Name: Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 3 bell peppers (sliced and seeds removed); 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1/2 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/3 cup chickpeas (rinsed); 1/2 cup grape tomatoes (sliced); 1/4 cup crumbled feta (or more); 1-2 tbsp harissa

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Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are an easy weeknight meal that are filled with flavors like garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and feta cheese. These peppers are a healthy vegetarian meal that’s loaded with protein thanks to the quinoa.

Quinoa stuffed peppers are happening today!

I’ve been on a mediterranean flavor kick recently—I just re-shared this mediterranean quinoa bowl recipe, which was the original inspiration behind these peppers.

Quinoa stuffed peppers recipe

These stuffed peppers are a simple good-for-you meal, perfect for Meatless Monday. These peppers are the best because:

Quinoa is the main ingredient, so even though there’s no meat, there’s still plenty of protein involved
They’re topped with feta and harissa, aka TONS of flavor
They’re ready in under 45 minutes total, which isn’t too bad considering you’ll probably have leftovers

Ingredient notes

Quinoa – any color quinoa works, and always remember to rinse your quinoa before your cook it
Bell peppers – any color
Feta cheese – this is optional, though I believe a sprinkle of feta cheese makes everything better
Harissa – also optional, but if you want a little added spice, I highly recommend a drizzle of harissa

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Cook the quinoa as you normally would over the stovetop

Step 2: Slice the peppers in half length-ways, and remove the seeds. Place them cut-side up in a baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and set aside.

Step 3: Make the filling. Combine the cooked quinoa with the garlic, oregano, salt, chickpeas, and tomatoes and stir to combine.

Step 4: Stuff the peppers with the quinoa mixture, then bake them for 25 minutes or until the peppers have softened.

Step 5: When the peppers are done cooking, top them with feta cheese and a drizzle of harissa!

FAQs and Tips

Try to find larger peppers if you can, because the larger the pepper, the easier it’ll be to fill with quinoa. I used red peppers, but any kind of bell pepper will work.

What can you stuff peppers with?

Though this recipe calls for specific ingredients, there are a LOT of things you can stuff peppers with. So, I thought I’d give you some other ideas and/or substitutions for ingredients should you need them.

Grains: including but not limited to quinoa, rice, barley
Vegetables: tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach
Cheese: ANY kind of cheese will work. Sprinkling the cheese on top of the peppers as soon as they come out of the oven ensures that the cheese will melt and/or be warm when serving.
Meat: this recipe is vegetarian, but you could absolutely stuff the peppers with some sort of sausage or bacon.

Where can I find harissa?

Have you hopped on the Harissa paste train yet? Consequently, it took me awhile to do so because I found it tricky to actually find Harissa paste. But, I believe I ended up finding some at Giant Eagle and I know for a fact that you can order some online. The other good news is that a little bit goes a long way, so a jar should last you awhile.

What I’m getting at is that, if you don’t already have some in your pantry or refrigerator, you need to get some! It adds flavor and a little bit of spice to recipes (like this tomato soup) and packs a punch in these quinoa stuffed peppers as well.

Can I prep this recipe ahead of time?

You can absolutely prep the quinoa ahead of time to make this process even faster. First, make the quinoa and then store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Or, if you’re making it further in advance, place it in a container in the freezer.

Try these other Mediterranean-inspired recipes

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below!

bell peppers stuffed with quinoa and chickpeas

Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

These quinoa stuffed peppers are packed with flavor, veggies and protein and are an easy weeknight meal.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: peppers

Author: Erin

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Start by cooking the quinoa. While the quinoa is cooking, slice the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Place peppers face up in a baking sheet.
Once quinoa is cooked, place it in a large bowl and add garlic, oregano, salt, chickpeas, and tomatoes to the bowl; stir to combine.
Spoon quinoa mixture into the red peppers until they're full, then bake the peppers for 20-25 minutes, or until peppers are soft.
Top peppers with feta cheese then drizzle with harissa paste.
Enjoy!

Video

Notes

-To make harissa drizzle-able, add it to a bowl along with 2 tbsp of water to thin it out

-To prep ahead: simply make the quinoa mixture and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; then, when you're ready to eat, you just have to slice, stuff and bake the peppers

Nutrition

Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in February 2019. It was updated with new text and photos in May 2020.