Vegan Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers (Printable)

Bell peppers filled with chickpeas, veggies, herbs, and drizzled in lemon tahini sauce for a vibrant Mediterranean dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Stuffed Peppers

01 - 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), tops removed and seeds cleaned
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 small red onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small zucchini, diced
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
07 - 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
08 - 0.5 cup cooked quinoa or rice
09 - 0.25 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
15 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 - 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
18 - Juice of 0.5 lemon

→ Lemon Tahini Sauce

19 - 0.25 cup tahini
20 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
21 - 2 tablespoons water, plus additional as needed
22 - 1 small garlic clove, grated
23 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

# Step-by-step Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a baking dish with capacity to accommodate all peppers positioned upright.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Introduce minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
03 - Stir in zucchini and cook for 4 minutes until just tender. Add quartered cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
04 - Add chickpeas, cooked quinoa (or rice), olives, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
05 - Stir in fresh parsley, mint, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Fill each prepared bell pepper with chickpea mixture, packing gently. Position peppers upright in prepared baking dish.
07 - Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes until peppers are tender but retain their shape.
08 - In small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, grated garlic, and salt until smooth. Add additional water as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.
09 - Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates and drizzle generously with lemon tahini sauce. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks absolutely stunning on the plate, which means you can serve it to guests without apologizing for vegan cooking.
  • The lemon tahini sauce transforms everything it touches, making even simple roasted vegetables taste like you've unlocked a secret.
  • You can prep the filling ahead of time, which means less chaos in the kitchen when you're actually hungry.
02 -
  • Don't overpack the peppers or they'll burst and the filling will spill out into the baking dish, learn this one from experience.
  • The tahini sauce needs to be made right before serving because it thickens as it sits, so have everything ready to go.
  • If your tahini is too thick or bitter, it means it's old, and that will ruin the sauce, so taste it first and buy from a store with good turnover.
03 -
  • Prep all your vegetables the night before and store them in separate containers, then you can put the whole dish together in about fifteen minutes on cooking day.
  • If a pepper falls over in the oven, don't panic, just carefully prop it back up with a piece of foil, it'll be fine and honestly nobody will notice once it's plated.
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