Greek · lunch, dinner
Gemista (Greek Rice-Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes)
Video by The Mediterranean Dish on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Vegan if you leave out the feta cheese
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free if you leave out the feta cheese
- Nut-free
Contains: Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Vegetables are the main event: each serve has about 10 g of fibre and more than twice a day's vitamin C from the peppers and tomatoes. Vegan if you skip the optional feta.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 18
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Rinse the basmati rice and leave it to soak in water while you prep. Heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F), brush a large, deep baking dish with olive oil and cut the peeled potatoes into wedges. 0:36
- Slice the tops off the peppers and tomatoes about 1 cm down and keep them as lids. Seed the peppers. Scoop the tomato flesh into a bowl with a small spoon and chop it, keeping the shells whole. 1:07
- Stand the peppers and tomato shells in the dish and tuck the potato wedges in between. 7:43
- Add the drained rice, onion, half the garlic, the parsley, mint, ½ tsp oregano, paprika, feta (if using), 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to the tomato flesh and mix well. 3:58
- Fill each vegetable about three-quarters full so the rice has room to swell, and put the lids back on. 6:13
- Pour the crushed tomatoes and ½ cup water over, scatter the rest of the garlic and oregano and a big pinch of salt and pepper over the potatoes, and drizzle generously with olive oil. 7:57
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, then uncover and bake 30–45 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the peppers are soft and charred in places. Spoon the pan juices over to serve. 8:40
Tip. Leave out the feta and it is fully vegan. Use basmati rice so it cooks through in the oven; if the rice is still firm, bake a little longer uncovered. Leftovers reheat well.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 6
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 59%
- Protein 11%
- Fat 30%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Lower-carb idea. About 49% of the 66 g of net carbs come from the yukon gold potatoes. To cut carbs, try cauliflower, celeriac or turnip instead.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin C High219%
197 mg a serve, mostly from bell peppers (78%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin B6 High69%
1.2 mg a serve, mostly from yukon gold potatoes (43%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin K High43%
52 µg a serve, mostly from fresh parsley (42%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Potassium High36%
1710 mg a serve, mostly from yukon gold potatoes (53%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Folate High36%
144 µg a serve, mostly from bell peppers (38%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Vitamin E High33%
4.9 mg a serve, mostly from bell peppers (39%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin A High31%
280 µg a serve, mostly from bell peppers (67%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Magnesium High24%
100 mg a serve, mostly from yukon gold potatoes (48%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Iron High22%
3.9 mg a serve, mostly from yukon gold potatoes (47%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Zinc High21%
2.3 mg a serve, mostly from yukon gold potatoes (30%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Selenium Source17%
9.1 µg a serve, mostly from basmati rice (61%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Calcium Source12%
152 mg a serve, mostly from feta cheese (41%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Omega-3 Source12%
0.2 g a serve, mostly from olive oil (26%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Show the other 2
Vitamin B129%
0.2 µg a serve, mostly from feta cheese (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve, mostly from feta cheese (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
You might also like
Fasolada: Greek White Bean Soup in 30 MinutesGreek · 330 kcal · 13 g protein
Cretan Zucchini and Feta OmeletteGreek · 344 kcal · 16 g protein
Briam: Greek Roasted Potatoes, Zucchini and TomatoGreek · 266 kcal · 6.3 g protein
Chtapodi Krasato (Greek Octopus in Red Wine and Vinegar)Greek · 406 kcal · 31 g protein
Soupies me Spanaki (Greek Cuttlefish Stewed with Spinach)Greek · 585 kcal · 56 g protein
Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup)Greek · 256 kcal · 17 g protein
Recipe and video by The Mediterranean Dish; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.