Spanish Baked Peppers Stuffed with Rice and Vegetables Recipe
Baked peppers stuffed with rice and vegetables are a homemade dish that often appears at family lunches in Spain. They’re similar to stuffed cabbage rolls, but instead of cabbage you have sweet bell peppers, and the filling is meat-free. Colorful, satisfying, and convenient – everyone gets their own pepper on the plate.
This dish combines the warmth of Spanish home cooking with a light, meat-free filling. The peppers bake until sweet and tender, while the rice and vegetables soak up the tomato and herb flavors, creating a colorful, satisfying meal that looks impressive but is easy to prepare.
Chef's tips
Choose peppers that stand upright easily and are similar in size so they bake evenly. Don’t overcook the rice at the beginning – slightly undercooked grains will finish cooking in the oven and stay pleasantly firm. Taste the filling before stuffing the peppers and season it a bit more boldly than you normally would, as the flavor softens during baking.
How to serve
Serve the stuffed peppers warm, with a drizzle of good olive oil and a spoonful of natural yogurt or a simple garlic yogurt sauce. A fresh green salad or tomato and cucumber salad on the side adds crunch and freshness. They also work well as part of a tapas-style spread, cut into halves or quarters.
Ingredients
- red bell pepper large, with a regular shape - 4 pieces
- rice white, long-grain - 180 g
- zucchini small, diced - 1 piece
- onion finely chopped - 1 piece
- carrot coarsely grated - 1 piece
- canned tomatoes chopped - 200 g
- yellow cheese grated, for sprinkling - 80 g
- olive oil for frying and drizzling - 3 tablespoons
- garlic chopped - 2 cloves
- sweet paprika - 1 teaspoon
- dried oregano - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Cook the rice in salted water for 2–3 minutes less than indicated on the package, so it stays slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
- Wash the peppers, cut off the top “caps” with the stems and set them aside. Remove the seed cores and white membranes from the inside, taking care not to damage the walls.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry for 3–4 minutes, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the grated carrot and diced zucchini, a pinch of salt, and fry for another 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften.
- Add the chopped garlic, sweet paprika, and oregano, and fry for about 1 more minute, until the spices become very fragrant.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes, stir, and cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the cooked rice to the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste. It should be well seasoned, as the flavor will mellow a bit during baking.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Fill the peppers with the rice and vegetable mixture, pressing down lightly with a spoon, but not all the way to the top – leave about 1 cm of space. Arrange the peppers in the dish and cover with the cut-off “caps”.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the “caps”, sprinkle the tops of the peppers with grated cheese, and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the cheese melts and is lightly browned and the peppers are tender.
- Before serving, let the peppers rest for 5 minutes so they cool slightly and are easier to slice.
Storage
Papryki możesz przechowywać w lodówce i podgrzewać w piekarniku lub na patelni pod przykrywką. Dobrze znoszą mrożenie – po rozmrożeniu będą trochę bardziej miękkie, ale nadal smaczne.
