Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers Couscous (Printable)
Bell peppers filled with a fragrant couscous and vegetable blend, baked until tender and topped with feta cheese.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), tops cut off, seeds removed
02 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 small zucchini, diced
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped (optional)
→ Grains
08 - 3/4 cup couscous
09 - 3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
→ Dairy
10 - 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
→ Pantry
11 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
14 - 2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional, for topping)
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Bring vegetable broth to a boil, pour over couscous, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and zucchini; sauté 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
04 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes until just softened. Remove skillet from heat.
05 - In a large bowl, mix sautéed vegetables, couscous, parsley, mint (if using), oregano, and half the feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
06 - Drizzle inside of each bell pepper with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Fill peppers with couscous mixture, mounding slightly.
07 - Arrange stuffed peppers upright in a baking dish. Drizzle remaining olive oil over them. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
08 - Remove foil, sprinkle remaining feta and pine nuts (if using) on top. Bake uncovered 10 more minutes until peppers are tender and tops golden.
09 - Let peppers rest a few minutes before serving. Garnish with extra herbs if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The peppers soften into sweet, tender vessels while the couscous inside stays light and fluffy—it's the kind of balance that feels fancy but tastes honest.
- Everything happens in one baking dish, and most of the prep is just chopping, so you can actually enjoy cooking instead of drowning in pans.
- It works for vegetarians, for people who need something substantial, and for anyone who wants to feel like they're cooking something restaurant-worthy at home.
02 -
- Don't skip the initial sauté of the vegetables—raw or barely cooked onion and zucchini will taste grassy and watery inside the pepper, while properly cooked versions become sweet and cohesive.
- If your peppers feel too soft or collapse partway through, you're likely cooking them too long or at too high a heat; 375°F and forty minutes total is the sweet spot for tender without falling apart.
- The pepper itself becomes part of the dish as it roasts—it should taste sweet and slightly charred, not rubbery or undercooked, so give it time but don't abandon it in the oven.
03 -
- Use a serrated knife to cut the tops off the peppers rather than a chef's knife—it grips better and you're less likely to slip and cut into the flesh below.
- If your peppers won't sit upright, slice a thin piece off the bottom so they have a flat base, or nestle them against each other in the baking dish so they support each other while cooking.