Vegan Gemista (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers)
This traditional Greek dish features ripe tomatoes and bell peppers generously stuffed with a fragrant rice mixture, fresh herbs, and aromatic spices. Baked until tender, it's a hearty and flavorful plant-based meal perfect for a Mediterranean diet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 2 hr
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 485 kcal
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
main
- 4 pcslarge tomato
- 2 pcsbell pepper
filling
- 1 pcsyellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 clovegarlic clove, minced
- 120 gshort-grain rice, rinsed
- 0.5 cupfresh parsley, chopped
- 0.25 cupfresh mint, chopped
- 1.5 cuptomato pulp, from scooped tomatoes
- 0.33 cupolive oil
- 1 tspdried oregano
seasoning
- 0.75 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
side
- 2 pcspotato, peeled and quartered
baking liquid
- 0.5 cupvegetable broth
- 2 tbspolive oil
Equipment
large bowl · spoon · knife · cutting board · baking dish
The method
Step by step
- 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
About 10 min
- 2
Wash the tomatoes and bell peppers. For each tomato, carefully slice off the top and scoop out the pulp and seeds using a spoon. Reserve the tomato pulp. For each bell pepper, slice off the top, remove the core and seeds.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Be gentle when scooping the tomatoes to keep the skins intact.
- 3
Finely chop the reserved tomato pulp. In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomato pulp, onion, garlic, rice, parsley, mint, olive oil for the filling, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Massage the filling ingredients together with your hands to ensure even distribution of flavors.
- 4
Carefully stuff each tomato and bell pepper with the rice mixture, filling them about two-thirds full to allow the rice to expand during cooking. Place the stuffed vegetables in the prepared baking dish.
About 5 min
- 5
Arrange the quartered potatoes around the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish.
About 2 min
- 6
Pour the vegetable broth and the remaining olive oil over the vegetables and potatoes in the baking dish.
About 1 min
- 7
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- 8
Bake for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the rice is fully cooked.
About 1 hr 30 min
Cook’s note: The tops of the vegetables should be slightly caramelized and the rice should be fluffy.
- 9
Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
About 2 min
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 485.1kcal
- Protein
- 7.8g
- Carbs
- 55.9g
- Fat
- 26.7g
- Fibre
- 7.9g
- Sugar
- 12.9g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover gemista in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
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