Gemista – Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers

Serve with my Greek Bread (Horiatiko Psomi)

Greek Stuffed Vegetables

If you have visited Greece you will no doubt be familiar with this popular Greek dish! Gemista or Yemista (pronounced yeh-mee-STAH) means “stuffed” or “filled with”.

It is made with vegetables like tomatoes and peppers filled with a rice stuffing and baked in the oven. The vegetables are hollowed out, seasoned and filled with herby rice and plenty of olive oil.

This recipe falls under the category of “lathera” (pronounced la-there-AH), vegetarian dishes made with olive oil (“lathi”) and typically eaten during Lent.

Though there are different versions of this dish made with meat, this is my mum’s recipe for Gemista which is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

She and my aunt used to make a big batch of gemista and bake it in our outdoor wood burning oven in Skiathos where we spent our summers.

The dish takes a long time to cook so we would go off and have a swim then come back hours later to the most amazing lunch.

Here’s What You Will Need

Use any large oven-safe baking dish that fits all your vegetables.

• Vegetables – use the best seasonal vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers and zucchini.
• Onion and garlic
• Rice – you need to use short or medium grain rice such as arborio. The rice takes a long time to cook and absorbs all the flavors from the herbs and vegetables.
• Herbs – plenty of fresh dill, parsley and mint. The herbs are not supporting players here; they are absolutely essential!
• Oil – Greek virgin olive oil and lots of it! You can’t make this recipe and skimp on the oil, believe me I’ve tried.
• Pine nuts – these are currently very expensive so you can leave them out if you like.
• Dried cranberries (not very traditional!) add a hint of sweetness.
• Breadcrumbs – these are optional but add a nice touch!

How to Make Greek Stuffed Vegetables (Gemista)

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Prepare the Vegetables

1. Slice the tops of the peppers and carefully remove the seeds and membranes. Keep the top of the peppers – it will be used as a lid for our stuffed vegetables.

1. Slice the top of  tomatoes, reserving the lid, and use a melon baller or spoon to remove the flesh, juice and seeds into a bowl. Don’t scoop too close to the walls of the tomatoes otherwise they will collapse in the oven.
2. Use an immersion blender or food chopper to blitz the reserved tomato juice and flesh. Reserve ⅓ cup (80ml) of the tomato juice in a separate bowl. If you don’t have enough you can top it up with a little water.

Make the Filling

1. Heat oil in a skillet and pan fry the grated onion and minced garlic over low heat, adding a pinch of salt and sugar. Cook until softened, stirring. Add the tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid is gone. Stir in the rice.

1. Cool the filling slightly then stir in all the herbs, pine nuts and cranberries to make the filling. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add a pinch of allspice and paprika if you have some handy.

Stuff the Vegetables and Cook!

1. Place the vegetables in a baking dish, nestling them quite close together. Season the insides with salt, pepper and pinch sugar and drizzle generously with olive oil.
2. Add water to the dish to cover just slightly up bottom of the veggies, pouring it in carefully from the side so as not to wash away the olive oil.
3. Fill the vegetables about ¾ of the way with the rice mixture and add a tablespoon each of tomato juice and oil in each. Cover with the lids. Drizzle the vegetables with oil and season well with salt and pepper.

1. Cover the dish tightly with foil and cook for an hour. Check the dish and top up with a little more water if it looks dry.
2. Cook for a further 30 minutes then remove the foil and cook until the rice is soft, basting the vegetables with the pan juices and topping up with water as needed.
3. The dish is ready when the vegetables look blistered and the rice is soft. Mine took just shy of two hours in the oven. Serve with slices of feta and sprinkle with some fresh dill.

Recipe Tips

• Be patient and cool the stuffed vegetables before serving. After all, gemista is usually served at room temperature, not piping hot.
• This is a rustic dish that tastes even better a day after it is made! It will keep in the fridge for a few days in a suitable container.
• If you are using zucchini then you can add their flesh to the filling as well.
• The cooking time is approximate and may depend on the type of rice you use. The rice is not precooked so it will take a while to become soft, absorbing all the wonderful flavor of the herbs and oil along the way.

Serving Suggestions

Bread, Muffins, Donuts and Pastries

Greek Bread (Horiatiko Psomi)

Greek Food

Best Greek Lemon Potatoes

Greek Food

Tzatziki Recipe (Authentic Greek Dip)

HAVE YOU MADE MY GREEK STUFFED VEGETABLES RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #Nusde and make my day!