Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers stuffed with herby quinoa, chickpeas, feta, and kalamata olives for a one pan Mediterranean feast. ♡

These mediterranean stuffed peppers are the healthy, veggie packed dinner that hits every mark. Quinoa and chickpeas deliver plant based protein, feta brings salty creaminess, and kalamata olives add that briny Mediterranean punch. For more ideas, see our Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs.

They are hearty, colorful, and perfect for meal prep or a casual dinner party. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

• 4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can chickpeas, 15 oz, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

1. **Cook quinoa.** Simmer quinoa in broth for 15 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork.
2. **Preheat.** Heat oven to 400F. Place pepper halves in a baking dish.
3. **Mix filling.** In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, half the feta, parsley, mint, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. **Stuff.** Fill each pepper half generously with the filling. Top with remaining feta.
5. **Cover.** Cover the dish with foil. Bake 25 minutes.
6. **Brown.** Remove foil. Bake 10 more minutes until peppers are tender and feta is golden. Serve warm.

Why This Recipe Works

Precooking the quinoa in broth (not water) is the easiest way to build flavor before anything gets stuffed. Chicken or vegetable broth adds a savory base that water cannot match. Cooking the quinoa with a bay leaf and a smashed garlic clove layers in even more flavor and takes zero extra effort.

Using a mix of chickpeas and quinoa makes this a complete protein meal. Chickpeas have one profile of amino acids, quinoa has another, and together they give you everything your body needs. At 14 grams of plant based protein per pepper, this is a legit meal even without cheese.

Covering the peppers with foil for the first half of baking steams them tender without drying out. Pulling the foil off for the last 10 minutes lets the tops caramelize and the feta turn golden. Finishing with fresh herbs, lemon zest, and a drizzle of olive oil is what takes this healthy stuffed peppers recipe from basic to restaurant quality. For more ideas, see our Thai Basil Ground Chicken.

Tips

• Use a mix of red, yellow, and orange peppers. Green peppers are more bitter.
• Cook quinoa in broth, not water, for deeper flavor.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Reheat in a 350F oven for 12 minutes or microwave for 2 minutes.
• Rinse chickpeas and quinoa thoroughly. Both can taste bitter if unrinsed.
• Cover with foil for half the bake. Uncovered the whole time dries out the filling.

Variations

• Add ground lamb or turkey to the filling for a meat version.
• Swap feta for goat cheese or dairy free feta for different flavors.
• Use farro or brown rice instead of quinoa.
• Add sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers to the filling.
• Top with tzatziki or a dollop of Greek yogurt before serving.
• Make it spicy with crushed red pepper or a pinch of harissa.

Looking for more ideas? Try our Korean Ground Beef Bowls or Beef Broccoli Stir Fry next.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using a too-small pepper: Large bell peppers hold more filling. Small peppers force you to mound and spill.
• Not cooking the quinoa first: Raw quinoa in the filling never fully cooks inside the pepper. Always precook.
• Baking without foil: Foil steams the peppers tender. Without it they turn tough.
• Under seasoning the filling: Taste the filling before stuffing. Quinoa absorbs salt, so season aggressively.

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

Mediterranean stuffed peppers with quinoa, chickpeas, feta, and olives. Healthy vegetarian dinner ready in 60 minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 420

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 large bell peppers halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 cup quinoa rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can chickpeas 15 oz, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

 

1. **Cook quinoa.** Simmer quinoa in broth for 15 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork.
2. **Preheat.** Heat oven to 400F. Place pepper halves in a baking dish.
3. **Mix filling.** In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, half the feta, parsley, mint, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. **Stuff.** Fill each pepper half generously with the filling. Top with remaining feta.
5. **Cover.** Cover the dish with foil. Bake 25 minutes.
6. **Brown.** Remove foil. Bake 10 more minutes until peppers are tender and feta is golden. Serve warm.

Notes

Use a mix of red, yellow, and orange peppers. Green peppers are more bitter. Cook quinoa in broth, not water, for deeper flavor. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Source: USDA FoodData Central for nutrition estimates.

FAQ

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