Vegetarian Greek Stuffed Peppers

5 from 3 votes

These Vegetarian Greek Stuffed Peppers are full of Mediterranean flavors! They're made with orzo, feta cheese, spinach, and Kalamata olives.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: greek stuffed peppers, orzo stuffed peppers, gluten free stuffed peppers

Servings:

Calories: 353kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Ingredients

8 oz. gluten free orzo equals 1 ¼ cups dry
3 large bell peppers any color
2 packed cups spinach
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives chopped
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
1 lemon zest and juice
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ cup fresh parsley for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare 8 oz. (equals 1 ¼ cup dry) of gluten free orzo pasta (can use regular orzo pasta if not gluten free) according to package directions. Cook the orzo just until al dente.
It's important not to overcook the orzo, or it will become mushy.
Drain the orzo after it has finished cooking and pour it into a large mixing bowl.
Allow the orzo to cool a bit before adding all of the other ingredients.
Mince 4 cloves of garlic.
Roughly chop 2 packed cups of fresh spinach and chop 1 cup of pitted Kalamata olives.
Use a Microplane or small zester to zest 1 lemon.
Add the 2 packed cups of chopped spinach, 1 cup chopped Kalamata olives, 1 cup feta cheese crumbles, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, and ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper to the cooled orzo and toss the mixture until completely combined.
Chop 3 large bell peppers (any color) in half and then remove the seeds, stems, and membranes.
Pour ¼ cup of olive oil into a 9x13 inch ceramic or glass baking dish, or a cake pan. Add the 4 cloves of minced garlic into the dish, along with 1 tsp. dried oregano. Make sure that the garlic and oregano are distributed evenly throughout the baking dish.
Arrange the bell pepper halves in the baking dish and add a generous amount of the filling into each one. It's fin if the peppers overflow with the extra filling.
Tightly cover the baking dish with foil.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Feel free to test the peppers at the 45-minute mark and bake for another 5 minutes if you like the peppers a bit softer.
Remove the dish from the oven and serve immediately.
To Serve: Served the stuffed peppers with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

Brown rice, white rice, or quinoa may be substituted if you are unable to find gluten free orzo. Keep in mind that these substitutions will alter the flavor slightly.

Feel free to substitute another variety of olives if you don't care for Kalamata olives. Green, black olives, or Castelvetrano olives are all great alternatives.

Marinated artichokes or capers may also be used in place of Kalamata olives.

Nutrition