Turkish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Stuffed Peppers Without Meat

Long green peppers stuffed with rice, tomatoes, pine nuts and herbs, cooked in olive oil and served lukewarm.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 10 green long peppers
• 150 g long-grain rice
• 2 onions
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 120 ml olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the rice in warm salted water for 15 min. and rinse until clear; cut the tops off the peppers near the stem, keep the lids and carefully remove the seeds.
2. Finely dice the onions and sauté in half the olive oil for 6–8 min. until translucent; add the pine nuts and toast for 2 min. until light golden.
3. Finely dice one tomato, add to the pan with the tomato paste and simmer for 3 min. until the mixture is thick.
4. Stir in the rice, chopped parsley, crumbled mint, salt and pepper, and take the filling off the heat.
5. Fill the peppers two-thirds full, close with the lids and pack tightly into a pot; slice the second tomato on top, pour in the remaining olive oil, the juice of half the lemon and 250 ml hot water.
6. Cover and cook over low heat for 35 min. until the rice is soft and the pepper skins have collapsed; serve lukewarm with the remaining lemon wedges.