Vegetarian Yemista are Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers bursting with the flavors of rice and herbs. A perfect satisfying and healthy meal!
This recipe is a great meal for meatless Monday. You can also prep it ahead and bake when you're ready to eat!
This post was originally published on July 22, 2018.
Yemista (also spelled gemista) is often served as a main dish alongside other Greek recipes like tzatziki, feta cheese, and Greek salad. It's so flavorful and very family friendly!
Ingredients
Traditionally, Yemista can be filled with meat or rice. Both are common but we love the rice version as it's vegetarian and super flavorful.
Here is what you need to make these Greek stuffed vegetables. I added some finely chopped kale for greens and currants for a twist on the original. Both are fully optional! (See below for more flavor variations.)
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Long grain jasmine rice
- Sweet onion
- Kale (optional)
- Parsley
- Mint (optional)
- Pine nuts
- Currants (optional)
- Veggie broth
- Potatoes
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Olive oil
How to Make Yemista
These Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers are a great healthy choice for dinner! Follow these steps to get them just right every time:
- Cut the tops off of the tomatoes and peppers and remove the insides, keeping the tops reserved.
- Chop the tomato pulp well, take out half, and set aside for later.
- Mix in the kale, parsley and mint.
- Sauté the chopped onions until transparent and mix in the rice.
- Add broth, cover, and simmer.
- Stir in the tomato mixture, as well as the pine nuts, currants (if using), salt and pepper.
- Place the tomatoes and peppers in a baking dish, stuff, and cover with the tops.
- Arrange peeled and cut potatoes between them.
- Sprinkle the remaining chopped tomato pulp over the potatoes and drizzle with oil.
- Bake and enjoy!
Flavor Variations
Greek stuffed peppers and tomatoes can be customized in so many ways! Add in or swap out any of the following ideas:
- Garlic
- Spices and herbs: oregano, dill, basil, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cumin.
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Mushrooms
- Quinoa
- Bulgur
- Cous cous
- Almonds
- Capers
- Raisins
- Cheese - try feta, goat cheese, or mozzarella. Make it vegan by using dairy free cheese.
- Meat - if you don't need this recipe to be vegetarian feel free to mix in lamb, beef, or a combination of both.
What to Serve With Yemista
Serve Yemista at either room temperature or chilled, on its own or with more tasty dishes and sauces! They make a refreshing dish for picnics, potlucks, or as part of a mezze platter.
Try pairing this recipe with any of these:
Preparation Tips
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 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.
- While baking, check periodically to see if more liquid is needed.
- If you need to add broth, make sure you heat it first (you can use the microwave or pot on the stove).
- Taste as you go to check the rice, if the rice is cooked then pull them out of the oven.
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
This recipe for Greek stuffed peppers can be prepared partially or completely ahead of time, and leftovers can easily be stored for later!
- To prep ahead:
- Deseed the peppers and scrape out the tomatoes.
- Prepare the filling.
- Store separately, or assemble and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake.
- To store:
- Seal the stuffed vegetables in airtight containers or bags, you can even wrap each one in plastic wrap. (Do this before baking for best results.)
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat:
- If frozen, allow the Yemista to defrost before baking.
- Follow baking instructions in the recipe card.
- If the stuffed pepper and tomatoes are already baked you can warm them in the oven for less time, or microwave until heated through.
Common Questions
Yemista (or gemista) (pronounced yeh-MEE-stah) is a traditional Greek dish consisting of peppers and tomatoes stuffed with rice and other herbs and spices. The word "yemista" translates to "stuffed" or "filled with" in Greek. This dish is popular in Mediterranean cuisine and is often served as a main course or as part of a mezze (appetizer) spread.
Yes, Yemista can be prepared in advance. You can stuff the vegetables and refrigerate them before baking. When you're ready to serve, simply bake them in the oven according to the recipe instructions. See above for more details on how to prep Yemista ahead of time.
The traditional vegetables used for Yemista are tomatoes and bell peppers. However, other vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and even onions or cabbage leaves can also be stuffed and used.
Yes, Greek stuffed vegetables can be frozen, but it's recommended to freeze before baking. See above for more tips on how to freeze Yemista.
Absolutely! This Yemista recipe is already vegetarian and vegan as written. Make sure to leave out any meat and dairy products to keep it plant based.
Vegan Main Dishes
- The Best Vegan Sausage (Gluten-Free)
- Vegan Enchiladas with Black Beans
- Falafel Sandwich in Pita
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Greek Vegetarian Yemista
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes
- 4 large red, yellow, green, or orange peppers
- ¾ cup long grain Jasmine rice , see note
- 1 large sweet onion , finely chopped
- 4-6 leaves kale , finely chopped (optional, see note)
- ½ cup parsley , chopped
- 3 tablespoons mint , optional
- ½ cup pine nuts , see note
- ½ cup currants , optional
- ½ cup veggie broth , low sodium if needed (see note)
- 2 large potatoes , peeled and cut into two inches pieces
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt , plus a few pinches (see note)
- 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.
- Add the kale, parsley and mint (if using) into the processor. Chop again until everything is mixed well. You can also chop these on your cutting board.
- In a pot, pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (or ¼ cup broth if not 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 (use ⅔ cup if using long grain brown rice), cover and simmer over low heat until the liquid 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, and add more broth 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 from the chopped tomatoes to cover the bottom of the pan, add the leftover broth 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, make sure you heat it first (you can use the microwave or pot on the stove). 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
- The kale, mint and currants are optional but I love the added flavors and greens they give.
- You can use long grain brown rice instead, but 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 don't 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!