Mediterranean Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice
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Mediterranean Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice are my favorite hearty side dish recipe or healthy vegetarian main. They can be made either vegan or vegetarian and are absolutely bursting with flavor. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, these stuffed tomatoes come together very easily!
I've made us tomatoes stuffed with rice! But not just rice, cause that wouldn't be worth all the exclamation marks I'm about to use.
This is a stuffed tomato recipe that is easy to make, delicious, and healthy. All our favorite things!
Why these Mediterranean Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice are so amazing:
- My newly discovered and much-loved rice blend (Prairie Blends by Floating Leaf ā more on that topic momentarily.)
- Creamy toasted pine nuts. Or cashews. Or crunchy almonds. You do what you have in your pantry.
- Salty green olives. (technically only mandatory if you love olives.)
- Chopped dates for a tiny bit of sweetness.
- Feta cheese or nutritional yeast ā depending on your mood or what you love to eat. I've opted for both more than once.
- Sauteed onions and garlic. Because hello, life.
- All these delicious flavors nestled inside roasted stuffed tomatoes. Call them Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes or Greek Stuffed Tomatoes, or Italian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice or simply The Best Dang Stuffed Tomato Recipe Ever.
So guys, this rice. As you might have noticed, there is a serious lack of rice recipes on the blog. Now that I've found a rice blend that I totally LOVE, expect to see a whole lot of rice popping up around here.
I normally don't eat a lot of rice, so when I do, it means it must be really special. #truth
Floating Leaf makes three rice blends they call Prairie Blends. The one I've used to make these stuffed tomatoes is their Sprouted Crimson Lentils, Wild Rice, and Quinoa Blend.
The healthy, whole grains make a delicious plant-based side dish all on their own. Mix the Prairie Blend with Mediterranean flavors, stuff it inside juicy tomatoes, then roast them in the oven and magic happens.
Healthy bonus ā¦
- Floating Leaf's Prairie Blends are a great way to add plant-based protein to your meal.
- They're gluten-free so perfect if you're celiac or sensitive to gluten.
- Whole grains = nutritious!
- They make creating healthy, flexitarian meals super simple!
Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice Step 1:
Cut the tops off the tomatoes and use a little spoon to hollow the insides. Don't worry about making the tomatoes pretty or perfect looking. Just scoop out the center and pop them in a baking dish. Keep this simple!
And make sure to save the tomato bits you've scooped out, you'll chop some and add it to the rice.
Now to make the Mediterranean rice filling ā¦
Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice Step 2:
After you saute some onions and garlic until your house smells amazing, add the Prairie Blend and some broth, cover the pan, and let it cook for 20 minutes.
Now toast the pine nuts, chop the dates, olives, and parsley, and decide whether you're making vegan stuffed tomatoes or using feta cheese.
When the rice is soft, mix in all your tasty extras and stuff it into the tomatoes you hollowed out.
Depending on how big your tomatoes are, you may have a little extra rice. Either fill the tomatoes super full, add the extra rice around the tomatoes, or save the rice for a little lunch tomorrow. Or better yet, give everyone hanging around your kitchen a little bite to tease them with what you're making for dinner.
Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice Step 3:
Now all you have to do is pop the filled tomatoes into your oven and let them roast until they're soft and totally irresistible.
Easy, right?
I love meals (like these stuffed tomatoes!) that give me a break between the hands on cooking time and the time we sit down to eat. It's the perfect opportunity to pour a glass of wine/clean up the kitchen/relax with my family before dinner.
Enjoy, my friends!
Easy Vegetarian Side Dish Recipes:
- Black Rice Salad with Mangos and Cashews
- Spicy Mexican Rice
- Late Autumn Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Bourbon Maple Glazed Carrots with Pistachios
- Pesto Stuffed Roast Tomatoes
Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 medium tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Ā½ medium onion (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- Ā½ cup tomato pulp (chopped (reserved from hollowing the tomatoes))
- 1 cup Floating Leaf Sprouted Crimson Lentils, Wild Rice, and Quinoa
- 2 Ā¾ cups vegetable broth
- Ā¼ cup pine nuts + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Ā¼ cup chopped green olives
- Ā¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- Ā¼ cup feta cheese (or 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast)
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
- 6 finely chopped pitted dates (can sub Ā¼ cup dried currants or raisins)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cut the tops off the tomatoes, use a small spoon to scoop out the centers, then place them in a baking dish. Reserve the tops and insides of the tomatoes.8 medium tomatoes
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.1 teaspoon olive oil, Ā½ medium onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the chopped tomato pulp, the Floating Leaf rice blend, and the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook for 20 minutes.Ā½ cup tomato pulp, 1 cup Floating Leaf Sprouted Crimson Lentils, Wild Rice, and Quinoa, 2 Ā¾ cups vegetable broth
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- While the rice cooks, toast the pine nuts in 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. Chop the olives, parsley, and dates. When the rice is soft, add the pine nuts, olives, parsley, feta cheese or nutritional yeast, oregano, and dates and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.Ā¼ cup pine nuts + 1 teaspoon olive oil, Ā¼ cup chopped green olives, Ā¼ cup chopped Italian parsley, Ā¼ cup feta cheese, 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano, 6 finely chopped pitted dates
- Stuff the rice into the tomatoes and place the tops on the tomatoes. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and starting to brown on top.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
