake the halved peppers on a tray, uncovered, cut side up, with a tablespoon of water on the tray in a preheated oven at 400F for 5-10 minutes.

STEP TWO:

Sauté the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic, stirring it, cooking for a few more minutes.

STEP THREE:

Add the ground turkey (or protein of choice), salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes until the turkey is cooked through. Add vinegar, tomato paste and spinach and turn the heat off. Stir until everything is incorporated and spinach wilts.

STEP FOUR:

Mix in olives, tomatoes, feta, parmesan, dill and mint. Scoop mixture into halved bell pepper shells. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes until hot through. Allow for 10 minutes more baking time if the filling is cold.

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers with brown rice, spinach, feta, tomatoes, herbs, and your choice of protein. Easy, healthy, and flavorful.

More recipes you may enjoy:

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers with brown rice, spinach, feta, tomatoes, herbs, and your choice of protein. Easy, healthy, and flavorful.

Enjoy the Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers, and let us know how you adapt them in the comments below.

Tonia