Halloumi-stuffed peppers
Celebrate stuffed peppers with our easy vegetarian version. Add cubes of halloumi, harissa and a whack of red chilli for an extra flavour boost
Balkan polnetipiperki (stuffed peppers)
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 4 - 6
Skip to ingredients
- 6 red, orange or yellow peppers
- 3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
- 1 onionpeeled and finely chopped
- 250g minced beef, veal, lamb or pork (or a mixture)
- 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 200g passata
- 125g risotto ricewashed and drained
- 1-2 large tomatoescut into 6 slices
- 400ml vegetable stock
- natural yogurtto serve
Nutrition: per serving (6)
- kcal258
- fat10.1g
- saturates2.2g
- carbs20.1g
- sugars11.9g
- fibre6.9g
- protein8.3g
- salt1.9g
Method
step 1
Cut a circle around the pepper stems, pulling off the stemmed lids in one piece and trimming any pith and seeds attached. Scoop out the pith inside each pepper and rinse to remove any seeds.
step 2
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sweat the onion for 10-12 mins, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the mince, 1 tsp of sea salt flakes and a good grind of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, for 5-7 mins or until the meat is browned. Add the bouillon, paprika, tomato purée and oregano, and cook for 1-2 mins until well combined, then stir through 75g of the passata. Add the rice and cook for 1 min, stirring well, to coat the grains. Remove from the heat.
step 3
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Stuff the peppers with the filling, making sure each pepper is only three-quarters full. Press the filling down into each pepper with a slice of tomato.
step 4
Arrange the peppers in a large, ovenproof casserole dish, big enough for the peppers to fit snugly facing upwards. Finely chop any left-over tomato and add it around the peppers. Add the rest of the passata, the stock, ½ tsp of sea salt flakes and a good grind of black pepper. The sauce should reach at least halfway up the side of the peppers – top it up with water if it doesn’t.
step 5
Spoon some of the sauce into each pepper, then put on the pepper lids. Soak a sheet of baking paper in water, then scrunch it up and cover the peppers, making sure it fits snugly in the dish. Cover with a lid and bake for 1 hr, then remove from the oven and spoon the cooking liquid over and into the peppers. Top up with 100ml of water if there isn’t enough sauce around the peppers.
step 6
Return to the oven, uncovered, for 30-35 mins or until the peppers are cooked through and blackened in places on their skins. Check the peppers from time to time and spoon some of the liquid into the peppers if they look dry. Serve warm with yogurt on the side.
