Gemista (Greek Stuffed Peppers)

Gemista (Greek Stuffed Peppers)

Peppers and tomatoes stuffed with herbed rice - my mother made these every summer when vegetables were abundant.

Prep 30 min
Cook 60 min
Total 90 min
Servings 6
Mains

Gemista means “stuffed” in Greek, and in summer, we stuffed everything—peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, even onions. This was how you used the garden abundance. My mother would make a big pan, and we’d eat it all week.

The secret is the rice absorbs all the vegetable juices as it cooks. You end up with something creamy, sweet from the peppers, bright from the herbs. And the tops? The tomato caps caramelize. My favorite part.

Some versions have meat. This is the vegetarian way—Lenten food, summer food, good food.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cut the tops off peppers and tomatoes, keeping the tops as lids. Scoop out seeds and flesh. Save the tomato pulp, chop it up.
  2. Sprinkle inside of vegetables with salt. Turn upside down to drain while you make the filling.
  3. Sauté onion in half the olive oil until soft. Add garlic, cook one minute.
  4. Add rice, stir to coat with oil. Cook 2 minutes.
  5. Add chopped tomato pulp, herbs, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Add a splash of water if too thick.
  6. Remove from heat. The rice should be half-cooked—it will finish in the oven.
  7. Arrange vegetables in a baking dish, standing up. Fill each about 3/4 full—rice expands.
  8. Put the lids back on each vegetable. Pour remaining olive oil over everything.
  9. Add water to the pan, about 1 cm deep.
  10. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 1 hour, until rice is tender and vegetables are soft and slightly collapsed. Baste occasionally.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (approximate)

    Tips from My Kitchen

    Use the ripest, most flavorful tomatoes you can find. Supermarket tomatoes in winter won’t give you the same result. This is summer food, meant for August when gardens overflow.

    We serve gemista room temperature in Greece, not hot from the oven. The flavors actually improve as they cool. With feta on the side, crusty bread, maybe some olives. Perfect summer lunch.

    My aunt adds pine nuts and currants to her rice. Fancy, but good.

    Kalí órexi!

    You Might Also Like