Lenten Stuffed Peppers
Bell peppers filled with rice, carrot, onion, and mushrooms, baked in a simple tomato sauce. No meat and no cheese, so they work for weekday fasts and for Holy Week when you want something that still looks like dinner.
Ingredients
- 6 medium bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed
- 1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill
Instructions
Cook the rice in salted water until just shy of tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet. Cook the onion and carrot until soft, 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. Stir in the garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Fold the vegetable mixture and herbs into the rice.
Stand the peppers in a baking dish that holds them snugly. Pack the filling into each pepper.
Stir the crushed tomatoes with the water or broth, the remaining oil, and a pinch of salt. Pour the sauce around and over the peppers.
Cover and bake at 375 F for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the peppers are soft and the sauce has thickened.
Rest 10 minutes before serving. Spoon extra sauce over each pepper.
Notes
Orthodox fasting: no meat, dairy, or eggs. On oil-free days, skip frying the filling and simmer the vegetables in a splash of water before mixing with the rice.