1️⃣ Sauté base: Warm oil; cook onion & carrot with a pinch of salt 6–8 min until soft. Add mushrooms 4–5 min to release moisture; stir in garlic 30 sec.
2️⃣ Season & fold: Add paprika and tomato paste 1 min. Stir in rice, parsley, salt, and pepper; pour in stock/water and simmer 3–4 min until the rice just starts to swell.
3️⃣ Stuff: Fill peppers loosely (rice expands). Stand them snugly in a baking dish; cap with reserved tops if you like.
4️⃣ Sauce: Whisk passata, water, oil, sugar, and salt; tuck in bay leaves. Pour around peppers to come ⅓–½ up their sides.
5️⃣ Bake: Cover and bake at 190°C / 375°F 35 min. Uncover and bake 15–20 min more until peppers are tender and sauce slightly thick. Rest 10 min.
Total Time
🕒 Prep: 25 min
🔥 Cook: 55 min
⏳ Total: 1 h 20 min
Nutritional Value
🔋 Energy: ~260 kcal
💪 Protein: ~6 g
🧈 Fat: ~10 g
🍞 Carbohydrates: ~38 g
🧂 Sodium: ~680 mg
Advice
Don’t pack the filling tight—leave a little headspace so the rice can expand without splitting the peppers.
Why it works
Pre-bloomed paprika and tomato paste add depth; parcooking the rice jump-starts hydration so it finishes perfectly as the peppers bake in a gently emulsified tomato sauce.
Twist
Dalmation herb: Add 1 tsp dried oregano + thyme to the filling.
Spicy: Stir ½ tsp hot paprika or a minced chili into the rice.
Zucchini boats: Use hollowed zucchini halves instead of peppers; bake uncovered the last 20 min for color.
Status
Plush, saucy, and meat-free—these Lenten stuffed peppers are pure Balkan comfort. #grannyzen #fastingdish 🫑🍅
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