Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers with Farro & Pine Nuts

Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers with Farro & Pine Nuts

Mia

These Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers are a celebration of wholesome ingredients and vibrant flavors that epitomize the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Each pepper becomes a colorful vessel for a nutty farro filling enriched with toasted pine nuts, sweet currants, fresh herbs, and aromatic spices. The combination creates a symphony of textures—from the tender-crisp roasted pepper to the chewy farro and crunchy pine nuts—while the currants add delightful bursts of natural sweetness.

Inspired by the stuffed vegetable traditions found throughout Greece, Turkey, and the Levant, this dish showcases the Mediterranean approach to eating: abundant vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats from olive oil and nuts, and minimal but flavorful seasoning. Farro, an ancient grain treasured since Roman times, provides a hearty, protein-rich base that's more nutritious than white rice, offering a pleasant nutty flavor and satisfying bite.

This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner or elegant enough for entertaining. The peppers can be assembled ahead of time and baked just before serving, making them ideal for meal prep. Each serving delivers a complete, balanced meal packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The combination of whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats keeps you satisfied while supporting heart health and overall wellness.

Serve these beautiful stuffed peppers with a side of Greek yogurt, a simple cucumber salad, or crusty whole-grain bread. They're equally delicious warm from the oven or at room temperature, and leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day.

Nutrition

1 hour 15 minutes
None servings
385 calories
Fat 18.00g
Carbs 52.00g
Protein 10.00g

Ingredients

4 largebell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 cupfarro, uncooked
2.5 cupsvegetable broth
4 tbspextra virgin olive oil, divided
1 mediumyellow onion, finely diced
3 Nonegarlic cloves, minced
1/3 cuppine nuts
1/3 cupdried currants
1/2 cupfresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cupfresh mint, chopped
1 Nonelemon, zested and juiced
1/2 tspground cinnamon
1/2 tspground cumin
1 tspsalt
1/2 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cupcrumbled feta cheese (optional)

Equipment

Wooden spoon
Cutting board
Oven
measuring spoons
measuring cups
medium saucepan with lid
chef's knife
zester or microplane
fine-mesh strainer
pastry brush
large skillet
large baking dish

16:8 Diet

This nutrient-dense recipe is perfect for the 16:8 eating window, providing sustained energy from complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber that promote satiety throughout the fasting period. The balanced combination of whole grains, vegetables, nuts, and herbs delivers complete nutrition within the compressed eating timeframe.

80/20 Diet

This recipe perfectly embodies the 80/20 principle with over 80% of ingredients being nutrient-dense whole foods including vegetables, whole grain farro, fresh herbs, and healthy fats from olive oil and pine nuts, while allowing a small amount of feta cheese for flavor. It's anti-inflammatory, fiber-rich, and emphasizes minimally processed ingredients.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

This recipe is rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients including extra virgin olive oil, colorful bell peppers, whole grain farro, fresh herbs (parsley and mint), and anti-inflammatory spices like cinnamon and cumin. It avoids processed foods and refined ingredients while emphasizing nutrient-dense whole foods that combat inflammation.

Clean Eating

This recipe exemplifies clean eating with whole, minimally processed ingredients including fresh vegetables, whole grain farro, raw nuts, fresh herbs, and extra virgin olive oil. Every ingredient is recognizable in its natural form with no artificial additives, preservatives, or refined ingredients.

DASH Diet

This DASH-compliant recipe is naturally low in sodium, emphasizes vegetables and whole grains, and uses herbs and spices for flavor instead of excessive salt. The inclusion of vegetable broth, olive oil, and minimal cheese keeps saturated fat low while providing potassium, magnesium, and fiber from the vegetables and whole grain farro.

Diabetic Diet

This diabetic-friendly recipe features low-glycemic whole grain farro that provides steady energy without blood sugar spikes, combined with fiber-rich vegetables and healthy fats from olive oil and pine nuts that further slow glucose absorption. The balanced macronutrients and absence of refined sugars make it ideal for blood sugar management.

Flexitarian Diet

This primarily plant-based recipe features vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds as the foundation, with only a small amount of feta cheese as an optional animal product component. It perfectly demonstrates flexitarian eating by making plants the star while allowing minimal dairy for flavor enhancement.

Gluten-Free Diet

This recipe can be made gluten-free by substituting the farro with quinoa, brown rice, or certified gluten-free grains, while all other ingredients (bell peppers, pine nuts, olive oil, vegetables, herbs, and feta) are naturally gluten-free. With this simple grain substitution, it becomes a safe and delicious gluten-free Mediterranean meal.

Heart-Healthy Diet

This heart-healthy recipe emphasizes extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts while keeping saturated fat minimal with only a small amount of feta cheese. The combination of fiber-rich farro, antioxidant-rich vegetables and herbs, and heart-protective monounsaturated fats supports cardiovascular health.

High-Fiber Diet

This recipe is excellent for high-fiber diets, providing substantial fiber from whole grain farro, bell peppers, dried currants, fresh herbs, and pine nuts. The combination of whole grains and vegetables delivers well over 8 grams of fiber per serving while remaining flavorful and satisfying.

Intermittent Fasting

This nutrient-dense recipe is ideal for intermittent fasting eating windows, providing sustained energy from complex carbohydrates (farro), healthy fats (olive oil, pine nuts), and fiber-rich vegetables that promote satiety throughout fasting periods. The balanced macronutrients and whole food ingredients support stable blood sugar levels.

Intuitive Eating

This recipe supports intuitive eating by offering a satisfying, balanced meal with diverse textures and flavors that provide both nourishment and pleasure. It includes a variety of whole foods without restriction or guilt-inducing language, honoring both taste preferences and gentle nutrition.

Mayo Clinic Diet

This recipe aligns with Mayo Clinic Diet principles by emphasizing vegetables, whole grains (farro), and healthy fats from olive oil and pine nuts, while using minimal cheese and avoiding processed ingredients. The nutrient-dense ingredients and appropriate portions support sustainable weight loss and overall health.

Mediterranean Diet

This recipe is a quintessential Mediterranean dish that emphasizes extra virgin olive oil, whole grains (farro), vegetables (bell peppers), nuts (pine nuts), and herbs (parsley, mint), with minimal cheese used for flavoring. It perfectly embodies the Mediterranean approach of plant-based eating with heart-healthy fats and whole, unprocessed ingredients.

MIND Diet

This MIND Diet-friendly recipe emphasizes brain-healthy ingredients including whole grains (farro), vegetables (bell peppers), nuts (pine nuts), olive oil as the primary fat, and fresh herbs. It avoids processed foods, excessive cheese, and fried ingredients while focusing on nutrient-dense foods that support cognitive health.

Mindful Eating

This recipe is ideal for mindful eating with its symphony of textures (tender peppers, chewy farro, crunchy pine nuts), vibrant colors, aromatic herbs and spices, and complex flavors that encourage slow, sensory-focused consumption. The whole, minimally processed ingredients engage multiple senses and promote conscious appreciation of each bite.

Vegetarian Diet

This vegetarian recipe provides plant-based protein from farro and pine nuts, includes dairy in the form of feta cheese, and emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats from olive oil and nuts. It's a nutritionally complete vegetarian meal with adequate protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.

Weight Watchers

This recipe aligns with Weight Watchers principles by emphasizing whole grains, abundant vegetables, and nutrient-dense ingredients while using minimal added fats and limiting cheese to just 1/2 cup for the entire recipe. The fiber-rich farro and vegetables create a satisfying, portion-controlled meal that supports weight management.

Instructions

1

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

2

Rinse the farro under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer and drain well.

1 min
3
30 min

In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil over high heat. Add the farro, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes until tender but still slightly chewy. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.

4

While the farro cooks, brush the bell pepper halves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, coating both the inside and outside. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

2 min
5

Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in a large baking dish. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until just beginning to soften. Remove from oven and set aside.

15 min
6
6 min

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened and translucent.

7
1 min

Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

8
3 min

Add the pine nuts to the skillet and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant.

9
2 min

Add the cooked farro, currants, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir well to combine and cook for 2 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

10

Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the chopped parsley, mint, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

1 min
11

Divide the farro filling evenly among the roasted pepper halves, mounding it generously in each one.

3 min
12

If using feta cheese, sprinkle it over the top of the stuffed peppers.

1 min
13

Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through and lightly golden on top.

25 min
14

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired.

5 min

Frequently Asked Questions