Greek Gemista – Herbed Rice-Stuffed Baked Vegetables

Name: Greek Gemista – Herbed Rice-Stuffed Baked Vegetables
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 4 large ripe tomatoes; 2 bell peppers; 1 cup short-grain rice; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped; 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped; 4 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp tomato paste; Salt and black pepper to taste

Ripe tomatoes and peppers stuffed with fragrant herbed rice and baked until tender — a classic vegan Greek comfort dish.

Total: 85 min
Servings: 2 servings
Difficulty: Medium
Calories · per serving: 380 kcal

Written by

Ecem Akkaba · Dietitian

Dietitian, graduate of İstanbul Medipol University. She develops the recipes and nutrition values on FitZen.

Updated: July 26, 2026

In short

Greek Gemista – Herbed Rice-Stuffed Baked Vegetables contains 380 calories per serving: 8 g protein, 62 g carbohydrate and 12 g fat. It takes 85 minutes in total and makes 2 servings.

About this recipe

Gemista is a beloved Greek summer classic of vegetables hollowed out and stuffed with herb-scented rice, then slowly baked until sweet and tender. This vegan version is naturally gluten-free, generous with fresh parsley and mint, and tastes even better the next day.

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2
Slice the tops off the tomatoes and peppers, then scoop out the tomato flesh and reserve it.
3
Chop the reserved tomato pulp and set aside.
4
Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and fragrant.
5
Add the rice, tomato pulp, tomato paste, parsley and mint, and cook for 5 minutes.
6
Fill the tomatoes and peppers with the rice mixture and replace their caps.
7
Arrange them in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and add a little water to the base.
8
Bake for 55–60 minutes until the rice is tender and the tops are golden.

Tips

Keep the tomato and pepper caps and use them as lids to seal in moisture while baking.
Don't overfill the vegetables — the rice expands as it cooks.
Serve warm or at room temperature, the classic Greek way.

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