Tunisian Stuffed Peppers
with Chickpeas, Apricots, & Feta Cheese
- Milk
Didn’t grow up with stuffed peppers? Here’s a quick 101: hollowed-out bell peppers are filled with a combination of protein, grains, vegetables, and spices. Of course, that doesn’t quite sum up how delicious and, for some, nostalgia-inducing they are. This veggie version happens to be extra special. The filling starts with Tunisian-spiced jasmine rice (think turmeric, cinnamon, and smoked paprika) that’s then bejeweled with dried apricots, crispy chickpeas, and salty feta. Prepare for a flavor explosion.
Ingredients
½ cup
Feta Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Chickpeas
4 tablespoon
Sour Cream
½ cup
Jasmine Rice
1 ounce
Dried Apricots
2 unit
Scallions
2 unit
Bell Pepper
1 tablespoon
Tunisian Spice Blend
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Halve bell peppers lengthwise; remove stems and seeds. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Roughly chop apricots, if necessary. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, ¼ tsp Tunisian Spice (½ tsp for 4 servings; you’ll use more in step 2), and salt. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.
In a small pot, combine rice, apricots, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4 servings), half the remaining Tunisian Spice (you’ll use the rest later), and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to use.
While rice cooks, place bell pepper halves on a baking sheet and drizzle each with olive oil; rub to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, then arrange cut sides up. Roast on middle rack until slightly softened, 15-17 minutes (you’ll stuff them then). Remove from oven to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse chickpeas; pat as dry as possible with paper towels. Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add chickpeas, scallion whites, remaining Tunisian Spice, and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. (TIP: It’s natural for chickpeas to pop a bit.) Turn off heat.
Fluff rice with a fork. Stir into pan with chickpeas along with ¾ of the feta and 2 TBSP butter (3 TBSP for 4 servings). Season generously with salt. Stuff each bell pepper half with as much filling as will fit. Return baking sheet to oven until stuffed peppers are tender, 5-7 minutes. Cover pan with remaining filling to keep warm.
Divide remaining filling between plates; top with stuffed peppers. Drizzle with spiced crema. Sprinkle with scallion greens and remaining feta. Serve.
