This recipe for Vegan Greek-Inspired Couscous Stuffed Peppers is full of refreshing Mediterranean flavors and plant-based protein! It's ready in 30 minutes for the perfect weeknight meal.
Details on Greek-Inspired Couscous Stuffed Peppers
For a vegan spin on a traditional recipe, these Couscous Stuffed Peppers are full of fresh Mediterranean flavors such as capers, sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and fresh herbs. They'll leave you feeling satisfied and full of plant-based protein.
To make this dish, you'll roast pepper halves for a bit in the oven, to soften their crunch and add some natural sweetness. While the peppers are roasting, you will boil some couscous (or other small pasta) and mix in a few more Greek-inspired ingredients.
Do you love pearl couscous? Check of this recipe for Ratatouille Couscous next!
Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
- Bell peppers: Red or orange peppers will taste the sweetest, so I recommend sourcing those if you can!
- Olive oil (used throughout)
- Salt and pepper
- Dried oregano or basil
- Pearl couscous: This is sometimes referred to as "Israeli couscous." Another small pasta like orzo would also work.
- Balsamic vinegar
- Capers or olives
- 3 TBS oil-packed sun dried tomatoes: The oil from the jar will help season our dish.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Flat leaf parsley: Not to be confused with curly parsley.
- Fresh garlic
- Chickpeas: Canned or cooked from dry
- Cashew parmesan (or vegan feta)
- Zest of one lemon
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ways To Customize This Dish
- Any kind of small pasta can be used in place of the pearl couscous. Quinoa would even work well!
- Basil can be substituted for parsley.
- Capers or olives could be left out if you don't care for them.
- For larger portions, slice the top off of each peppers and fill it standing straight up (as much as possible).
- White beans can be substituted for chickpeas.
This is of course not a true Greek dish, but the flavor profile inspiration could easily be shifted to other styles. Looking for Mexican-inspired? Sub rice or quinoa for the base and add salsa and cilantro to flavor! Looking for more weeknight-friendly veggie-packed dinners? Try one of these recipes next!
More Vegetable-Heavy Dinners
Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bowls with Green Tahini
Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 large bell peppers ideally red or orange
- Olive oil used throughout
- Salt and pepper
- 1 TBS dried oregano or basil
- 1 ⅓ cups pearl couscous
- 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 3 TBS capers or olives chopped
- 3 TBS oil-packed sun dried tomatoes chopped into small pieces (the oil from the jar will help season our dish)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¾ cup flat leaf parsley minced
- 2 large cloves garlic grated
- 1 can chickpeas or 1 ½ cups cooked, rinsed
- ½ cup cashew parmesan or vegan feta
- Zest of one lemon optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry peppers and slice down the middle, removing the ribs and seeds inside. Add pepper halves to a baking dish with a few TBS olive oil, pinches or salt and pepper, and dried herbs. Rub to coat, then roast (leaving the dish uncovered) for 20 minutes.
- While peppers are roasting, add 1 TBS olive oil to a small pan over medium heat. Add couscous and toast until golden brown (a few minutes) stirring to prevent burning. Add 1 ¾ cups water and large pinch of salt then bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 11 minutes until all water is absorbed.
- Once couscous is fully cooked, add to a large bowl and top with balsamic vinegar, capers/olives, sun dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, parsley, raw garlic, rinsed chickpeas, cashew parmesan, and lemon zest if using. Stir to combine. Taste to see if any flavors need adjusting (you may want to add more salt, depending on how salty your cheese is).
- Spoon couscous into each pepper half, filling to the top. You may have a bit of extra couscous, depending on the size of your peppers. To serve, drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle on more parsley and cashew parmesan.
Leave a Reply