Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers with Lighter Filling

Have you ever craved a single dish so much that you couldn’t stop thinking about it until you made it? I do that more often than I’d like to admit. For about three weeks I couldn’t shake the urge for stuffed peppers. One day I finally caved: I tossed a package of multi-colored bell peppers and a pound of ground turkey into my cart and figured I’d improvise the rest at home. Looking through the fridge and pantry, I found baby spinach, feta cheese, and a few other odds and ends that steered the flavor toward a Greek-inspired filling. The end result was a batch of Lightened Up Greek Style Stuffed Peppers that were absolutely worth the wait.

These peppers are tender and packed with a savory filling of basmati rice and browned ground turkey, simmered in a tomato, herb, and red wine sauce. Plenty of baby spinach adds freshness, while creamy feta brings that classic Greek tang. The dish is satisfying and lighter than many traditional stuffed-pepper recipes — a win for anyone wanting comfort food without excess guilt.

Cook’s Notes

• Use any combination of bell peppers you like — all one color is fine, but a mix of red, yellow, orange, and green creates an attractive, colorful presentation.
• When you slice a thin wafer from the bottom of each pepper so they stand upright, remove only what’s necessary to prevent wobbling. Cutting away too much weakens the base and makes filling them harder.
• If you have a batch of slow-roasted or prepared tomatoes on hand, you can substitute an equal amount for the tomato paste called for in the recipe.
• Before baking the stuffed peppers, place the trimmed pepper tops back on as little lids. This helps keep the rice from drying out and looks charming on the finished dish.
• Remove the foil for the final 15 minutes of baking so excess moisture can evaporate and the peppers can finish tendering and lightly caramelizing.
• Finish each pepper with extra crumbled feta and a sprinkle of minced fresh parsley just before serving for flavor and a bright visual touch.

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Lightened Up Greek Style Stuffed Peppers

Rebecca Lindamood

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Tender peppers filled with a flavorful tomato-and-herb mixture of rice, turkey, spinach, and feta.

Ingredients

• 6 multi-colour bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion peeled and grated so the juices are retained
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 11 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup plus 1/2 cup feta crumbles divided
• minced fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Trim a thin wafer from the bottom of each pepper so it stands upright without wobbling. Cut off the tops to create cups, remove seeds, and reserve the caps to place back on after filling. Arrange the hollowed peppers in a baking pan and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
• While the peppers bake, heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, crumble in the ground turkey, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed plate and tent with foil.
• Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the grated onion and its juices and cook 3–5 minutes until softened.
• Increase to medium-high, add garlic, oregano, and thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens and smells rich. Pour in the red wine, raise the heat, and reduce until smooth. Return the browned turkey and any juices to the pan. Add the baby spinach and toss just until wilted.
• Combine the turkey mixture in a large bowl with cooked rice and most of the feta. Spoon the filling into the partially cooked peppers, packing gently. Replace each pepper cap, add 3 tablespoons of water to the pan, cover tightly with foil, and bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until peppers are tender.

To serve:

• Place a stuffed pepper on each plate and remove the cap, setting it to the side. Sprinkle remaining feta and minced parsley over the filling and serve hot.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition tool.

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