Vegetarian Orzo Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

Base:

• ½ cup uncooked orzo
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3-4 kale leaves, stems removed, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• juice and zest of 1 small lemon
• big handful of chopped fresh mint
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• white cheddar or pepper jack cheese, to melt on top (optional)

Herbed Yogurt Sauce (optional):

• ⅓ cup greek yogurt
• drizzle of olive oil
• finely chopped mint, basil or oregano
• squeeze of lemon
• sea salt, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the orzo pasta for about 7-9 minutes, or until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, roast your bell peppers. Slice them in half and remove the seeds and ribbing. Drizzle each half with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place cut side up and roast them for 20 minutes or until they become soft and golden brown around the edges.
4. Prepare your filling. In a large glass bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, kale and chickpeas. When your orzo is al dente, drain it and add it (warm) to the bowl and toss. Stir in the feta cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, mint, red pepper flakes and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Fill the red pepper halves with the orzo salad and serve.
6. Optional: add a layer of white cheddar or pepperjack cheese on top of your stuffed peppers and pop them under the broiler (or a hot hot oven), until the cheese is bubbling and browned.
7. Optional: mix together the yogurt sauce ingredients and serve on the side

« Back to Recipes Print Recipe