Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Peppers (Printable Version)

Bell peppers filled with herbed chickpeas, veggies, and a creamy lemon tahini drizzle, inspired by Mediterranean flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Stuffed Peppers

01 - 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), tops removed and seeds discarded
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 - 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
08 - ½ cup cooked quinoa or rice
09 - ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
13 - ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - ½ teaspoon salt
15 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (optional)
18 - Juice of ½ lemon

→ Lemon Tahini Sauce

19 - ¼ cup tahini
20 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
21 - 2 tablespoons water, plus additional as needed
22 - 1 small garlic clove, grated
23 - ¼ teaspoon salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to accommodate all peppers in upright position.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add diced red onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
03 - Stir in diced zucchini and cook for 4 minutes until tender. Add quartered cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 additional minutes.
04 - Add chickpeas, cooked quinoa, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
05 - Fold in fresh parsley, mint if using, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
06 - Fill each prepared bell pepper with chickpea mixture, packing gently. Position peppers upright in prepared baking dish.
07 - Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 10 additional minutes until peppers are tender while maintaining their shape.
08 - While peppers bake, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, grated garlic, and salt in small bowl until smooth. Add additional water as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.
09 - Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates. Drizzle generously with lemon tahini sauce and serve warm.

# Tips for Success:

01 -
  • The filling is hearty enough to satisfy anyone skeptical about plant-based meals, with that satisfying protein and texture from chickpeas and grains.
  • Most of the prep happens in one skillet, so cleanup feels almost as easy as the cooking itself.
  • Those peppers turn silky and sweet in the oven while the filling gets warm and aromatic, creating this perfect textural contrast.
02 -
  • Those peppers will keep cooking even after they come out of the oven, so remove them when they're just barely tender or they'll collapse from their own softness.
  • The tahini sauce thickens as it cools, so make it just before serving and adjust with water if needed to get that perfect drizzling consistency.
03 -
  • Choose peppers that sit flat on their base so they won't topple over in the baking dish, which is more practical than romantic but absolutely saves frustration.
  • If your tahini seems separated when you open the jar, that's just the natural oil rising to the top, so stir it back in before measuring.
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