This easy Gemista recipe is the traditional, vegetarian version of Greek stuffed peppers and tomatoes. And it comes straight from my yiayia’s kitchen! No need to cook the filling ahead of time! Just mix uncooked rice with fresh herbs, tomato juices, and a splash of olive oil, then stuff your veggies and let the oven do the rest. It’s simple, healthy, and full of that classic Mediterranean flavor.
Gemista (or yemista) can be made with or without meat. In Greece, the meatless version is called gemista yialantzi (or yalantzi), derived from the Turkish word yalancı, meaning “liar” or “fake.” But don’t be fooled! There’s nothing “fake” about these delicious Greek stuffed vegetables! In fact, many people prefer them over the version with ground meat.
They're EASY! For this vegetarian yemista recipe, my grandma (like most old-school cooks) never pre-cooked the rice or the filling ingredients. That’s what makes them lighter, fresher, and full of that summery, garden-to-table flavor.
These are the real Greek experience! For more wholesome, traditional Greek recipes, don't miss these Dolma (Greek stuffed grape leaves with meat), and my favorite one pan meal, this Bifteki - Greek baked beef patties with potatoes.
📋 Ingredient notes
To make these Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers, you'll need the following ingredients:
The rice should be short grain, such as Arborio or Carnaroli, and rinsed very well (you can also soak it in cold water for 5 minutes).
For the best flavor, the tomatoes should be very ripe. They should be also large and about the same size as the peppers.
Extra virgin olive oil is best for this recipe.
Use fresh herbs and avoid substituting dried ones, as the taste will not be the same. If you can't find spearmint, you can use regular mint instead.
The zucchini and eggplant can also be stuffed. But they're more time consuming to empty, and since this is an easy recipe I only use them for the filling.
Potatoes are optional, but if your pan is big and the veggies aren’t snugly packed, they help keep everything upright so nothing collapses while baking.
👨🍳 Expert Tips
Here are my top tips for when making Greek stuffed peppers and tomatoes:
✅ For even cooking, choose tomatoes and bell peppers of the same size.
✅ Be careful when hollowing the vegetables. You don’t want to break the exterior.
✅ After hollowing the vegetables, place each lid inside the veggie. This way you won't mix the lids.
✅ For better texture grate the onion, eggplant and zucchini on the coarse side of a box grater rather than blending them in a food processor.
✅ Stuff the vegetables only ¾ full, or just a bit more, because the stuffing will expand during baking.
👉 The Baking dish Paradox
To choose the right baking dish, place the whole, raw vegetables you plan to stuff inside the pan. They should fit snugly. Then, account for one extra stuffed vegetable.
Why? Once hollowed out, the veggies soften and shrink, so you’ll magically have room for one more pepper or tomato!
🎥 Video
🎵 Music on Video: Folk bed, Musician: Audionautix.com
📖 Recipe
Easy Gemista: Greek stuffed peppers & tomatoes
Ingredients
- 5 tomatoes (large)
- 5 bell peppers
- 1 ½ cups (330 g) short grain rice (see note#1)
- 1 (200 g) zucchini (grated)
- ½ (200 g) eggplant (grated)
- 1 (200 g) onion (large, grated)
- ⅔ bunch (40 g) fresh parsley
- ⅔ bunch (40 g) fresh dill
- ⅔ bunch (40 g) fresh spearmint ( or mint, only the leaves)
- 3 ½ teaspoons fine salt ( or to taste)
- ½ teaspoons black pepper (freshly grated )
- ⅔ cups (150 g) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large potatoes (cut in small wedges)
Instructions
- Preparation: Choose your vegetables, wash them well and find a pan that fits them snugly.For 10 large vegetables a 12-inch (30 cm) round pan or a 14 x 10.5 inch (35.5 x 26 cm) casserole dish should work well (see note #2).Rinse the rice thoroughly and set it aside to drain.
- Cut the top of each vegetable with a sharp knife.Don't cut straight across horizontally. Instead, angle the knife toward the center. This helps you get the maximum volume out of each vegetable.Using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes into a bowl. Scrape carefully to remove as much flesh as possible without damaging the outer shell. Do the same with the bell peppers, and transfer the white flesh from inside the peppers to the same bowl as the tomato flesh.👉 Don’t discard the white pepper flesh, it adds extra flavor!
- Using the coarse side of a box grater, grate the zucchini, eggplant and onion into a large bowl. Finely chop the parsley, dill and spearmint and add them to the grated vegetables.
- Add the salt, pepper, rice, and half of the olive oil to the bowl and mix well.
- In a food processor, blend the tomato and pepper flesh, then transfer to a measuring jug. Add enough water so that the total liquid is 2.5 times the volume of the rice. If you're not scaling the recipe, for 1½ cups of rice, the total liquid should be 3¾ cups.
- Add the tomato mixture to the bowl with the rice mixture and mix well.Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
- Using a spoon, stuff the vegetables with the filling, leaving about ½ inch (1 cm) of space at the top, as the rice will expand during baking. Arrange the vegetables in your baking pan and place the potato wedges in the gaps between them.👉 Potatoes are optional, but they help keeping the vegetables upright during baking.
- Pour some water to the pan, about ¾ inch (2 cm) high. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with some extra salt. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then check to see if the rice is cooked.Remove from the oven and let them rest for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy with feta cheese and crusty bread.👉 Cover with aluminum foil if the vegetables brown too much on top.👉 Depending on the baking dish and the size of the vegetables, they may need more time. If all the water in the pan has evaporated, add about 1 cup more and continue baking until the rice is al dente.👉 Resting the Gemista allows the filling to absorb the juices evenly.
Notes
More Greek recipes to Try:
Nutrition
💭 FAQs
In Greek cuisine, several types of peppers are used, ranging from sweet to spicy. Here are the most common ones:
1. Green Bell Peppers (Πράσινες Πιπεριές): The classic choice for gemista (stuffed peppers) and salads like Horiatiki. Their flavor is mild and slightly bitter when raw, but sweet when roasted.
2. Red Bell Peppers (Κόκκινες Πιπεριές): Used in gemista, salads, and dishes with chicken. They're sweeter than green peppers, especially when charred.
3. Florina Peppers (Πιπεριές Φλωρίνης): A PDO-protected red pepper from northern Greece. Usage: Sun-dried, roasted, or preserved in oil, they're used used in dips such as this Greek spicy feta dip (Tirokafteri), in stews like this spetzofai (greek sausage and peppers stew), or as meze. Their flavor is sweet, smoky (when charred) and slightly tangy.
4. Spicy Peppers (Καυτερές Πιπεριές): Used in spicy feta dips like this Greek spicy feta dip (Tirokafteri) or this Bouyourdi recipe (baked feta with tomatoes and peppers) and they can also be dried or ground into boukovo - Greek chili flakes (external link).
Stuffed peppers are a vibrant, flavorful dish, and pairing them with the right sides and accompaniments can elevate your meal. Here are traditional Greek pairings that work beautifully:
Horiatiki (Greek Salad).
Tzatziki: Cool, creamy yogurt with garlic and cucumber adds a refreshing contrast.
Crusty VIllage Bread (horiatiko psomi) or a barley Dakos (Cretan Rusk): Perfect for soaking up the juices and leftover tomato sauce.
Feta or Grilled Halloumi: Salty cheese complements the sweet-tangy flavors of the peppers.
Grilled chicken, especially this Greek yogurt marinated chicken with a marinade that doubles as a sauce.
Ouzo. Especially when you're in a tavern by the beach!
🍳 Similar Recipes
If you tried this Greek Gemista Recipe without meat, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
marcie says
This is such a gorgeous dish! I'm part Greek and I've got a garden full of peppers, so this is calling my name.
Makos says
Hi Marcie!
Well, I think you should be preheating your oven by now! Ha ha! 🙂
Zerrin says
The pictures are so inviting Makos! I can eat these stuffed vegetables every single day. I'd love it with some yogurt on the side. YUM!
Makos says
Thank you, Zerrin!
I totally agree about the yogurt!
Ann says
is the rice pre-cooked?
Makos says
Hi Ann, no it's not pre-cooked
Maria says
Everytime I make Yemista, I remember my sweet grandma! Yours look just like hers 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Makos says
Thank you Maria, that’s so sweet 🥹