These Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are my take on a Greek Salad in a pepper. A perfect vegetarian meal that makes the best leftovers! This recipe is so delicious and satisfying you won't even notice they are meatless. Omit the cheese and turn this into an impressive vegan meal.
These Quinoa Stuffed Peppers check all the boxes for an easy, colourful, healthy meal that will even satisfy the die hard meat eaters in your life. They may insist on having it with a side of steak...that's okay. They're perfect as a side dish too! That way you can satisfy your meat eating and vegetarian guests with one dish. Boom!
Jump to:
The Best Way to Cook Quinoa
Want to know the secret to getting perfectly cooked quinoa that isn't mushy or clumpy? Cook it like pasta. I honestly have no idea why all the instructions I read about how to cook quinoa call for it to be cooked with the water absorption method, like rice. No. Just no.
If the package says "pre-washed" or "pre-rinsed" I recommend still rinsing it. If it doesn't say that you will want to rinse it really well. Rinsing well removes the bitter taste. After rinsing, cook it in boiling water for 12-15 minutes depending on your preferred amount of crunch. I cook mine for 12 minutes. Once done, drain and rinse under cold water. For this recipe we are heating up the grains again later but if you are serving quinoa warm as a side then no need for rinsing.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Please refer to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Quinoa - any variety works for this recipe. You could also use rice or grains like farro or bulgur wheat.
- Bell peppers - a variety of colors looks pretty but you can use any color peppers here. You can also use portobello mushrooms or carved out zucchini boats instead of peppers.
- Red onion- red onions are a classic Greek ingredient but any type of onions work. Including green onions which should be sliced and added to the already cooked filling.
- Fresh basil and parsley - 1 teaspoon of minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried would be a classic flavor addition.
- Mini bocconcini cheese - these add a little cheesy surprise but small cubes of feta cheese would be a perfect alternative.
How to make this recipe
Please see full instructions in the recipe card below.
First cook the quinoa and set aside while you prepare the other vegetables.
Partially cook the pepper halves in a hot oven or on the barbecue before adding the filling.
Next make the filling by sauteing the vegetables in a frying pan then adding the quinoa, tomatoes and cheese. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Be sure to taste and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. You can add more salt, pepper, herbs, and fresh lemon juice if desired.
Now you are ready to stuff the peppers. Fill them with as much filling as you can fit. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until warm. After baking top with a good dose of feta cheese. Extra filling is delicious eaten on it's own as a salad or side dish.
Serve these with Easy Tzatziki Sauce (recipe below). Make extra. It's great with everything, is super easy and keeps for a week in the fridge.
Variations
Make it Vegan - Omit the cheese or replace it with a vegan alternative. The tzatziki sauce can be made with dairy free yogurt or cashew cream.
Make it into a salad - Simplify this recipe by making it into a salad. Instead of roasting the peppers dice them up and add them to the frying pan with the zucchini in step 5. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss together and serve as a salad or side dish.
Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and/or a comment below. You can also follow me on social media here on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
stuffed Peppers
- ½ cup quinoa, uncooked
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 4 large bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, cored and seeded.
- 1 cup red onion, chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup tomato, chopped
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 tablespoon each fresh basil and parsley, chopped. or 1 teaspoon each dried.
- 10 balls mini bocconcini cheese, or cubes of feta cheese cut in half
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ lemon, juiced, about 2 tbsp
- 100 g feta cheese, to crumble on top
Simple Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 3" piece cucumber
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chopped. fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
- ¼ lemon, juiced
- 1 sm. clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the stuffed peppers
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Rinse quinoa in a sieve under cold water for at least 2 minutes. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook quinoa for 12-15 minutes. Strain and rinse under cold water. Leave it in the strainer and set aside.
- Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and core. Leave the tops on. In a large bowl toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place pepper halves on a lined baking tray, cut side down. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until just starting to soften. Remove from oven, flip over and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add red onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and zucchini. Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes more.
- Remove from heat and stir in cooked quinoa, tomatoes, olives, fresh herbs, and bocconcini cheese, 2 tablespoon olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- In an oiled baking dish, place the peppers together snugly but with enough room to add filling. Fill each pepper generously. At this point peppers can be covered and refrigerated overnight if making ahead.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until filling is warmed through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. These can be served warm or at room temperature.
Simple Tzatziki Sauce
- Grate the cucumber and place in a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to an hour. Squeeze out any excess water.
- In a medium bowl combine the drained cucumber with yogurt, dill, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir together. This sauce keeps in the fridge for one week.
Janis Ernewein says
A lot of work to prepare and not much flavour. Added some basil which helped a bit. Too much effort and expense for so little retiurn. Won't make again.
Andrea says
Im sorry to hear you didn't find the peppers flavourful enough. I Hope you find something else to try and enjoy!
Debbie Belbin says
I’ve made this recipe many times and each time it’s a winner. Not only is it delicious, it looks great too. I made it yesterday and brought one for lunch today and everyone was asking what I was eating because it smelled so good. Will definitely make this again and again.
I’m mostly vegetarian so always appreciate new recipes from you.
Thanks so much. It’s obvious you love what you do.
Sincerely, Debbie
Andrea says
Thank so much Debbie! I'm so happy you enjoyed the peppers and have found others you like too! I really do enjoy what I do and I'm happy it shows! 🤗
Rose Marie says
Made this while on Gina's program and brought to family event and was a big hit !! Totally DELISH will definitely make again ...
And YES would love Meatless Monday recipes !
Andrea says
So happy you and everyone else enjoyed it Rose! It's perfect for a get together 👌
Lisa Shirriff says
D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S
So here's my deal... I rarely cook. The kitchen looks good but unless someone else uses it the only thing that needs to be done is dusting. Realizing this and trying to figure out what to have for lunch today I decided to crack open the oven, turn on the burners and see if I was actually capable of creating this. Until this day I have not even made Quinoa. I like eating it just have never made it. It probably took me longer than most to make it (45 min or so) BUT I did it and it was incredible!!! Another thing I don't do... I don't take pics of my food to share with the world (not that there is anything wrong with that...) however today I shared it with my entire family. They were impressed almost as much as I was. Thank you for this!
Andrea says
Hi Lisa! Comments like these really make my day! I'm so happy you tackled the recipe and that you enjoyed it! Happy cooking!
Carol Thiemann says
Hi Andrea
I have to tell you that I have made a number of recipes off of the My Pocket Kitchen site and they are all so delicious!! The stuffed peppers are exceptional. Thanks so much for sharing.
Jackie says
Fricken DELICIOUS!
Lisa Faley says
This was da BOMB!!! So so SOOOO seriously good! Will be making this again .... and again... and again.
Andrea says
Thanks Lisa!
So happy you enjoyed them!! 😀
Arlene B says
Hi Andrea. 🙂
I found out about you and your website when I recently signed up for the spring and summer Gina Livy group. I made your quinoa stuffed peppers this morning and will be serving them as a side dish tonight with grilled chicken breasts. My four bell peppers were not particularly large, but they still stuffed very nicely and they look so pretty. I ended up with extra of the quinoa stuffing so I just divvied it up and my husband and I ate it cold with our lunch. Yum.
Thank you so much for the tip of leaving the stem intact. It did make them more structurally sound and easier to stuff. Now on to the best part, the quinoa stuffing is absolutely scrumptious. My husband and I love Greek food and I love this healthy version. I did not have quite enough fresh basil, so I added what I had plus a little bit of dried basil and dried oregano and dried parsley. I prefer fresh and I've actually started my own herbs in little pots on my windowsill but they're too tiny to harvest. When the weather gets nice I will definitely be planting more outdoors.
Well now that I've written a book I just want to say thank you very much for this beautiful recipe, and I cannot wait to try more of your delicious looking food.
Andrea says
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a lovely comment! I'm so happy you enjoyed the peppers! 🤗
Sharone O’Brien says
I made these this morning and we had them for lunch. OMG - so, so delicious. We have begun to eat our main meal at lunch now - after being on Gina’s plan since January. It is kind of fun to have more at lunch then dinner. Thanks so much for this great recipe, Andrea. 🙂
Andrea says
Great idea! Happy to hear you enjoyed the stuffed peppers!
Barb says
Such a great alternative to traditional stuffed peppers. Very tasty!
Andrea says
So happy you enjoyed the peppers!
Lynn Norton says
Delicious. Loved this one.
Andrea says
So happy you liked it!
A says
Love this recipe!!! It is a family favourite!!! Have used the filling in salad and it is excellent!!!
A
Andrea says
So happy you like it!! Thanks for the comment!
Rachel says
Love this! Got distracted and slightly overcooked the peppers but still turned out delicious!! Definitely making again!
Andrea says
Happy to hear it was still good despite a bit of overcooking! Thanks for the lovely comment!
Hunter says
This looks so good I can’t wait to try it! My mum (Donna) won’t bring me to the grocery store to get the ingredients though, I will make it sometime!
Andrea says
Give her the list Hunter so she can get the stuff for you. Don't let her stand in your way. lol! Let me know if you make it and how it turns out!
Hunter says
We are making it tonight!!! I can’t wait to make it all by my self!
Andrea says
Excellent! Can't wait to hear how it turns out!
Aunt Ruby says
Hi Andrea,
I am so loving your site. Everything you post makes me want to cook, cook, cook.
Have tried a lot of recipes with great success.So many wonderful tips.
Thanks
Andrea says
Thanks so much Aunt Ruby!
I'm so happy you are trying stuff!
Eveline Mut says
I made the quinoa stuffed peppers. Turned out well.
Everybody loved it.
Andrea says
So happy to hear that!