Shavuot Stuffed Vegetables
These tender, savory vegetables stuffed with a fragrant herb, rice, and cheese filling are a magnificent centerpiece for your Shavuot holiday table.
Ingredients
- •4 medium bell peppers (tops cut off and cored)
- •4 medium zucchini (halved lengthwise and hollowed out)
- •1 cup long-grain white rice (rinsed and drained)
- •1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- •1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- •1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
- •1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- •2 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- •1 teaspoon salt
- •1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- •1 cup crushed canned tomatoes
- •1/2 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a large baking dish with olive oil.
- 2
In a mixing bowl, combine the uncooked rice, crumbled feta, half of the mozzarella, chopped dill, parsley, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, half of the salt, and half of the black pepper.
- 3
Arrange the hollowed bell peppers and zucchini halves inside the prepared baking dish.
- 4
Stuff each vegetable cavity generously with the rice and cheese mixture, packing it down gently.
- 5
In a small bowl, whisk together the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, remaining olive oil, remaining salt, and black pepper, then pour this sauce around the base of the stuffed vegetables in the dish.
- 6
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- 7
Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the tops of the stuffed vegetables, and return to the oven uncovered for another 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the cheese is melted and golden.
- 8
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving warm with the pan juices spooned over the top.
💡 Chef tips
- You can prepare the vegetables and the filling a few hours in advance, stuff them, cover, and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Feel free to add other seasonal vegetables to the mix, such as small round zucchinis, large mushrooms, or tomatoes.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat gently in the oven.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished vegetables are tender and vibrant, holding a savory, herb-infused rice filling that is bound together with melted, gooey cheese and surrounded by a rich tomato broth.