Levantine Inspired Stuffed Peppers

I’m just going to say it, Jim will eat this every week if he has his way.  They are THAT good!  And he just loves stuffed peppers.

Jim loves all stuffed peppers. So when I started making this version a few years back, to hear him say “These are amazing, don’t change a thing.  Is there enough for tomorrow?” made me quite giddy.  An easy meal to prep, and leftovers reheat wonderfully.

What Kind of Peppers Can I Use?

You can use just about any pepper you like, whether Cubanelles (the long skinny pale slightly sweet green ones) to Poblanos, or of course the classic Bell Pepper, whether regular sized or mini.  This time around, the farmers market had baskets of these lovely assorted miniature peppers, so I thought it would be fun to stuff them.  The only peppers you want to stay away from are any that are hot.  For obvious reasons.

If you are wanting to stand regular sized pepper up and fill the cavity, always slice a thin layer off the bottom so that they will stand up without rocking.  This will help them from toppling over in the oven. To fill mini peppers like these, cut off the stem top, and use a sharp knife to cut around the membrane and seeds.  Then, holding onto the pepper in one hand, and the seed in the other, give them a good twist to loosen and remove.  Turn the pepper upside down to remove any stray pepper seeds (not a requirement of course)

Filling

While the peppers are the vehicle, the stuffing is the star, in my humble opinion!  This filling is a take on many Levantine recipes for lamb and rice.  I find most a little bland for our tastes, so I up the spices in the filling.  And I add onions and garlic.  For spices you will need Aleppo pepper (you can use sweet smoked paprika if you can’t source Aleppo) cinnamon, allspice, and salt and pepper.

It begins with softening the diced onions and minced garlic in a large sauté pan or braiser. Make sure that whichever pan you use, that it has a lid. Once the onions are soft, crumble in the lamb. As it is browning, you can sprinkle in the seasonings to start flavouring meat.  Once browned, add the rice.  Stir it through, and then add the chicken stock.  Bring it up to a bubbling simmer, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat. Let it simmer on low heat till the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.  Then remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and drape a tea towel over the pan. Place the lid back on, and let it sit on a cutting board for 5 minutes.  The towel will absorb the remaining steam, and create the most fluffy rice ever!

Once the rice is ready, remove the lid, and let it cool down for a few minutes.  Then stir through slivered pistachios and chopped mint.  This is now all ready to go into the peppers.

The filling can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.  Just bring it to room temperature before using.

Assemble

Save the pepper tops, they make a great anchor in the baking dish, especially for the mini peppers.  Fill the peppers, tamping down as you go. For small peppers like these, use the end of a spoon to push the filling into the tight point of the pepper. Arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish and pour chicken stock around the peppers, not quite submerging them.  Bake in a 375F oven till softened and cooked through.  Depending on the pepper you are using this can take anywhere between 45 and 60 minutes.

How to Serve

Here’s the other Levantine inspired take on these Stuffed Peppers.  Serve them with a Cumin Yogurt, cucumbers, more chopped nuts and mint, and a lovely sprinkle of Sumac!  If you can’t find sumac (although these days it is pretty common) just use freshly zested lemon.  Taking a bite of the stuffed pepper, with the creamy tang of the yogurt, and crunch of the nuts makes for a true party in your mouth.

Final Thoughts, and Some Options

When you first pull the dish of baked Stuffed Peppers out from the oven, you may find that some of the filling has fallen into the chicken broth.  Don’t get rid of this.  Maybe it’s the frugal side I inherited from my mum, but this broth with bits of flavourful filling makes for a fabulous light soup to have as lunch the next day!  

The filling is enough to fill 6-8 medium large bell peppers.  You can easily halve the filling recipe if you want to make less. But here is my suggestion.  If you have leftover filling, serve the filling itself with a good dollop of the Cumin Yogurt on top. Swirl it in, along with the sumac, mint and pistachios, and you have a great, easy meal.  Put an egg on top and call it brunch!

If you want to freeze any of the stuffed peppers, I would bake and then let them cool down completely.  Place them tightly into a freezer safe dish or bag, wrap well, and freeze.  These will keep about one to two months in the freezer.  Then just thaw in the fridge overnight and re-warm.

You can replace the lamb with ground beef, chicken or turkey.  Feel free to switch up the seasonings if you want to give it more of a Mediterranean or Spanish twist.  Replace the nuts with slivered almonds, or pine nuts. Sprinkle on some crumbled Feta if that strikes your fancy.

If you like this recipe, check out my Koussa, Lebanese Inspired Stuffed Zucchini, Horiatiki Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Crema

*If you make these Levantine Inspired Stuffed Peppers, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, if you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

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Levantine Stuffed Peppers on Cumin Yogurt

The perfect filling for all your stuffed pepper needs! In fact the filling tastes delicious on it's own. Enjoy this fabulous comfort dish with tabbouleh and pita bread.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Levantine

Keyword apples,rhubarb,aleppo pepper,cardamom,cinnamon,thyme,mint,pie pastry, basmati rice, cumin, greek yogurt, ground lamb, peppers, sumac

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, small diced
• 2 medium minced garlic cloves
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper, or more if you like a bit of heat
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed in a mesh strainer till the water runs clear
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup slivered pistachios
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint, can use 1 1/2 tsp dried mint

Peppers

• 6-8 medium large bell peppers of your choosing. You can also use 20 mini bell peppers etc.
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 1-2 cups chicken stock

To Serve

• 1 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• sliced cumber
• 1 tsp Sumac, or more to taste.

Instructions

Filling, can be made in advance and stored in the fridge till needed. Just bring to room temperature before filling the peppers

1. Heat a large braiser or sauté pan with a lid over medium high heat. Add the olive oil to warm through.
2. Add the onions and sauté till just starting to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute.

3. Crumble in the lamb and cook till browned and just crispy. Half way through this process, add the Aleppo pepper, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper and stir through to season the lamb. If using dried mint, add it at this time as well. After fully browned, taste and re-season if desired.

4. Add the rinsed rice and stir through to coat. Cook till just starting to turn translucent.

5. Add the chicken stock plus another 1/2 tsp salt, and give it all one good stir. Bring it to a gentle boil and then place the lid on the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has evaporated. This can take anywhere between 15-20 minutes.

6. Remove the pan from the heat and take off the lid. Quickly place a tea towel over the pan, and replace the lid over the towel. Let it sit for 5 or so minutes so that the towel can absorb any excess steam.
7. Fluff the filling. Add the pistachios and mint and gently stir through.

Peppers

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. If you want you peppers to stand tall, slice off a small section of the bottom to create a level bottom.
3. Use a sharp knife to remove the stem section (about 1/4 or so off the top) Remove the membranes and seeds.
4. Place the peppers into a baking dish which will hold them snugly. Drizzle each pepper with a bit of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the filling into each pepper, packing it down firmly but gently. Pour the chicken stock around the peppers, going about halfway up the peppers.
6. Cover the pan with foil and bake until the peppers are tender. Depending on your oven and the peppers you are using, this can take anywhere between 45 and 60 minutes or more. A sharp paring knife should slide into the pepper easily.

To Serve

1. Combine the yogurt with the cumin. Divide the yogurt between six bowls or plates. Place one large pepper (or four mini peppers) onto the yogurt. Garnish with cucumber slices, chopped mint, more pistachios and Sumac.
2. See blog post for more details on serving and storing.

Recipe Notes

In place of lamb feel free to use beef, turkey, or chicken.
You can use slivered almonds or pine nuts instead of pistachios.

Original recipe here inspired my filling.