Stuffed Peppers With Chickpeas and Cheese

By Melissa Clark

Published June 21, 2024

Stuffed Peppers With Chickpeas and Cheese
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
5(1,135)
Comments
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Cozy, cheesy stuffed peppers are made vegetarian by using chickpeas instead of the usual ground meat. The cumin, tomato paste and chili powder give the filling its depth and heat, and plenty of scallions and herbs keep it bright and fresh. If you’d like to assemble the peppers ahead, you can. They’ll keep in the fridge overnight. Just pop them in the oven and add a few minutes to the baking time. Or bake them ahead and savor them later; these peppers are equally good served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Featured in: A Stuffed Pepper Recipe That Goes Hard on Spiced Chickpeas

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 3large red, yellow or orange bell peppers (a mix is nice), halved crosswise, seeded and membranes scooped out
  • Fine sea or table salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
  • 1jalapeño, seeded, if you like, and diced
  • 3garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
  • 2(15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1teaspoon chili powder, more to taste
  • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • 1cup/4 ounces grated extra-sharp Cheddar
  • ¼cup chopped fresh parsley, mint or cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

531 calories; 23 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 922 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil the cavities and exteriors of the bell pepper halves. Season the cavities all over with salt and pepper. Place peppers cut side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

  2. Step 2

    Add 2 tablespoons oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add white and light green scallion slices (reserving the dark green scallions for garnish) and jalapeño. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chickpeas, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine and cook until tomato paste and spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the skillet (if there’s still browned bits at the bottom of the skillet, add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen them; the browned bits have all the flavor). Taste a chickpea and add more salt, pepper and chili powder if you like.

  3. Step 3

    Spoon the chickpea mixture into the pepper cavities, filling the peppers up to the top. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake the peppers for 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Top peppers with the cheese and continue to bake until the peppers have fully softened and the Cheddar has melted and browned, 15 to 25 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Drizzle peppers with more olive oil and sprinkle with parsley and reserved scallion greens. Drizzle remaining lemon juice over peppers. When serving, be sure to scrape up any crispy bits on the bottom of the dish.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,135 user ratings
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Comments

Laura W

Delicious vegetarian version! I changed a few things. One - I precooked the pepper halves - rubbed inside half with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper - 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Also, I used one can of chickpeas and added more filler ingredients. About a half cup cooked quinoa, a diced zucchini and a half cup chopped fresh parsley.

Wiffle

The peppers in the photo (and most recipes) are cut lengthwise, through the stem, not crosswise.

Beth R.

Mashing some of the chickpeas gave this a more stuffing-like texture.

Denise

We had this for dinner with a Freekeh pilaf (Ottolenghi recipe) and it was very nice. I think it's a bit weird to call the peppers stuffed, as the chickpeas keep their shape and don't amalgamate like a stuffing, but they are super tasty, especially once the cheese has been added. Will make again, perhaps mash some of the chickpeas next time before adding to the peppers.

rob h

fantastic as written

Maureen

This was surprisingly tasty, not overpowering or super flavorful, young-kid approved, for how simple it is. There’s not much to it and I really liked it. I did make a couple changes: I shredded a rotisserie chicken and with that, added most of a can of diced tomatoes so it wouldn’t be dry. I didn’t parboil or do anything special to the peppers except cook them longer, about 45 minutes covered, another 15-20 with cheese. I served the peppers alone, no rice, no bread. The perfect light and healthy summer dish.

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