Stuffed veggies
Stuffed vegetables have always been one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. True to Romanian tradition, this dish brings together all the best things: soft, tender vegetables generously filled with a juicy mix of meat and rice, all nestled in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce. Each bite is a cozy taste of home and nostalgia, perfect for sharing around the family table
Equipment
- Stove & oven needed
- 1 Pot that goes onto the stove & in the oven
Ingredients
- 3 bell peppers the veggie ratio is up to you
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 courgettes
- 200 grams white rice
- 250 grams minced beef
- 250 grams minced porc
- 2 eggs
- 1 large white onion
- fresh dill and fresh parsley to your liking
- salt, pepper, paprika, dried herbs
- tomato sauce optional
- olive oil
- sour cream to serve
Instructions
- Cut the top part of the bell peppers, scoop the seeds and throw the away. Cut the tomatoes the same way and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Chop the insides from the tomatoes and set to the side. Cut the courgettes in 2 halves horizontally and scoop out the insides. Be careful! The courgettes should be able to sit up vertically in your pot.Keep the parts that you cut off from the bell peppers & tomatoes.Chop up the dill & the parsley finely.
- In a large bowl, mix the minced meat, the egg, the white rice (not cooked) and the dill. Season to your taste, I usually add dried herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary and paprika (besides salt & pepper).
- Once the filling done, start stuffing your veggies. Position them upward in your large pot (standing) and add the top parts that you kept to cover them. Repeat until you're out of meat and veggies.
- In a bowl combine the chopped tomato insides with some olive oil and water and add the mixture to the pot. The liquid should cover half of your veggies (if you have to layers of vegetables in your pot, the liquid should cover the first layer entirely). You can also add a bit of store bought or home made tomato sauce, if you'd like a more intense tomato flavour.
- Set the pot on the stove on medium-high heat, cover and bring to a boil. You should leave the veggies on the stove until they soften (I would suggest 50mins – 1h). Preheat your stove at 200 °C
- Once the veggies are soft, take off the cover of your pot and put it in the over for around 20-30 minutes. This will allow your sauce to reduce and the veggies to get a bit more smoky.
- At the chopped parsley right out of the oven. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy ! 🙂
Notes
A recipe from my heart
Romanian stuffed vegetables, especially “ardei umpluți,” (stuffed peppers) have always been more than just a meal in my family—they’re a warm embrace from home. Growing up, the sight of those colorful peppers filled with a perfectly seasoned mix of pork, rice, and herbs baking slowly in the tomato sauce meant the kitchen was alive with love and tradition. It’s a dish that carries the flavours of summer’s freshest peppers but brings comfort all year round. For me, these stuffed veggies are a delicious link to my roots, reflecting a blend of history and family stories passed down with every recipe.Ingredient substitutions & variations
- For a milder flavour, try veal or a mix of pork and beef.
- Substitute the rice with quinoa or bulgur for a different texture and added nutrients. Cauliflower rice works as a low-carb alternative.
