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Gemista - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

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2 hr + 10 min

Main

Freezer-friendly
Gemista, meaning "stuffed" in Greek, is a classic dish typically featuring tomatoes, bell peppers, or zucchini filled with a savoury mix of rice, vegetables, and fresh herbs. In our version, we use fragrant arborio rice, a medley of vibrant veggies, and an abundance of fresh parsley, dill, and mint. Baked to perfection, this hearty, aromatic dish offers a comforting taste of the Mediterranean.

Servings

(2 stuffed tomatoes per serving)

Total

2 hr + 10 min

Prep

25 min

Cook

1 hr + 45 min

Free from

Soy symbol

soy

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Gluten symbol

gluten

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What others say

Deborah - Sept. 24, 2025, 9:19 a.m.

Can I use this filling for patty pan squash maybe?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 24, 2025, 2:08 p.m.

Hey Deborah, oh what a fun idea! We imagine that patty pan squash would work wonderfully with this filling. Just hollow them out and follow the same steps as with the tomatoes. You may need to adjust the baking time slightly depending on their size 🤗✨

Vif - June 27, 2025, 10:16 p.m.

Made it with bell peppers instred of tomatoes and it was great! Loved it!

margarita - June 21, 2025, 10:44 p.m.

I totally loved this version of gemista! I wasn’t sure about the potato in the filling,my grandmother and mother never used it so neither do I, but it worked out really well!!!
Another greek alternative from me : Apart from tomatoes, you can also stuff bell peppers, eggplants or zucchini! Some people also stuff potatoes as well!!
One of my summer favorites!!

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 22, 2025, 12:15 a.m.

Aw lovely to hear you enjoyed this version of gemista, Margarita! Thank you for sharing your delicious alternative too 🫶

Leah - June 17, 2025, 6:43 a.m.

I was skeptical of the mint, but I really liked this dish! This recipe will be great when my tomato plants give me too many tomatoes. I made two changes. I didn’t have rice so I swapped the same amount of dried red lentils. And I added 1/4 tsp MSG.

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 17, 2025, 6:02 p.m.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe, Leah! Using red lentils instead of rice sounds like a tasty and protein-packed twist ✨

Savvas - June 16, 2025, 8:12 a.m.

As Greek Cypriot that’s one of my favorite childhood recipes. We usually use rice (never heard of potatoes but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a thing because there are so many variations). In Cyprus traditionally we also add mince meat, so usually I use TVP for that extra protein. You can also use any kind of vegetable to stuff, from zucchini, to eggplant, onions, potatoes, artichoke. 🙌

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 16, 2025, 1:55 p.m.

Aww it's so special to hear how this recipe connects to your childhood, Savvas! Using TVP is a lovely idea for a plant-based twist. And wow, stuffed artichokes and onions sound amazing! So many delicious variations to try 🙌