Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Peppers (Printable Version)

Bell peppers filled with herbed chickpeas and veggies, topped with creamy lemon tahini sauce.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Stuffed Peppers

01 - 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), tops removed and seeds cleaned
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 small red onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small zucchini, diced
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
07 - 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
08 - 0.5 cup cooked quinoa or rice
09 - 0.25 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
15 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 - 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (optional)
18 - Juice of 0.5 lemon

→ Lemon Tahini Sauce

19 - 0.25 cup tahini
20 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
21 - 2 tablespoons water, plus additional as needed
22 - 1 small garlic clove, grated
23 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a baking dish with oil to accommodate all peppers in an upright position.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced zucchini and cook 4 minutes until tender. Introduce cherry tomatoes and cook 2 additional minutes.
04 - Fold in chickpeas, cooked quinoa, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
05 - Stir in fresh parsley, mint if desired, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
06 - Divide filling evenly among prepared bell peppers, packing gently without pressing excessively. Arrange peppers upright in prepared baking dish.
07 - Cover baking dish with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 additional minutes until peppers are tender while maintaining their structure.
08 - While peppers bake, whisk tahini, lemon juice, water, grated garlic, and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Add water gradually for preferred drizzling consistency.
09 - Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates. Drizzle generously with lemon tahini sauce and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but comes together in under an hour, which means you can actually make this on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The lemon tahini sauce is the kind of thing you'll want to drizzle on everything else you cook for the next week.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of tasting the filling before you stuff the peppers because it's way easier to adjust seasoning in the skillet than inside a raw pepper.
  • The tahini sauce will thicken slightly as it sits, so if you're making it ahead, whisk in a little extra water right before serving.
03 -
  • If your bell peppers are wobbly and won't stand upright, slice a tiny bit off the bottom so they have a flat surface, or cut them in half lengthwise and increase the baking time by about 10 minutes.
  • The tahini sauce is the secret weapon here—make extra because it's addictive and you'll want it on everything from roasted vegetables to grain bowls to fresh bread.
Go Back