Taking tradition to the next level with these vegan Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers. These Yemista are a healthy satisfying meal that screams the flavors of Greece!
If you know me at all, you know I simply just can't follow a recipe without putting my own spin on it. Nothing has changed as I get ready to share this amazing Greek recipe from yiayia's (my mom) kitchen.
When she agreed to help me turn some beautiful garden tomatoes and peppers into one of the most traditional Greek recipes there is, she knew it wouldn't end up how she originally made it. LOL I learned from the best!
The original Yemista, or stuffed tomatoes and peppers
Traditionally, Yemista can be filled with meat or rice. When filled with rice, they are known to be something you eat around lent. In the Greek religion you abstain from eating meat during lent, so some traditional recipes have two versions. Well, since I don't eat meat at all, it was natural that I would put my spin on the rice filled version. And that I did!
My mom is hands down the best cook out there. Her Greek meals far surpass those I have had elsewhere, so anytime I post a Greek recipe, it is always based off of her original. My spin on these vegan stuffed peppers and tomatoes, is the added kale.
Because it's always good to pack greens in when you can. Kale is a hearty leaf so it bakes really well without melting much. You can also use chard as a second choice, however spinach isn't the best as it is delicate and will melt.
I kept her addition of pine nuts (you can also use blanched almonds if pine nuts are out of your price range), but also added some currants for an extra layer of flavor. Feel free to leave them out if you aren't a fan, or you can also sub in raisins.
Tricks and tips to making the perfect stuffed peppers and tomatoes
Although this recipe is really quite simple, it can get tricky when getting everything baked just right. I am not a fan of mushy rice, we like al dente all the way. Make sure to follow each step carefully so you end up with perfectly cooked Greek yemista!
When you remove the insides of the tomatoes, make sure not to scrape too much out or they will collapse when baking from being too thin. You also need to get enough out so you can fill it. I know, it's a mind F. My tip is to use a grapefruit spoon if you have one, it's a spoon with a serrated tip and it really helps scrape out the tomato pulp.
I like to chop the tomato pulp with a food processor. It gives you a small even chunkiness and releases the right amount of juices. You can also chop the kale and herbs in with it for the perfect texture.
When precooking the rice, you want the end result to be cooked half way. This is the right amount so that it doesn't underbake in the oven. If you don't precook the rice enough, then you have to bake the stuffed peppers and tomatoes really long which yields overly soft tomatoes and peppers. You want them to keep their structure a bit, not be overly mushy. If you pre cook the rice too much, you get mush. Yuck.
Speaking of rice, the recipe is written using a long grain rice like jasmine. If you use long grain brown rice, you will need to add more water when precooking and keep adding until you taste the rice and it is perfectly cooked half way. Long grain rice is sturdier and gives a more al dente texture. Short grain rice is chewier and not the best choice here unless that's what you want.
Ok, now you are armed with the secrets. Time to make these vegan stuffed tomatoes and peppers happen. Get yo self in the kitchen!
If you're looking for some other awesome Greek recipes gone vegan, check these out:
Vegan Yemista Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes
- 4 large red, yellow, green, or orange peppers
- ¾ cup long grain rice (Jasmine yields the best texture but long grain brown rice can also be used, see note)
- 1 large sweet onion , finely chopped
- 4-6 leaves kale (can use chard too, see note)
- ½ cup parsley , chopped
- 3 tablespoons mint , optional
- ½ cup pine nuts (or chopped blanched almonds)
- ½ cup currants , optional
- ½ cup low sodium veggie broth or water (use broth for more flavor)
- 2 large potatoes , peeled and cut into two inches pieces
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt , plus a few pinches (may need to adjust if using broth)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper , plus a few pinches
- ¼ cup olive oil or use ½ cup broth or water to keep oil free
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Cut the tops off of the tomatoes and peppers and remove the insides. Save all of the tops to cover them later, but discard the inside of the peppers and keep the inside of the tomatoes. Sprinkle the cavity of the tomatoes and peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Chop the tomato pulp well, I like to use a food processor but you can use a knife if you prefer. Take out half and set aside for later, then add the kale, parsley and mint (if using) into the processor or onto your cutting board. Chop again until everything is mixed well.
- In a pot, pour ¼ cup broth/water or 2 tablespoons of the olive oil if using oil and sauté the chopped onions on medium heat. You may need to add more broth/water if not using oil.
- When the onions look transparent, add the rice, mix with the onion, add ⅓ cup broth/water (add ⅔ cup if using long grain brown rice), cover and simmer over low heat until the water is absorbed, about 5-7 minutes. This may take longer with brown rice.
- Add the chopped tomato pulp that has been mixed with the kale, parsley, and mint. Add pine nuts, currants (if using), ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Let it simmer until most of the liquids have evaporated, about 3 minutes. Taste and make sure the rice is half cooked, add more broth/water if needed and cook longer if it is not half cooked.
- In the meantime, peel the potatoes, cut them into 2 inch pieces, and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Arrange the tomatoes and peppers in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Stuff them with the half cooked rice mixture until they are ¾ of the way full. Cover them with the saved tops and brush the top with olive oil if using oil.
- Arrange the potatoes between them. Sprinkle the remaining chopped tomato pulp over the potatoes. Drizzle with the leftover olive oil if using.
- Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the bottom of the pan, add the leftover broth/water if needed.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, checking periodically to see if more liquid is needed, you don’t want the bottoms to burn. If you need to add broth/water, make sure you heat it first. Taste as you go to check the rice, if the rice is cooked then pull them out of the oven. If using brown rice you may need to cook it longer.
Notes
- If using long grain brown rice, you will need to pre-cook it longer with more broth or water (about double). Keep cooking and adding liquid until you achieve a half cooked texture.
- Kale is the best leafy green to use as it is the sturdiest. Chard could also be used as a second choice but beware of spinach as it will melt into the rice.
- Sub chopped blanched almonds if you don’t have or want to use pine nuts.
- You can use water instead of broth but broth will give more flavor, adjust your amount of salt if you use broth.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Marta
Hi! I'm just back from Greece (Kefalonia) and would like to try this recipe.
Do you think I could eventually prepare the rice the day before or it will ruin the recipe?
I have peppers, but I couldn't find round big tomatoes, so I bought round zucchini... Do you think I could use also those?
Thank you in advance,
Marta, from Italy
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Marta! Any vegetable you can fill works for this, zucchini is great and something we do as well. As for the rice, since you want it about half cooked so it doesn't get overly mushy as it bakes in the oven, preparing it the day before may affect the texture. The flavor will still be great but just be advised that the texture may be different. Let me know if you try it!
Amalie Webb
Delicious and beautiful. Served with lentils.
Question: Do these freeze?
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Amalie! When it comes to freezing, you definitely can. The only thing is the texture will be altered a bit. I would put them on the counter to defrost slowly then slowly warm them back up in the oven or microwave. If you do them in the oven, put a little water or broth at the bottom of the baking dish so they don't burn.
Amalie Webb
Thank you!
Karen
Delicious - this recipe will definitely be used again! Thank you Sophia.
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Karen! So happy you liked them!
Nina
Absolutely delicious. I have made these a few times. Love this recipe, well done!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Nina! So happy you like it!
JS
This recipe is truly delicious! I had never heard of it, but the photos looked so mouthwatering that I just had to try it. It's definitely a keeper!
veggiesdontbite
Wow, thank you so much! I am thrilled you not only tried something new but that you liked it!
Marcia M McVey
These were so delicious! They turned out perfectly and were pretty easy to make. I really enjoyed the mint in them. Is it used in Greek food often? I am not that familiar with Greek food ingredients.
veggiesdontbite
I am so happy you liked them Marcia!Yes, my mom uses mint in a few different Greek recipes. I love the flavor profile it gives to savory dishes!
wendy
Hi! I can't wait to make these! Can you suggest something else to use instead of rice? What do you think of quinoa or lentil as an okay substitute?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Wendy! I would not use quinoa in these. At least not the way my directions are written. Quinoa has a whole different cooking strategy than rice. If you want to use something like quinoa I think you will need to experiment yourself on the cooking time needed in order to get the right texture. Unfortunately my recipe will only work as written. You definitely could use something else but you would need to alter all the cooking times until you find what works.
Laura
Yum. I had to rush home and make these as I had lovely farmer's market tomatoes and peppers just waiting for this recipe! I grew up with the awful green peppers stuffed with meat and covered with ketchup. I preferred the tomatoes to the peppers, but would like to try the zucchini you mention too. Loved the addition of the kale, and the potatoes cooked in the tomato made it nice and hearty. Thank you!
veggiesdontbite
So happy to hear Laura!! I have another version that I want to perfect and post at some point too! Thanks so much for trying them!
The Vegan 8
Girl, these are so beautiful!! My mouth is watering, I definitely need to try these! I love how gorgeous those charred tomatoes look on the outside. My mom always made stuffed peppers growing up too, but they were always filled with ground beef, rice, tomatoes and different spices, but I've never seen stuffed tomatoes, that is an amazing idea! What a fabulous recipe! I bet Jay would love these, the last time I made stuffed peppers was probably at least 5 years ago and it's a really OLD recipe on my blog with hideous photos, lmao. Definitely adding these to the list!
The Vegan 8
Oh, for the potatoes, did you just use russet, gold or what? I'm assuming russet, but just making sure.
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much! Yemsita (stuffed tomatoes and peppers, sometimes zucchini too) is a very traditional Greek recipe and found everywhere in Greece. My mom made it all the time growing up. I have another "meaty" version I am actually working on too since it comes in both rice and meat based. But the added greens definitely give it an extra boost of healthy! For the potatoes, you really can use russet, gold, red...whatever you like! They will bake differently as you know with Russet being the most soft and will fall apart more easily but they still turn out great since you are baking long enough to cook them. Gold are a little sturdier with the waxy red being the most firm. I have tried all and they all are great!