This authentic Greek Gemista recipe brings the sun-soaked Mediterranean straight to your kitchen.
Tender tomatoes and colorful peppers, lovingly stuffed with fragrant rice and fresh herbs, create a hearty vegetarian dish that’s both wholesome and satisfying.
Each piece delivers a perfect balance of flavors, making this traditional Greek comfort food an ideal choice for family dinners or special gatherings.
At just 493 calories per serving, these baked stuffed vegetables offer a nutritious meal that’s rich in fiber and healthy fats.
Ingredients for Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers
- Fresh Vegetables: 8 tomatoes, 4 bell peppers (any color), 1-2 eggplants, 5-6 potatoes, 2 red onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1 zucchini
- Rice and Proteins: 500g risotto rice, optional 250g beef mince for meat version
- Pantry Items: 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp butter
- Fresh Herbs: Parsley and mint (small bunches)
- Seasonings: Salt, fresh ground pepper, olive oil
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Vegetable Preparation: Carefully hollow out tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Save tomato flesh for sauce!
- Season Base: Place empty vegetables in baking tray, season with salt and sugar, add butter inside each
- Make Sauce: Blend tomato flesh with olive oil, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth
- Prepare Filling: Sauté onions until translucent, add zucchini, eggplant flesh, and garlic. Add rice, tomatoes, and water
- Assemble: Fill vegetables 2/3 full with rice mixture, arrange potatoes between them
- Bake: Cover with foil, bake at 180C for 60-75 minutes, removing foil halfway through
- Serve: Enjoy warm or cold with feta cheese
Cooking Techniques
The hollowing technique is key to making perfect gemista! When scooping out your vegetables, be gentle and patient.
Think of it like carving a tiny bowl – you want the walls thick enough to hold their shape (about 1/4 inch), but thin enough to cook nicely.
A small spoon works great for this job. Don’t toss those vegetable insides – they’ll make your sauce extra tasty!
And here’s a friendly tip: if your tomatoes or peppers wobble on the baking tray, slice a tiny bit off the bottom to help them stand up straight.
Make It Your Own
This classic Greek dish is super flexible! While the recipe calls for green bell peppers, any color works beautifully – red and orange peppers add lovely sweetness.
If you’re not a fan of eggplant, just skip it and add extra zucchini instead. For meat lovers, the beef variation adds wonderful richness, but you could also try ground lamb for an extra Greek twist.
Want to make it vegan? Simply skip the butter and use a bit more olive oil in its place.
Serving Tips
Gemista is a complete meal that shines with just a few simple additions. A chunk of crusty bread is perfect for soaking up all those amazing juices.
As suggested in the recipe, crumble some feta cheese over the top – its salty bite works magic with the sweet, stuffed vegetables.
These stuffed veggies taste amazing hot from the oven, but many Greeks actually prefer them at room temperature or even chilled. Try all three ways and pick your favorite!
Storage & Leftovers
These stuffed vegetables actually get better after a day in the fridge – the flavors have time to mix and mingle!
They’ll keep nicely for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. To reheat, pop them in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes, or microwave gently.
The rice might soak up more of the juice while storing, so feel free to drizzle with a little olive oil when reheating.
Gemista (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers with rice)
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Blender
- Saucepan
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 8 tomatoes
- 4 green bell peppers or orange, red or yellow if you prefer them sweet
- 1-2 eggplants
- 5-6 potatoes cut into wedges
Filling
- 2 red onions finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 500 g rice for risotto
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 small bunch parsley chopped
- 1 small bunch fresh mint chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- olive oil
- 250 g beef mince optional
Instructions
- To prepare this delicious Greek stuffed tomatoes recipe, start by preparing your vegetables. Slice off the top of the tomatoes. Using a spoon remove the flesh of the tomatoes and keep it in a bowl. (The flesh of the tomatoes will be the base for the tomato sauce for the Gemista.) Slice off the top of the eggplants and remove the flesh, using a spoon. Cut the flesh of the eggplants in small cubes and set aside, as you will use them later for the filling of the Gemista. Slice off the top of the peppers and remove the seeds and white parts from the inside.
- Place the empty vegetables on a large baking tray. Try to leave the vegetables with as little flesh as possible, but be careful not to poke through their skin. Season the empty vegetables with a pinch of salt and sugar and add a little butter on the bottom of each one.
- Prepare the sauce for the Gemista. In a blender add the flesh of the tomatoes, 5-6 tbsps olive oil, the tomato paste, sugar, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the filling for the Gemista. In a saucepan add some olive oil and sauté the onions, until translucent. Add zucchini, eggplant flesh, and garlic. Add rice and sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes, water, and seasonings. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add herbs.
- For meat version: Brown beef with onions first, then follow the same steps as vegetarian version.
- Fill vegetables 2/3 full with the mixture. Add potatoes between vegetables. Pour sauce over everything and add water. Cover with foil and bake at 180C/350F for 60-75 minutes, removing foil halfway.
- Serve warm or cold with feta cheese.